"These aren't the trails your're looking for."

I'm currently trying to find some new areas to tear up some trail.


Now there's nothing wrong with Walnut Creek Park (where I usually run), I mean there are PLENTY of side-trails and combinations of them to make every day something a little different, I just think it's time to find some new scenery so as to avoid burn-out in the up-and-coming months.


The trail I found was supposed to be a 12-14 mile single track with plenty of elevation changes and terrain types to keep me sated for a quite some time, and on top of that, only about five minutes from where I work.

Of course the directions to the trail head were craptacular, there is no address to speak of, just an unmarked parking lot within walking distance of the trail. I did end up finding an unmarked parking lot within walking distance of a trail, though not THE trail.


Along the first circuit, a few things made me start to wonder if I was in the wrong place. Firstly, all the left-hand turn-offs that should have fed the flow along the main loop were dead-ends, according to the map of the trail I found online right-hand turns were all cut-backs to get back to the trail-head quicker. At least every dead-end was somewhat scenic. Most of the trail followed along a riverbed that ran alongside a vertical rock wall. With how high the wall reached, the sound of the water, and the coolness and near claustrophobia of the surrounding foilage, it felt was if I wasn't anywhere near the heart of the city.

About a mile into the run, I found my pace and was feeling like I could run all morning, I actually thought maybe I had read the map wrong and was running the trail backwards when I saw the first "Out -->" sign.

"There's no way this spits me back out near the trail-head, it's barely been a mile and a half..."

Exactly 1.7miles in, and there I was, back where I started.

No use in bitching/moaning about being in the wrong place, I ended up kicking out almost six miles. The trail's elevation changed about 100-150 feet, so it ended up being a good run either way.

If I can't find the actual trials I'm looking for, at least this will end up being another good stand-by.