So Cal Ultra Series: Angeles Crest 100 Training Runs

2000 Angeles Crest 100 Training Runs

For more information, visit the Angeles Crest 100 website!

Help yourself and ...

READ THIS PART VERY CAREFULLY!

These runs have minimal aid, if any, and you are expected to be self-sufficient and properly prepared. This is NOT like any WS100 training runs you may have ever been at (i.e. no cold drinks, strawberries, chocolate chip cookies). The days are hot and the nights are long. Plan accordingly!

CHANTRY FLATS ACCESS

There is justifiable concern about access to Chantry Flats, which in normal times is accessible to the public. Due to an arson fire in late '99, it is closed to auto traffic. There are no other motorized choices.

This puts a big crimp in people planning training runs for the Miles 59-100. This section of the race course has always been a stretch, and this year it got worse. Carpooling and shuttles become essential.

HOWEVER: Chantry is accessible to runners by trails, as follows:

1] the Southbound Gabrieleno Trail from Newcomb's Pass/Saddle. This is part of the AC100 race course which comes from ShortCut off Highway 2.

2] The Upper Wintercreek trail coming down from the Mt Wilson Toll Road

3] The Sturdevant Trail coming down from Mt Wilson, which connects to the Gabrieleno Trail

The Mt Wilson Toll Rd [MWTR] originates from the N end of Eaton Canyon Pk and ends at the entrance to Skyline Park, Mt WIlson Summit. This is where all the antennas are. Eaton Canyon Pk is accessible via the Altadena Dr offramp of the 210 Fwy.

Don't forget to purchase and display your Adventure Pass for Forest Parking.

[The pass is availble at various SoCal sporting goods, wilderness outfitters like Adventure 16, Sport Chalet, etc].

For all runs some of you will need to provide vehicles/drivers to help shuttle the runners. Everyone needs to be in a seat belt, it is the law. Highly recommend two large water bottles or equivalent be used this year. For additional info call Hal Winton (310) 534-1704 or e-mail h_winton@juno.com

Before calling Hal, READ THIS CAREFULLY.
Sat. June 10th , 6 am: Shortcut Saddle to Eaton Canyon Nature Center (30 mi)

Meet at Eaton Canyon Nature Center at 6 am (2 miles north on Altadena Drive off 210 Fwy Cross New York Dr. and look for the sign on your right). Carpool to Shortcut Saddle. Carry energy food. Aid access limited. Water near Idlehour aid station site. Water at Heninger Flats questionable. Please start together after short briefing. Note: No Adventure Passes required this (Free Fishing) day.

NOTE: This run will take you through Chantry Flats, up Mt Wilson, and down PAST the IdleHour CP Location. Due to continuing closure of the Chantry Flats Rd there will be NO ACCESS to Chantry. If something changes, we will post it on the List and to the SoCal UltraSeries website.

Fri. ?/??:

Procrastinators 100K
Meet at 6p.m. at Chantry Flats. (no fee/no markings/no awards/bring aid & vehicles/drivers). Run around Mt. Wilson & Strawberry Peak, much more. RSVP to Hal Winton Required [Hal Winton, (310) 534-1704 or h_winton@juno.com].

Sat. July 22nd , 5pm: Night Run Chantry to Finish (26mi)

Meet at parking lot at 5 pm end of Windsor north off 210 Fwy above Johnson Field. Carpool (only) to Chantry Flats, no other access. Flash light run to the finish. Please start together after short briefing. Some aid/water near Idlehour aid station site. Water at Millard c.g. is questionable. New host is OK.

Sat. August 19th , 7am: Islip to Shortcut Saddle (33 mi)

Meet at Shortcut Saddle at 7 am. Carpool to Islip Saddle. You can do the 25 miles to Chilao if you arrange your transportation needs. Water and some aid at AC100 aid station sites. (Rain Protection Gear advised, trash bag is adequate)

Sat. September 2nd , 6 am: Wrightwood to Islip Saddle (25 miles).

Meet at Islip Saddle at 6:00 AM. Car pool to Wrightwood Community Center parking lot. Some aid/water available at road crossings. Please have rain protection with you.

Also, The Same Day, Sat. Sep. 2nd , Volunteers Appreciation Day.
AC100 runners, families and friends invited to Dawson Saddle from 12 noon on for Ken¹s barbecue. Meet the race volunteers, leads and AC100 support people. A morning hike (long or short) up the trail to Mt. Baden-Powell (spectacular views) from Dawson Saddle at 8 am is planned for volunteers and runners families. Please come and enjoy this day in our local mountains; no ceremonies just run, hike, food and fun.

AC100 Trail Work

Most of you have day jobs (do not quit them, just yet), however you may know some one who would be available to help us during the week do trail work on the AC100 trails. The weekends are mostly tied up for all of us now training, racing, resting, vacationing and doing things like yard work (Blah!) and for the family and ourselves with what is left over. However, some of the trails need brushing and tread repair badly. Yesterday Frank Pitts and I went to Newcomb Saddle supposedly to cut brush from Newcomb Pass towards Sturtevent C. C. (Church Camp). We spent the first hour or two cutting big/tall Spanish Broom (the pretty yellow flowered stuff that grows faster than your garden's weeds) away from the start of the trail where the trail/road spur heads for Newcomb Pass. This Broom stuff is choking everything in many places especially saddles like Shortcut and Newcomb. The Forest Service has not come up with an approved chemical deterrent like Roundup so we have to thus far cut it back ourselves, and it grows back even more vigorously.

Frank and I spent the entire day using our AC100 Stihl weed whacker with circular saw blade cutting Spanish Broom at Newcomb Saddle and for some distance down the trail plus cutting and removing other brush, limbs and weeds. I cut and Frank tossed. We also removed a 30 foot rock slide from across the trail. We only got as far as Newcomb Pass (where the picnic tables and Herman Kuhn's Memorial is) and our time to work was expired.

In the future weeks, I plan to work one day a week, hopefully Tuesdays (except the week of the 26th due to jury duty), doing brush removal etc. in this manner. Next Tuesday, F.S. volunteer Terry Tanner and I plan to take two different Stihl weed whackers out there and cut brush from Newcomb Pass towards and maybe beyond Sturtevant C.C. We need a couple of brush pullers/tossers to help us.

We trail working volunteers, under signed agreement with the Forest Service, along with our groups are doing essentially all of the trail maintenance on the LARRD (Los Angeles River Ranger District) trails. There are a number of volunteer groups like our AC100 one but there are about 800 miles of trails on this district to maintain. We need more volunteers on an ongoing basis, particularly retirees or persons having some control of their work days off in order to work trails on weekdays and interested in physically working in the forest on our trails. For those interested in this work but can only work on weekends I would refer you to Mr. John Horton who is a coordinator of the FS Trail Boss Program at Oak Grove Ranger Station in LaCanada, also made up of volunteers. John's group may work any day of the week as needed however they work all the trails in what was the old Arroyo Seco district. I also work on any of the districts trails but with you folks I concentrate on the AC100 trails. Call or e-mail me if you know someone who would want to contact Mr. Horton. One great thing about this work is you can see what you have done when you do it, and it has overall health benefits expected as well. So if you are interested or you know some one who may be interested please contact me and we will discuss it.

Thanks, Hal Winton AC100 Co-RD, USFS Trails Volunteer

24409 S. Meyler
Harbor City, Ca 90710-1837
(310) 534-1704
mailto: h_winton@juno.com

Visualize and anticipate the unexpected.

This page was modified with data from Hal Winton on 5/19/00. Please call him if you have questions. To confirm your presence at these runs, leave message with Hal Winton at 310-534-1704, or Lee Freeman at 805-684-0703. (Return calls must be made collect, sorry)