DESTINATION South Diablo Trail - MSPN 1 Photoset
2019-02-21 | | -
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| Run/Jog | 9.06 Miles |
91 AEG |
| | Run/Jog | 9.06 Miles | 1 Hour 38 Mns | | 5.55 mph |
| 91 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Had the day off so got an early morning run in at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Got there a bit too early and had to wait for the gates to open (6:42). Two other enthusiasts followed me into the park, but I never saw anyone while I was out on the trails. It was a surreal setting. It wasn't fog, but the clouds were hanging so low that visibility was very limited...maybe a quarter of a mile. Did a loop with South Diablo being the objective. Briefly on Brown Ranch Road trail and then took the Chuckwagon to Balanced Rock over to the Cholla Loop. CCW on the Cholla Loop to the Branding Iron. Briefly on BI to get to the Divide Trail. Even more briefly on the Divide to get to South Diablo. This is designed more with bikers in mind, but is an entertaining hiking trail. (Side note: as a hiking trail either direction is fine, but for bikers I would suggest going east to west due to the elevation change and the rock obstacles). South Diablo Trail had several splits (regular and more difficult). When faced with the split I stayed with the more difficult option. Not sure how that effects the stated mileage for this trail, probably not by much. As for hiking/jogging it. It wasn't that difficult, but biking would be different story. From South Diablo, I took Stagecoach back to the Cholla Loop. From Cholla I connected to Dry Gulch to the Corral and then Brown Ranch Toad Trail back to the TH. As much as I love the trails out there(...and I do love the trails. The best designed biking and running trails in my honest opinion), the real story today was the weather. Minimal visibility to start with a biting wind. But wind quickly brought with it.....SNOW!  And that snowed stayed with me for almost a full hour, alternating between icy pellets to huge half inch flakes. This made for a magically diverting run. It wasn't until the last 30 minutes when the snow suddenly transitioned into rain. I was already soaked by then so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Great run and the trails were in great shape except for the last stretch on Brown Ranch where I was avoiding puddles. |
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