Deer Flat Eagle Peak Loop #1

It has been a long time since I did a post.  There have been a lot of changes that have taken my focus on writing this blog, specifically starting a new job.  With the new job has meant a new much shorter commute that I can bike to and new (old) trails.  In fact, with the company only being 8.5 miles from the house, I even have tried a commute run.  That was pretty fun.

When I started this blog, I did so to keep my interest and motivation in running and health in general.  And over the last couple of months, this motivation has waned just a bit.

But I am back at it. This year will have a couple of events which I will write about the after the fact.  However, this year will be more about the getting back to basics, having fun, and celebrating accomplishments.  

Which brings me to the title of this post.  I have mentioned before that we live a little over a mile from the Mitchell Canyon staging area which provides access to Mt. Diablo.  There is everything from fire trails to some pretty awesome technical single track.

So last Sunday morning I pushed myself out of bed and decided to run the Deer Flat Eagle Peak Loop.  While only 8.5 miles long, this loop provides a nice steep fire trail to Deer Flat, then over to Macchio Gap and then down a saddle-back single track highly technical trail over and down Eagle Peak.  There is 2,300 feet of elevation.

This will be my training grounds this year.  With all the climbing and descending, I should be able to become a stronger runner and with all the technical, become a better trail runner.

My goal is to exceed the loop 10 times this year.  I hope to explore a longer loop, which will include Deer Flat to the Diablo Waterfall loop, but that will come later.


Enjoy the pictures from last Sunday's run.