by zippetydude » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:39 pm
Hi Ian. I'm a trailrunner also, so perhaps I can offer a couple of good suggestions.
1. Skyline/Cactus to clouds is a great choice that you mentioned...but be careful if you attempt Skyline/Cactus to Clouds. I haven't done it this winter but there are reports of freeze/thaw icy conditions. Might be dangerous, might not, but I'm sure you don't want to slip and break an ankle and have all your training ruined.
2. The PCT heading south out of Snow Creek is awesome trailrunning country with beautiful views and enough incline to make it interesting but is still fully runnable throughout pretty much the entire way up to Fuller Ridge. You could do a 20+ mile out and back. The full loop up over the peak and back down the tram is great in the late spring and all throughout the fall if you're here during those seasons. It's about 31 miles, 25.5 of it uphill.
3. The PCT heading north either from the Cottonwood or Whitewater trailheads is also a good out and back. You can really move on this one, as it's not steep at all and in many places almost level, so it could be good speed work.
4. The Art Smith is fairly short, but when you get to the Dunn Road junction you could do a few extra miles in either direction. The trail is fairly mild except at the very beginning, where it's kinda steep.
5. It's been a while since it has rained/snowed so the Vivian Creek or South Fork trails up to the top of Mt. San Gorgonio are already broken in and probably largely runnable right now. Not sure on this one since I have been out in the desert most of this season.
6. If you don't want to do an out and back, there's a good 10 mile run that you could set up a shuttle with a friend, have someone pick you up and drop you off, or drop off a bike up at the top (I have done this). You'd go west on the I-10 and exit for the 243 towards Idyllwild. The road heads directly south, and just as you get to the base of the hill, it turns left. Follow the old road straight instead of turning. It quickly becomes a dirt road, and you just stick to the left all the way up. It's a steady, runnable uphill also, but you don't have to run back down if you don't want to.
Hope you have a chance to do some of these. They're all very nice, and with the exception of the routes on San Gorgonio you should be able to easily run # 2, 3, 4 or 6.
Best wishes and keep up the good training!
z