It took me years to start a blog because I didn’t want it to be one of those ones with no new entries and always in need of a refresh. Well! The first few years were good, then the posts slowed to a trickle and now here we are, almost at the end of the year and I’m just posting my second entry. And 2024 was a year! I was too busy living it to write about it 😉. It may be a while before I’m prolific again, but I’m firmly in the “something is better than nothing” camp. Hopefully the posts are worthwhile even if they’ve become few and far between.

I was torn about whether to go back and finish an old piece to post or focus on the one that’s been percolating this last week. You’ll see soon 😁. One of the books I’m currently using for blog notes was gifted to me eons ago by my friend Grace-Anne and is called The Traveller’s Companion. It’s of course a travel journal and you can guess why it was a great gift for me. Fittingly, I’m scribbling in it while on my latest adventure, staying on a floor called Adventure. Is the universe speaking to me or what?!

As I sometimes do, I started writing in this note book at the front, then started a different set of notes from the back page and now I’m down to my last few pages. The journal is interspersed with interesting quotes, like “life is unchartered territory. It reveals one moment at a time,” attributed to Leo Buscaglia. As I read that, I thought of one from my ride yesterday “time is the only currency you will ever spend without knowing the balance” (Tunde O). My two cents? Spend life/time wisely, adventurously, meaningfully, joyfully!

Two Marathons

Marathons in Bim and in my current backyard bookended 2024 (sort of). I’ve written before about the Colin Hudson Memorial Great Train Hike (it’s meant to be around 24 miles, not a marathon, but miss a turn off…) as well as hiking in my current backyard. I completed the train hike mid-February and from October to December, the Santa Clarita Challenge.

I first did the Great Train Hike in 2003, the inaugural year, missed many years, then did it again in 2020. In July last year I did 10ish miles of it with a group of friends to show them that side of Bim and did the full hike again this February. The experience of the train is different every time – mentally, emotionally, physically – though a constant is remembering hiking with Colin. One major difference is the fact that was originally done in June but long since moved to February, to benefit from cooler temperatures. Another big change is while the hike officially starts at 6 am, many participants start long before that time, starting as early as midnight (again I’m told, to take advantage of cooler temperatures).

This past February, there were very few people left to start at 6 am. This initially bothered me and I wondered if many of the early start hikers even cared about why it was called the Colin Hudson Memorial. Was it simply some intense exercise for them? Just another hike challenge? As I reflected on my last few experiences of the train hike, I wondered if I should even do it again. After all, my big toe nails are almost back to normal (finally!), my time constraints, make it complicated to train for a hike marathon, and mid-February is not the most convenient time for me to do a long-haul trip. But the importance of the hike for me is not about other people or the inconveniences. Rather, it’s about my friend Colin and the fact that he had a significant impact on my life. So maybe there are more Great Train Hikes left in me, whether hiking the full train line from Bridgetown to Belleplaine or only a segment. Time will tell.

So that was the first bookend. The second bookend marathon was very different with the 26.2 miles done over 8 days in my other backyard. There’s a story. Of course there’s a story, there’s always a story. What had happened was… I did four 5Ks this year. The first three were not local. After the third one, I figured I should do the one that’s in my backyard. I’d done it before (running alone during COVID) but never with others.

In my search for info about this year’s 5K event (Santa Clarita Marathon series), I happened upon the Santa Clarita Hiking Challenge – hike a marathon along trails in Newhall Pass Open Space between mid-September to December 31^st. Hmmm. Hike and challenge. In my backyard. How could I resist?

I discovered the challenge early October but couldn’t start until later in the month. That would still be enough time to knock out 26.2. As with the Colin Hudson Memorial in February, where Harry and Ras tag-teamed so I would have company along the entire train line, I also had friends with me for this one. Thanks to Jennetta, Teri, and Jessica, I only did one mile of the Santa Clarita hiking marathon challenge on my own. Solo hiking is fine, but hiking with my sisters and friends is a lot more fun.

Another happy part of doing this challenge – I found out that one of my former grad students is the city’s outdoor coordinator and managed this challenge. It was lovely to catch up with Sean over tea, discussing the challenge and other outdoor opportunities. I look forward to doing more with the city in 2025.

According to Hike Santa Clarita “the Newhall Pass Open Space was once a proposed 550 acre multiuse development. Partnering with the Trust for Public Land, and other state and regional agencies, the City was able to complete the purchase of all 540 acres of the former development in March 2016. This area is a critical wildlife corridor that allows animals to safely migrate through their habitat area.” Prior to the marathon challenge I had hiked Wildwood Canyon and McHaddad trails. Gates Trail is my favourite of the new ones. Today as I was writing this, I realized that Jennetta and I could complete the marathon as one of our trifectas. I can see that happening in 2025.

Here’s how my 26.26 miles in 2024 Newhall Pass Open Space challenge went down. I did the challenge in 8 days between October 20 and December 22, fitting hikes in between 3 out of town trips, a big conference, the Santa Clarita 5K, other fun events, and WORK (since I’m not yet independently wealthy). A few of the trails start at the same trailhead.

Upper and Lower Northwest Passage – 3 miles

Wildwood Canyon Trail – 6 miles

Wildwood Canyon & Peach Motorway – 2.15 miles

Heritage Trail – 4.19 miles

Pine Street Trail – 2.89 miles

Wildwood Canyon Trail – 1.2 miles

McHaddad Trail – 3.5 miles

Gates Trail – 3.33 miles

Can you tell Gates Trail was my favourite? This is probably the least used of the trails done in this marathon. We saw no one while we hiked and parts of the trail were like grave yards for trees, with the burnt remnants of many trees, some with green plant life growing around them. It was haunting, surreal, and beautiful all at the same time.

Now on to the next post. How soon will it be published? Only time will tell 😆.