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Windy Hill Open Space Preserve |
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| This is a really good training run for ultras with a
lot of shorter options available (10 - 23 miles). It's close to town, so the drive is
quick and easy. The course is generally quite runable. However, a lot of it is
exposed to the sun, so it's good to get an early start in summer. In wet months,
this can be a "mud from hell" experience which makes
all the more desirable. |
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| Course Topo (10 Miler) |
Course profile (10 Miler) |
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| Details: |
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| Meeting Place: |
Windy Hill
Parking Lot on Portola Road |
| Distances: |
10, 17, 20, & 23
miles |
| Difficulty: |
Not bad. Starts
uphill and finishes downhill. |
| Water Stops: |
None. You could
set water along trail on Skyline. |
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| General course description:
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| Starting from the lower section of Windy Hill, climb to through the park on Hamms Gulch
Trail. This is a lovely singletrack through a wooded area.
When you get to the next trail junction with Lonely Trail, turn left
(south) and go for another 1.7 miles to the junction with Razorback Trail.
If you are doing the 10 mile loop, turn down Razorback Trail. If you
are going long, turn up (right) onto the connector trail that leads to
Skyline Blvd.
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| Lonely
Trail is part of the Bay Area
Ridge Trail (BART), head south to the exit of the park onto Skyline Blvd. At this point,
you have to run south on the road for about 0.6 mile to a right turn on Raply Ranch Road.
Go about 0.1 mile on this dirt road and turn left (south) onto BART and into Russian Ridge
Open Space Preserve. Continuing south on BART the trail stays near the ridge and is very
open with great views. BART comes to an trail segment which crosses Skyline into Coal
Creek Open Space Preserve. For the 17 mile version, you cross here, do a loop through Coal
Creek, and return via Skyline back to Windy Hill. The longer versions continue south
through Russian Ridge and loop back through Skyline Ridge and Coal Creek. |
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Features: |
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Great running through various terrain: open ridges with good views and dense woodland
areas with really nice singletrack trails. |
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Directions to start:
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Windy Hill Open Space Preserve is located in the town of Portola Valley. We'll park in
the main parking area of the lower part of the park. To get there, take the exit for
Alpine Road off I-280. Go west toward the town of Portola Valley for about three miles.
After this three miles, turn right on Portola Road, and go about one mile to the Windy
Hill parking area. Turn left into the parking area and meet there. |
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Maps and other information are available at the following web sites:
Detailed Course Descriptions:
Maps: Windy Hill, Russian Ridge/Coal Creek, and Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserves. All
maps available online in PDF file format. See above link for details.
| 10 Mile Version: |
Segment |
Total |
| Parking lot to Hamms
Gulch |
1.3 |
1.3 |
| Hamms Gulch Trail to
BART |
2.6 |
3.9 |
| BART to Skyline Blvd.
(exit Windy Hill) |
2.1 |
6 |
| Down Razorback Ridge
Trail to Corte Madera Creek |
2.7 |
8.7 |
| Return to Cars along
Eagle Trail |
1.8 |
10.5 |
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| 17 Mile Version: |
Segment |
Total |
| Parking lot to Hamms
Gulch |
1.3 |
1.3 |
| Hamms Gultch Trail to
BART |
2.6 |
3.9 |
| BART to Skyline Blvd.
(exit Windy Hill) |
2.1 |
6 |
| South on Skyline to
Rapley Ranch Road |
0.6 |
6.6 |
| West on Rapley Ranch
Road to BART |
0.1 |
6.7 |
| South on BART to
Skyline and Coal Creek |
1.9 |
8.6 |
| Crazy Pete's Loop
through Coal Creek |
2.5 |
11.1 |
| North on Skyline back
to Windy Hill |
1.5 |
12.6 |
| Down Razorback Ridge
Trail to Corte Madera Creek |
2.7 |
15.3 |
| Return to Cars along
Eagle Trail |
1.8 |
17.1 |
| 20 Mile Version: |
Segment |
Total |
| Parking lot to Hamms
Gulch |
1.3 |
1.3 |
| Hamms Gultch Trail to
BART |
2.6 |
3.9 |
| BART to Skyline Blvd.
(exit Windy Hill) |
2.1 |
6 |
| South on Skyline to
Rapley Ranch Road |
0.6 |
6.6 |
| West on Rapley Ranch
Road to BART |
0.1 |
6.7 |
| South on BART to Hawk
Ridge |
1.4 |
8.1 |
| Hawk Ridge to Ancient
Oaks |
1.2 |
9.3 |
| Ancient Oaks to BART
at Borel Hill |
0.8 |
10.1 |
| North on BART to
Skyline and Coal Creek |
0.5 |
10.6 |
| Meadow Trail to
Alpine Road Trail |
1.2 |
11.8 |
| Alpine Road to Crazy
Pete's Loop |
0.7 |
12.5 |
| Crazy pete's Loop to
Skyline Blvd. |
1.1 |
13.6 |
| North on Skyline back
to Windy Hill |
1.5 |
15.1 |
| Down Razorback Ridge
Trail to Corte Madera Creek |
2.7 |
17.8 |
| Return to Cars along
Eagle Trail |
1.8 |
19.6 |
| 23 Mile Version: |
Segment |
Total |
| Parking lot to Hamms
Gulch |
1.3 |
1.3 |
| Hamms Gultch Trail to
BART |
2.6 |
3.9 |
| BART to Skyline Blvd.
(exit Windy Hill) |
2.1 |
6 |
| South on Skyline to
Rapley Ranch Road |
0.6 |
6.6 |
| West on Rapley Ranch
Road to BART |
0.1 |
6.7 |
| South on BART to Hawk
Ridge |
1.4 |
8.1 |
| Hawk Ridge to Ancient
Oaks |
1.2 |
9.3 |
| Ancient Oaks to BART
at Borel Hill |
0.8 |
10.1 |
| South on BART to
Alpine Road Crossing |
0.8 |
10.9 |
| South on BART to
Skyline Ridge Parking |
1.6 |
12.5 |
| Cross Skyline Blvd
into Monte Bello |
0.1 |
12.6 |
| Skid Road to White
Oak Trail |
0.4 |
13 |
| White Oak Trail to
Page Mill Road |
1.5 |
14.5 |
| Coal Creek to Alpine
Road Trail |
0.4 |
14.9 |
| Alpine Road to Crazy
Pete's Loop |
0.7 |
15.6 |
| Crazy pete's Loop to
Skyline Blvd. |
1.1 |
16.7 |
| North on Skyline back
to Windy Hill |
1.5 |
18.2 |
| Down Razorback Ridge
Trail to Corte Madera Creek |
2.7 |
20.9 |
| Return to Cars along
Eagle Trail |
1.8 |
22.7 |
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