Every summer, as part of our Tahoe Running Retreat, we hike and run segments of this long trail that runs near the ridgeline of the ancient volcanic crater that forms Lake Tahoe. There are many spectacular segments overlooking the lake. My favorite is on the northeast side in Nevada, just south of the Mount Rose pass on the Mount Rose highway from Incline Village. About half a mile from the summit is a large meadow on the east side of the road. At the south end of this meadow is a trailhead. Within a mile and a half you will move from meadow, to pine forest, to hillside, and even desert landscapes. Then you can enjoy a continuing series of magnificent views of Lake Tahoe. You can go as far as you wish, then turn around. Most of the trail surface is stable with visible logs and rocks.
Not far from the trail listed above is the Flume Trail. The trailhead is just south of Incline Village, Nevada, at the northeast end of Lake Tahoe. It takes about an hour to hike the three miles to the Flume Trail after about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. During the gold-rush days this was a water flume to move logs along the mountain toward Virginia City’s mines. The elevation change once on the flume is minimal and the views are spectacular. This can be an out-and-back or a point-to-point leading to Spooner Summit trailhead.
www.ouraytrails.org/trails09.html
The Perimeter Trail around Ouray, Colorado is amazing. Within the first half-mile, runners are treated to an amazing view of an incredible waterfall. As the name suggests, the Perimeter Trail follows a route around the circumference of Ouray, while seemingly travelling back in time. You’ll see remnants of an old mine passing through a mining tunnel that hovers above the Box Canyon. Portions of this trail are used in the annual Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, one of the toughest footraces on Earth. Nonetheless, the Perimeter Trail is accessible for runners of all skill levels, as well as day-hikers, and is a must for anyone visiting the San Juan region of southwest Colorado. The photo taken from the Perimeter Trail will look familiar to fans of John Wayne’s movie True Grit, which is not to be confused with the remake. This same view appears during the famous snake pit scene in that film.
www.floridaforestservice.com/state_forests/sf_pdf/pt_washington_trails.pdf
This is the location of our Galloway Beach Retreats. After a two-minute jog along a bike trail, you enter Point Washington State Forest, which is connected to Grayton Beach State Park. This area is full of trails and loops through longleaf-pine forests and cypress trees, with good and stable footing in almost all areas.
The previous link shows only the main trail, but there are hundreds of loops and extensions throughout. In addition, the beautiful white sand beach and several other parks nearby offer a wonderland of views, sunsets, sunrises, wildlife, nature, and peaceful runs.
www.eugene-or.gov/index.aspx?NID = 1727]
I visited Eugene, Oregon many times the late 60s and early 70s when there were very few trails with stable footing. There I met Bill Bowerman, who was in charge of my Munich Olympic team. Bill was one of the leading forces in running during that era, an innovator, and a major influence on my running life. He promoted a few runs a week on trails, especially wood chips and shredded tires to strengthen feet and legs. One of Bill’s athletes and my best friend, Geoff Hollister (see Hollister Trail next), introduced me to another Oregon distance runner, Steve Prefontaine (see the movie Prefontaine), who also became a close friend. During our warm-up before workouts and on long runs, Pre and I explored some trails on the north side of the Willamette River from the university of Oregon campus. At the time the surface was not ideal but added a few miles and some variety to our runs. After Pre’s untimely death in 1975, the Eugene community developed a wood chip and asphalt trail system in the same area where we ran and named it after their inspiring athlete. It’s accessible from the campus and several other areas.
More than any other person, my friend Geoff Hollister, as the promotions director for Nike during the early years, helped make running part of the American lifestyle. His book Out of Nowhere is filled with stories of the first great running boom in the 70s and early 80s. Nike has commemorated his efforts by establishing and naming a fitness trail in Geoff’s honor adjacent to the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon.
The Western States Trail was used by immigrants before roads were established between the Lake Tahoe area and Auburn and Sacramento in California. The Western States 100-mile trail race is the unofficial 100-mile world championship, starting in Squaw Valley (where our summer running retreat takes place) and finishing in Auburn, California. It is generally on the rugged side with many segments of rocks and ruts, so you will have to watch your footing. You should also get a trail map from one of the outdoor stores in the area because there are lots of trail intersections. My favorite segment of this trail can either be a point-to-point or out-and-back. It starts along the Truckee River between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows at the north end of the highway 89 bridge over the river. It leads across a few small creeks, through meadows, up to the Ridgeline between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows with a wonderful view above Squaw Valley. Taking a dirt road down about half a mile, you can then connect with a single track trail that offers a series of great vistas of Squaw Valley, about 600 feet below. This connects with a dirt road for the last three-quarter mile down to the Squaw Valley Lodge—the home of our summer retreat.
Bill won both the New York Marathon and the Boston Marathon—four times each. Before those accomplishments, Bill and I were teammates at Wesleyan University. He has always loved running on trails, feeling that his early trail running developed strength in feet and ankles, which carried over into his road running.
Bill told me about this trail, and I love it. While running around Walden Pond, you understand why the philosopher Henry David Thoreau was attracted to the area. This is truly a transcendental run. Bill also likes the Assabet Park in Maynard and Marlboro, Massachusetts.
Note: Be sure to look at the last section of this book for a listing of trails by state.