trail fit

Welcome to the San Diego Ultra Running Friends

2012-2013 TrailFit Campaign

Thanks for visiting our website. The 2012-2013 TrailFit Campaign will be a series of pre-scheduled trail work events in the San Diego mountains designed to maintain and improve the trails used for ultra races and training runs. Participation in one or more these events will also satisfy the mandatory “one day of trail work” requirement associated with next year’s San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run. Of course, we hope you’ll join us as many times as your schedule allows.

I used the term campaign (think: Hannibal crossing the Alps, Gettsyburg or D-Day) because this will be a multi-season project to make a substantial improvement to our local trail system. It's no secret that the state and federal

governments lack the resources to maintain the trail network and volunteer participation is essential. Those of you who have worked with us on previous trail work outings or who have seen my reports on the same know that there is a big difference between the “before” and “after” pictures of the trail. Our group is particularly important to the local agencies because we have the fitness levels to access and work on the more remote trails (such as Long Valley on the PCT). Many of the trails used in our races do not allow mountain bikes and are rarely used by equestrians which means we are usually the primary user group concerned with the condition of these trails.

In addition to basic maintenance, we also will be able to re-open some trails that previously have been impassable. For example, the Cleveland National Forest would like us to help them re-open the Secret Canyon trail, a 16 mile (one-way) trail through the Pine Creek wilderness between Pine Valley and Horsethief canyon/Japatul Valley Road. Also, we’ll be working with CNF to re-open the Palomar-Magee trail from its connection with Dripping Springs trail in the Agua Tibia wilderness. Eventually, this will result in a trail that would start at the bottom of Nate Harrison grade, go over the top of Palomar Mountain, through French Valley, onto the Palomar-Magee trail and then emerge via Dripping Springs trail in the eastern part of Temecula!

As for TrailFit (thanks to Keith Kirby for coming up with this title), this is just a reminder that you’ll get a great upper body workout. Depending on the conditions, there is usually plenty of brush to be cut and tossed, roots to be hacked out, downed trees to be removed, and so on. You don’t have to be Hercules or Athena to do this, and it’s good cross-training for us runners. Plus, it’s very satisfying at the end of the work to gaze upon a wide open trail that was previously clogged with brush, dead trees and who knows what else. Most of us have spent innumerable hours training and racing on these trails so the Campaign is a great opportunity to give something back and help preserve these trails for the future.
If you’ve not been out with us on a trail work project, we are usually focused on cutting back overgrowth with hand and/or power tools. Normally, we start early in the morning and depending on conditions, work for four to six hours. We’ll head back to a picnic area or Todd’s cabin for a nice lunch provided by SURF. I make sure to have some vegan options, plus soft drinks and some decent ale. In the winter months, I usually bring along a sampling of single malts to share. It’s a fun time to relax, talk some trail trash, make new friends, get the inside dope on local races and trails, etc.

Please see the calendar of upcoming events. Because we will normally be running power equipment such as hedge trimmers and brush cutters, in order to operate in the most efficient manner, the size of the trail crew will normally be limited to 6 persons. Attendance is on a first come, first served basis.

There will be regular mid-week trail work outings in which you can participate, which also qualify for the SD100 trail work requirements. Please contact me if you’re interested in joining us for a mid-week event. Participation in the Campaign is not limited to ultra runners. Friends and family are more than welcome. Children age 14 and older are OK so long as accompanied by an adult (we just ask that you carefully consider if they are ready for this level of physical exertion).

Funding for the Campaign comes from SURF and donations from the race directors for SD100, Cuyamaca 100K, PCT 50,and Cuyamaca Three Peaks. I’m going to try to get some corporate sponsors and scrounge up some interesting swag to raffle off. If you or your company would like to be a sponsor, please get in touch.

Thanks for helping maintain and improve our local trail system. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Ken Bonus, Trail Coordinator

Ken.bonus@gmail.com/619.301.0780

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