Western States - Safety Patrol Run Combo

Distance: Very long - approx 55 miles
Trail: single track mountain trails, 5 miles of rough gravel road, likely snow (if run in June)
Vertical: approx 12000 feet total - back and forth
Start: Robinson Flat (major aid station for WS100) , car parking nearby, drive up from Auburn

Route:
- Run the WS100 course reverse from Robonson Flat to Squaw Valley
- Avoid Duncan Canyon on first leg, instead going up Soda Springs Rd to where Red Star Ridge aid station is (this avoids approx 6 miles, and 1500 vertical feet climbing)
- Continue to Squaw Valley along WS100 trail. Follow WS100 yellow trail markings
- Stay over night in Squaw

- Run with WS100 Safety Patrol back to Robinson Flat next day
- Get an early start to climb up Squaw Valley ski slopes before start at 5am
- This time going over Duncan Canyon loop
- Make sure to pair up with one other runner as Safety Patrol

Bring 3 water bottles - to keep hydrated on long hot sections.

JF

Arastaradero - Foothills Park - Monte Bello - Ridge Trail - Razorback Trail

Distance: Medium - approx 20 miles
Trail: gravel roads, single track, switch backs, 1 mile of paved road
Vertical: approx 4000 feet
Start: Portola Valley / Alpine Rd intersection parking - in Portola Valley, CA
Route:
- Run down along Alpine to Alpine Inn
- Turn right on Arastaradero rd, and second rd right again (1 minute after bridge)
- Run up long paved hill to entry of Arastradero preserve
- Continue in on gravel roads climbing up in Arastradero preserve for another 1 mile
- Turn right on single track and decend to gravel road
- Turn right on gravel road leading upwards
- Continue gradual climb for just under a mile, until crest at gate where road ends
- Pass through gate, turn right, and decend down steep paved road to Nature center
- Turn left, continue 1/4 mile to car parking, and steer right into fire roads to Wild Horse Valley
- Continue approx 1 mile, past 1 bridge, and before second bridge exit onto small trail leading up right
- Continue RIGHT trail fork, and climb switch backs for 20 minutes, enjoy pretty waterfall scenery
- coming to top turn left and continue for another 5-10 minutes to trail exits out on fire road
- turn left, up the hill and then right, exit out over gate to Page Mill Rd
- Follow Page Mill for approx 10 minutes, until trail entry on right side of left curve of road.
- Follow single track for 5-10 minutes up and finally across Page Mill Rd into Monte Bello preserve
- Continue Monte Bello trails south and westward up and across Skyline Rd, and then turn right go north to Page Mill / Skyline trail head (many trail options here)
- Follow Ridge trail north for 1.5 to 2 miles, until exit out on gravel rd
- Go right for 1/4 mile, to Skyline
- Continue up Skyline north for a mile, until trail entry on right side (after cresting second hill)
- Follow Razorback trail down all the way to Alpine Rd, turn left and follow on trail next to Alpine Rd back down to Portola town

Great combination run if you are looking for a long varied trail run. It links 5 different preserves, with great views and plenty of climbing.

JF

Wild Horse Valley - Page Mill - Alpine - Extended Loop

Distance: Medium - approx 18 miles
Trail: gravel roads, single track, switch backs, 3 miles of paved road
Vertical: approx 3000 feet
Start: Alpine Inn parking - on Alpine Rd in Portola Valley, CA
Route:
- Run up from Alpine Inn to Arastradero preserve (steep uphill road for first 1/2 mile)
- Continue in on gravel roads climbing up in Arastradero preserve for another 1 mile
- Turn right on single track and decend to gravel road
- Continue gradual climb for just under a mile, until crest at gate where road ends
- Pass through gate and decend down steep asphalt road to Nature center
- Turn left down past car parking, and steer right into fire roads to Wild Horse Valley
- Continue approx 1 mile, past 1 bridge, and before second bridge exit onto small trail leading up right
- Continue right trail, and climb switch backs for 20 minutes, enjoy pretty waterfall scenery
- coming to top turn left and continue for another 5-10 minutes to trail exits out on fire road
- turn left, up the hill and then right, exit out over gate to Page Mill Rd
- Follow Page Mill for approx 10 minutes, until trail entry on left curve of road.
- Follow single track for 5-10 minutes up to Bello car parking lot
- Follow Page Mill up for 5 minutes until can turn right down on Alpine Rd trail.
- Continue down Alpine Rd (fire trail/mud trail) for 15-20 minutes
- Continue down paved Alpine Rd for 1/2 mile, then turn right up on trail (just after empty lot on right side of road)
- Climb up 1/2 mile to get to Coal Mine trail, turn left and continue down any of the trails down to trail head at Alpine Rd closer to Portola Valley
- Continue down trails down along Alpine Rd, past Portola Rd / Alpine Rd crossing
- Continue down to Alpine Inn

Great run for early mornings / late evenings since easy car parking and easy to find trails etc.

JF

Wild Horse Valley

Distance: Medium - approx 13 miles
Trail: gravel roads, single track, switch backs, 1/2 mile of paved road
Vertical: approx 1500 feet
Start: Alpine Inn parking - on Alpine Rd in Portola Valley, CA
Route:
- Run up from Alpine Inn to Arastradero preserve (steep uphill road for first 1/2 mile)
- Continue in on gravel roads climbing up in Arastradero preserve for another 1 mile
- Turn right on single track and decend to gravel road
- Continue gradual climb for just under a mile, until crest at gate where road ends
- Pass through gate and decend down steep asphalt road to Nature center
- Turn left down past car parking, and steer right into fire roads to Wild Horse Valley
- Continue approx 1 mile, past 1 bridge, and before second bridge exit onto small trail leading up
- Continue right trail, and climb switch backs for 20 minutes, enjoy pretty waterfall scenery
- At top continue on single track, for 1 mile down hill, and left on fire road
- Climb up fireroad nearby Page Mill rd, past a couple of trail, exit down trail leading down to Los Trancos trails
- Descend narrow switchbacks for 1-2 miles, until reaching bottom of streambed
- Continue mixed up/down narrow switchbacks for 1 mile, leading upwards
- Finish with 1-mile steep climb up over ridge back leading over to Wild Horse Valley
- Continue down the valley floor, and return gravel road back same way as came in

JF

Hamms Gulch - Skyline Loop

Distance: Medium/short - approx 10 miles
Trail: single track, with a little section of road, switch backs
Vertical: approx 2000 feet
Start: Portola Rd / Alpine Rd
Route:
- Run up Alpine Rd past school, and past car parking, and another 1.5 miles up Alpine Rd
- Turn right across bridge over creek (sign says Private road - but it allows passage to trail)
- After 1/4 mile enter right onto trail, follow switchbacks for approx 3 miles to close to Skyline
- Continue trail north, cross dirt road, and to trail Y-intersection
- option 1: go right to return back down, to Alpine Rd - and return to PV along Alpine Rd
- option 2: go left to add an extra 2 miles for swing around Windy Hill, and down along main trails, at bottom of trail go right to return over bridge to Alpine Rd

Note: both the down trails can become seriously muddy in rain...

A great map for reference - from great site: http://www.durt.org/main.html

and a further link http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_windy_hill.asp

and map at http://www.openspace.org/preserves/maps/windy_hill_map.pdf

JF