March Trail Run
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
Saturday, March 4, 2006
When   Saturday, March 4, 2006. (Note: we are trying a few Monthly Trail Runs on Saturdays to see if participation improves.) Meet at 8:15am for an 8:30am start. Carpool will leave at 7:45am from the Park & Ride Lot at Page Mill Road and Highway 280.
Where   Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, Skyline Blvd., Palo Alto, CA. We will start the run from the Skyline Ridge OSP parking lot, which is the same starting point as for the January trail run. There is no parking fee. More park info can be found here.
Go west on Page Mill Road to Skyline Boulevard. Turn left onto Skyline Boulevard and drive approximately 1 mile south to the entrance of Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve parking lot, which will be on the right side of Skyline Boulevard. The runners will meet in the lot to the right of the common driveway.
What   A long (about 11.2 miles) and a short run (either 5.8 miles or 7.3miles). This is a remote trail run and each runner must carry at least one water bottle. To avoid having to search for lost runners we ask every runner to find other runners of approximately the same running ability to form a group. The runners in each group must be able to account for their partners to make sure nobody is lost. As usual, there will be a potluck after the run, so please bring food or drink to share.
Why   Long Ridge offers a remarkably varied landscape that includes Ridge vistas into valleys and to the ocean. The runs will have both trails in dense forests and in open grasslands. This time we will run in the preserve areas south of the Skyline Ridge parking lot.
Trail Directions
The first and last part of the run are in Skyline Ridge OSP. Most of the run is held in Long Ridge OSP. We will have a copy of the maps available for the run. All distances are approximate.
Short Run: 7.3 miles (or 5.8 miles)
SEGMENTMILESTOTAL
Parking Lot to Horseshoe Lake Loop Trail0.20.2
R around southern side of Horseshoe Lake0.30.5
R on trail to Christmas Tree Farm0.30.5
Follow "Trail" sign posts through Tree Farm0.30.8
Continue on Ridge Trail to Long Ridge OSP1.82.9
L on Peters Creek Trail *0.43.3
R (almost 180 degrees) toward Long Ridge Trail **0.43.7
R on Long Ridge Trail0.74.4
L on Ridge Trail1.86.2
Follow "Trail" sign posts through Tree Farm0.36.5
Back to Horseshoe Lake0.36.8
L around southern side of Horseshoe Lake0.37.1
L back to parking lot.0.27.3
 *turn around here for a 5.8 mile short run
 **long and short runs split here
Long Run: 11.2 miles
SEGMENTMILESTOTAL
Parking Lot to Horseshoe Lake Loop Trail0.20.2
R around southern side of Horseshoe Lake0.30.5
R on trail to Christmas Tree Farm0.30.5
Follow "Trail" sign posts through Tree Farm0.30.8
Continue on Ridge Trail to Long Ridge OSP1.82.9
L on Peters Creek Trail1.64.5
L on Long Ridge Road to Hickory Oaks Trail0.34.8
L on Hickory Oaks Trail0.55.3
Loop on Hickory Oaks Trail0.25.5
Back on Hickory Oaks Trail0.56.0
R on Long Ridge Road1.67.6
L on Long Ridge Trail0.78.3
L on Ridge Trail1.810.1
Follow "Trail" sign posts through Tree Farm0.310.4
Back to Horseshoe Lake0.310.7
L around southern side of Horseshoe Lake0.311.0
L back to parking lot.0.211.2