Trail Run: Sycamore Canyon

One of my favorite places the Trail Runners Club runs is Sycamore Canyon, about 40 minutes up the Pacific Coast Highway. I try not to miss out on these excursions so up and out by 5:15am I went. After picking up Cody and Miss Sara, we made the long, sleepy trek to the park.

It was still overcast and cold when we met up with the other members but we quickly warmed up during our 1,100+ ft ascent for the first 4 or so miles. Unfortunately, the marine layer kept visibility limited to about a few yards in any direction. But it certainly aided us by keeping the sun off our backs while we ran.

Sara during the long, arduous climb above the clouds

The trail elevation of the course we covered

Green and fresh air

Most of the run was spent dodging random rabbits and swatting at mosquitos (I ended up with about 6-8 bites). But Miss Sara and I were enjoying ourselves, taking our time and using walking breaks as needed when trails got steep. After running primarily on fire roads, we reached my favorite part of this run. It's a narrow single track road that runs along the ridge with some spectacular views of green canyon below. And it's a pure decent down.

After reaching the main fire road, we made the final mile run back to the start of the trailhead. Total distance covered according to my Garmin was = 11.96 miles.


Since I was in charge of food and drinks this week for the club, I decided to get a little fancy by bringing along my gas stove and pre-whipped batter of pancake mix (w/ fresh blueberries sprinkled in). It was a huge hit with the carb-depleted bunch while I was just glad I brought the right amount. After stuffing our faces, we all bid adieu and made the drive back into civilization.


Another Sunday, another great run. Hope you all enjoyed your weekends!