Annual Christmas Eve Morning Clamshell Run
We hope you have Christmas Eve, Dec 24th, off work so you can meet us before 8:00 AM in Monrovia. Every year 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). Gather at the trail head on Ridgeside at 7:55 AM for the traditional photo, then start up the trail.
Please keep voices down so as not to disturb the neighbors after you park and until you pass the first gate on the trail. The Clamshell trail is out and back with round trip about 8 miles. Slower runners and walkers usually elect to go out and turn around when the first runners pass them coming back, or go out as far as you want. It is less than 1.5 miles to the top of the hill going out and another 2.5 down to the lower gate of Wilderness Park for the turn around.
Check the telephone pole at the top of the hill for bear hairs - scroll down to the photo below. Sampson loved to scratch on this pole after swimming in a residents pool; the brown hairs are the bears, the grey ones are Tom's. There are two homes on the trail and their dogs may not be on a chain. So when you go by, slow down and be aware, they bark but wont bite if you walk by and keep an eye on them. Also, do not be concerned about the no trespassing signs, those are intended for motorized vehicles and those that might stray off the dirt road. The city of Monrovia controls the Clamshell Truck Trail dirt road and have authorized hikers to use it. You may see deer on the hillside between the two homes. Down hill past the 2nd home (right side) is a hairpin turn to the right. Do not go left and down into Hidden Valley - you went wrong if you go down into a valley with a few homes; they will not wish you a merry Christmas.
Directions: From the 210 go north on Myrtle to Hillcrest. Turn right on Hillcrest (recognize it from our Wednesday night run)? Turn left on N. Canyon. N. Canyon continues to the right as you intersect with Scenic. Turn left on Ridgeside and go to the top of the hill and park next to the bushes on the west side and look for a bunch of runners milling around. The trail is up a driveway at the south end of the tall bushes at 873 Ridgeside.
Read the sign authorizing foot traffic on the dirt road just before you hop the first gate.
View from the from the Clamshell trail looking south - is that Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea way out there in the haze or Catalina Island?
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