Mr Trail Safety Speaks!

  “I wouldn’t be in your situation…” Thus said Chuckie, the Cheez-Kutting Cougar. Star of the trail noir classic “Touchez Pas à Ma Merde”, where he uttered the unforgettable “J'ai pris les collations de Dom, baise-le!” Chuckie seriously doesn’t give a fuck about your training run. Or your race.

Baden-Powell, with Angela Shartel, 2013. The AC100 is asking the public’s support for the race’s survival as a trail race. At stake is the iconic portion from Vincent Gap over Mt Baden-Powell. Which could disappear.  Their email came to my attention: This past December, the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Act was presented by Congresswoman Judy Chu. The legislation adds new wilderness areas the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and the effect on the Angeles Crest 100 Mile course would require another road section skipping the pinnacle of the course, Mount Baden-Powell. We need your help to reach out to your congressional representative to help get AC100 trail access and prevent the race from becoming a road race. Then the following text on how to locate your congressperson: Step 1 : https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative  Step 2 : Contact your Congressperson via their website. Copy and paste the following letter (a...

Ultrarunning lost a giant today. "Uncle" Hal Winton, co-RD of the Angeles Crest 100 since its 1986 founding, died this morning. He had just completed his 35th Avalon Benefit 50 this past January. RIP. I first met Hal in 1990, at a 35mile fun run around Mt San Jacinto near Idylwild, CA. I was an ultra newbie and he was already a legend in Southern California ultras. Back in those days, he was instantly recognizable with a cross "bigger than the one Christ came down from" [in the words of my ultra mentor Tom Pontac] and wore a t-shirt saying "Winton 4 Jesus". Over the years the cross got smaller, but it was a mighty diamond of no-bullshit faith. One story I heard was that his church was debating getting new carpet. He reportedly stood up and asked why they were thinking of carpet, when there were hungry people out on the street. But if they wanted carpet, then he'd find another church. The carpet idea died. Some bio info Origina...

Its mother loved it too. Some of you are doing, or leading training runs on the AC100 course. Here's a checklist to avoid disaster: LEADERS If you're leading a group, then its YOUR responsibility to make sure you've covered all the details. EVERYBODY STARTS/EVERYBODY FINISHES. how many know the route? How many newbies? Pair up experienced w/ newbies.   It's gonna take more time than you think. If somebody has a critical appointment back in town, they'll be late. Guaranteed. EVERYBODY ELSE Know where you're going. Get the map—the RaceBook is full of them. Study it. That's why its there. Take care of business. Proper dress/proper gear. Just because some Internet Kid Jesus runs with a garter belt and a squirt gun does not make it right for you how much fluids/electrolytes are you carrying? Are there any water drops on the way? Do you know where they are? how many are in the group? You'd be surprised how fast you forget. RUNNERS: The gr...

This is a mile off the race course on Mt Williamson 50 miles back, but it's important. The Last 26 Miles This section is a lover who’ll rake your back, fuck you so hard that you’d stay fucked, then ignore your calls. A standout in a Race that’s pretty much the same way. Its harsh, demanding, and indifferent to your esthetic preferences. You learn to love it on its own terms. Getting nervous? Wonderful. You’re looking at a legacy original mountain hundred, not a “backyard cheese-ball loop 100”, as Luis Escobar so eloquently described it. Spoiler alert I got my ass kicked. Its become the pattern for the summer: race , ass-kick recovery run . Minutes after the start from Chantry Flats, I’m practically by myself, Jeanne is seeing this part of the course for the first time. Now I get to find out how much I really remember of the course. The ribbons start coming down. Today, we’re lucky. Uncle Hal and friends are hosting an aid station at the 94 mile mark, 18 on today’s outin...

AC100 Trail volunteers, between Charlton Flats and Shortcut Saddle in the burned-over Angeles Crest  of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Purple Poodle-Dog Bush has started to come in— the creepy sage/reefer-like bushes in bright green. April 16, 2011. While in the San Gabriels, you will, sooner or later, encounter  Poison Oak  and  Purple Poodle Dog Bush ( PPDB) .  I've been friends with poison oak for over 30 years.    PPDB  re-appeared after the 2009 Station Fire. I'd never seen it before. The PPDB lies dormant for years, until fire conditions burn off chaparral and manzanita. It then reappears, First it looks like a cross between marijuana and sage with oily lime-green leaves. As it grows, it sends up a stalk that can top out at 9' high. Watch out for the pretty purple flowers, which look like lupine, but stink like natural gas or decay.  Do not touch . When the flowers die off in late spring, the stalks have dried fibe...