| January 2003 Newsletter |
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Trail Running USA
"Transient, trail-running locals, take heart!"
We all know that we are graced to live in an area with such wonderful trails on which to run and such an active trail running component of our club. But is there trail life beyond the FLRC? While I cannot comment on the degree of trail activity of other running clubs, I recently had a unique opportunity to sample trail running all across the nation, and I can say this: Transient, trail-running locals, take heart!
There are trails of one type or another just about everywhere, just waiting to reveal their secrets to you. Trail running was (unfortunately) not the focus of my trip, but each time I was able to run, I was able to find a trail on which to do it with only one exception, and that one was probably due to a lack of knowledge about the area rather than an actual lack of trails!
Here are some of the highlights:
Most solitude - Pacific Crest Trail, from trailhead north of Chester, CA, near Lassen Volcanic National Park - if you like long runs, try the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The most touted of the 8 National Scenic trails, the PCT spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, traversing the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. It passes through desert and forest alike, offering stunning vistas of the high sierra wilderness. I could've spent months running this trail (literally!)
| "It is comforting to know that we are not alone when it comes to quality running trails." |
Most treacherous - Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia River Gorge, OR - the most popular trail in the Columbia River Gorge, Eagle Creek Trail traces the line of Eagle Creek as it makes its way toward the Columbia River (of Woody Guthrie fame), offering viewpoints of spectacular cliffs, tunnels, and waterfalls. Some parts of the trail travel along very narrow ledges on the edge of shear cliffs, easily earning it the distinction of being the most treacherous of the trail sections I sampled.
Most wildlife - Centennial Trail, from southernmost access point in Wind Cave National Park, SD - traversing the Black Hills of South Dakota from Wind Cave National Park in the south to Bear Butte State Park in the north, the 111-mile Centennial Trail passes through both prairie grasslands and forested mountainous regions, offering scenery much like that seen by the early pioneers in this region over 100 years ago. The amount of wildlife I encountered far surpassed anything I had expected: in the first hour of running, I encountered more than six different types of animals, including prairie dogs, wild turkey, deer, bison, elk, pronghorn sheep, and even a coyote! Most of the wildlife run from you, except for the bison, which make you do the detouring.
Most unexpected - Indy Greenways, Indianapolis, IN - I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Indianapolis, IN, most famous for being the home of the Indianapolis 500 automobile race, is also home to a rather extensive suburban trail system which continues to grow every year. The day I was in Indianapolis I did a long run of about 20 miles as part of my preparation for this year's Steamtown Marathon, with something like 18 of those miles on a small fraction of the trail network (yes!).
I did not expect to find so many wonderful trails all across the nation, and although I love this area for what we have here, it is comforting to know that we are not alone when it comes to quality running trails.
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