I did not mean to run a half marathon today. It just happened, it was a pure muscle aching accident.
I got a early start on a November morning. It was about forty degrees with a chill in the fall air when I started driving the dirt roads of Big Bear towards Holcomb Valley, a deserted ghost town long lost in the piney forest. Holcomb Valley once housed over 16,000 miners and now… there is nothing left.
When I say this road was dusty, I mean it was really dusty. All the trees and manzanita on the side of the road looked white like they were covered in snow, not dirt.
I have hope to one day see wild donkeys out here, but I have not yet. I did see however mystery horse like shit today and yet no hoof prints near it, so I have top wonder, Is there a little ass nearby perhaps?
Wouldn’t shooed horses leave prints? Or maybe they are the ghosts of donkeys of Holcomb Valleys past?
When I reached the valley floor, the road became a lot flatter and a lot more boring. Boring for running, but this seems like the perfect place to come back with my mountain bike.
This was about the time I realized my GPS on my phone was not working and about the time I became frustrated. I know that Polique Canyon hits Holcomb Valley Road, which is 2N16. I saw a sign for Holcomb Valley Campground half a mile up 2N16, but I wanted to head more to the west and found this little dirt road that looked intriguing.
That’s when I stumbled across my first claimed mining operation.
Pretty cool, huh?
These mining claims are all over Holcomb Valley. Right after this I ran into some miners in a huge four by four that told me I was on John Bull trail and that sounded interesting so I kept going.
Than I ran into John Bull’s grave, which was a little creepy. Holcomb Valley is full of mining claims and graves. I came across a lot of graves on this run; just a little creepy in the deserted forest. At least the miners were really friendly and not creepy at all.
I got in about three hundred feet of altitude gain going up John Bull Trail, which was nice, but I was pissed at this point that I had cell service but still no GPS, my phone just showed a red line on a blank grid where I had run. I mean that was good at least to help me find my way back but it would have been nice if I could tell if the 2N16 hit the 2N9. I wasn’t in the mood to back track. I was at about mile six at this point and thinking, shit I need to head back some what soon, in case I have to back track all the way.
That’s when I came across Holcomb Pinnacles road which actually led me right into the pretty part of Holcomb Valley. I was on the North edge of the valley with the pinnacles peaks to the north of me. It was truly gorgeous. Did I really need to head back?
I decided to take one last little side trip, that some how led me back a mile from Holcomb Camp Ground and saved me some time.
So why did I run so far yesterday morning?
I just couldn’t stop myself.
That is the honest answer. The November forest was nothing but greens and oranges and was just so epically gorgeous. I couldn’t stop my legs from pounding out another mile than another on the dirt roads of Big Bear.
I’m so addicted to exploring this forest I love. Not having a map makes my sickness worse because instead of knowing where I’m going, planning a route and sticking to it, I just explore and explore and explore until my hips ache and my calves quiver.
I love looking down at this lake, a thousand feet below me and knowing that my tooth pick legs carried me up these mountain roads again today.
Comments
This sounds incredible: crisp and liberating.
You’re very lucky to be on the PCT! Your runs sound like a great trade off for a slightly aromatic car 🙂 Good luck with the rest of NaPoBloMo
~a random rowmie