This event has has been a club tradition since 1982 where Bill and Sandy Johnson, owners of the Arcadia Loeschorns running store gave everyone a trophy. Students Run LA and other clubs have joined us over the years. Most years we have been treated to the spectacular views and good weather (however, you may want to bring long sleeve shirts and gloves at the start just in case). Please keep voices down at the start so as not to disturb the neighbors after you park and until you pass the first gate on the trail. No excitable dogs please.

Runners have the choice of going out to the Cloverleaf Gate and back for 8 miles round trip, out until the first fast runner passes you coming back or walkers out 1 hour and turn around. A club member may volunteer to start early and mark all the turns with flour arrows. There is also Jenny's 5.3 mile loop if you don't mind coming back on the street. A Snails Pace runs this loop starting at 6am on the third Wednesdays.

The Ridgeside gate is open from 6am to 9pm. The dirt Jeep road will take you around some shaded canyons and up to theSunset Overlook which has a bench and great views. To avoid going down past the house with the dogs we take the Coyote Trail switchbacks from just before the top of the hill. Also to miss the second house which is just past the bottom of the Coyote trail, stay right and go up hill on the fire break Ridge Trail. Patrick McCloskey and friends for the past 5 years has set up an aid station at the high point of the Ridge Trail with some good treats - about 1.8 miles from the trailhead. The Ridge Trail does get steep before it drops down to rejoin the old Clamshell Truck Trail. Here we turn left and go up hill to the hairpin. The trail turns off to the right down a new dirt road that ends up at the Cloverleaf gate for the turn around - there are a few single track options in the lower Cloverleaf section from the Hairpin for the adventurous. There is also a single track with switchbacks that goes right off this road marked for the "experienced" that you might find more interesting and will take the same amount of time to the junction down below with the dirt road. Wear good ground grippers.

Jenny Loopers go through the Cloverleaf gate and turn left on Hidden Valley Ave. At 52 Hidden Valley, turn right, go around the left side of the gate and go up the street. Turn right at Alta Vista, left at Myrtle, left on Scenic and follow Scenic around to return up Canyon to the cars.

When you reach the Clamshell Truck Road at the bottom of the fire break Ridge trail, you have a choice to turn right and complete the old route to the Wilderness Park turnaround fence or down to the top of the dam before turning around, or turn left and go up to the Hairpin. If you still want more, take the new dirt road trail on the right down to the Cloverleaf Gate turnaround and come back up the "experienced" switchback trail to the hairpin junction.

It is not unusual to see deer on the trail.

Fresh bear track going up the side of the hill just after the scratching pole.

You cant miss the well marked start of the new Coyote Trail at the top of the hill.

The Overlook from the top of the Coyote trail looking south. This view spot is worth the stop before continuing down the 17 switchbacks.

The switchbacks on the new Coyote trail segment on the Clamshell trail are steep going down.

They are steep coming back up too.

Flour marks laid earlier by Bob Spears helped keep us all on trail. First one is an eye denoting a view spot ahead. BN means Breakfast Near or is that Beer Near at the McCloskey aid station ahead?

Patrick McCloskey and friends turn out to provide an aid station near the top of the Ridge Trail. Here you will find the best home made tamales. They have been an aid station now for 5 years.

The fast runners watch and wait at the finish for the slower ones.

Students Run LA group enjoys their food rewards after doing the Clamshell Trail with us.

The Hairpin is well marked with signage to keep hikers on trail and from going on the "no access" portion of the Clamshell Truck Trail.

The new Cloverleaf section has a split for "experienced" trail users that has some steep switchbacks and single track vs. dirt road.

Plaque embedded in a rock at the bottom of the Cloverleaf trail dedicates the new Monrovia Hillside Wilderness Preserve.

Trail map "You Are Here" signs like this one on the right are placed at key locations. This one is at the Cloverleaf Trail Head. The trail head is at 600 Cloverleaf Dr. across from Hidden Valley Ave, but parking is also restricted here as is the Ridgeside Trail Head. If you want to start a run here, you can park on Cloverleaf Dr. before Lotone St. on Cloverleaf Dr., Heather Heights Ct. or Scenic Dr. From Hillcrest, go north one block on Alta Vista Ave. and turn left.

.

At the Cloverleaf gate you can turn around to come back the way you came, or pass through and come back Jenny's Loop with a shortcut on the streets.

You could hit nothing but deadends and be lost forever if you did not know of the closed street at 52 Hidden Valley Ave that goes through to Alta Vista. The pedestrian pass through is on the left side of the gate.

The location of this page is Foothillflyers.org copyright ©2022 Tom O'Hara. All rights reserved.
Contact: webmaster at foothillflyers dot org