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R3 — Grand Canyon
Kevin and Ryan somewhere deep in The Box.
Heat hallucinations, asking yourself why you said yes, praying for an escape route.
But those who’ve been there know surviving The Box only means one thing:
you still have to climb 5,000 ft over the next 5 miles just to get back to the car.
The Box is a narrow stretch of canyon tucked between Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood where the walls close in and the heat just sits on top of you. Dark rock, no wind, nowhere to hide. By midday it turns into a full blown oven and every step starts feeling a little existential.
This Backyard Session felt special.
Not because of the number of people,but because for a couple hours, everyone moved together with real openness and care for each other.
“When I think about community, I think about spaces where you don’t have to make yourself smaller. Where there’s no pressure to perform or pretend.
You can arrive fully as yourself, without judgment, without ridicule,without fear or violence, or policing, or containment.
And somehow, just by being around each other —you leave feeling filled all the way up.”
Full Moon trail run traversing The Verdugos.
Second one we’ve hosted and it’s already feeling like a staple.
Sunset dropped right as the moon came up — perfect timing, pretty unreal.
City glowing below, headlamps taking over.
Thank you @dchongerz for leading us through it 🌕
Big Days: Eagle Rock Loop 🪨
Scenes from last Sundays big day out. Nothing crazy on paper, but enough time out to start figuring things out.
Musch → Backbone → Eagle Rock
Took a minute on the slab — snacks, photos, letting it all sink in — then looped it back.
Next one gets a little more adventurous.
Another last-minute mission.
Saturday night, Evan sends a 21-mile P2P on the Backbone—Yerba Buena to Ray Miller. I add one more layer—time it with sunset.
We met the next day at 4:00 PM and got straight to work. This one’s top-tier—just under 3K up, over 5K down, moving west the whole time. The kind of route that keeps opening up as you go. Ridge after ridge. Light shifting every mile. And then you’re dropping straight toward the Pacific as the sun starts to disappear.
This Sunday, we’re hosting a 10-miler out of Dead Horse Lot to Eagle Rock.
It’s just a small glimpse of what these mountains really hold—but it’s a step in. If you’ve been pulling up to Backyard Sessions and feeling it, this one takes it up a notch.
📸: @oscar.r.tellez
Say yes to the last-minute missions — they rarely miss.
Spent the whole day watching the weather, waiting for a break. Saw a small window that felt like it could turn into something special — Sierra-type light, but right here. Sent the text. Time, pin, pull up.
What looked like running straight into a storm turned into one of the best trail days we’ve had. Clouds moving fast, light slipping through in layers, the whole city glowing under us.
Sunset Ridge did what it always does. Sitting up in the foothills of the San Gabriels above Millard Canyon — just a ridgeline that gives you everything back if you’re willing to go get it.
Isn’t it crazy that we get to witness a celestial phenomenon every day.
Watched it drop over the city with friends.
Climbed, regrouped, made our way back.
Cherry Canyon 🍒
@kariweis_ backyard—thanks for leading.
📸: @johngarduno_
Great adventures are hiding in your backyard — you just have to make time to play.
30 of us met right before sunset on the Spring Equinox to kick off spring.
We climbed toward Glendale Peak, stopped to hang, take in the skyline, then hit Hogback — where things got quiet and everyone got to work.
Rosa went off and hit the top first.
We regrouped at Dante’s View, cheering everyone in.
From there we split —
the 5-mile group tagged Mt. Hollywood and dropped down Boy Scout,while the rest kept going out to Taco Peak and Mount Bell, dipped into the Merry-Go-Rounds, then climbed back out to the blacktop and brought it home.
Thanks to everyone who came out.
We’ll be doing at least one entry-level trail run a week, with bigger runs every other week.
Griffith Park will be home base, but we’ll be getting out to other mountain ranges too.
📸: @oscar.r.tellez - @_horaciooo - @isaacninetofive - @johngarduno_
@blackcanyonultras 50K.
Ran hard until I started seeing dots.
Two weeks after SOB 100K and I came in with one plan: let it rip. Shorter. Easier. “Sub 4 should be there.”
Welp.
Underestimated the course and ended up power hiking the last climb and shuffled it home.I love to fuck around and find out. I’ve experienced the walls slowly closing in plenty of times. But it had been a while since I ran straight into one. Still manage to fight for a sub 4:30.
And now, one week later, I’m already thinking about the next big project.
Grateful for @tierralibrerun and @dchongerz for getting us out there and building real space for people like us in this world. The trails hit different when you see your people moving through them.
📸: by the one and only @evanperigo
Table Mesa at dusk.
Golden light over the canyon.
So many friends. So much support.
Watching mile 50 unfold under a desert sunset.
Grateful to be part of it. Our turn tomorrow.
Deep Canyon energy 🌵
Scenes from spectating the @blackcanyonultras 100K with the homies.
Runners hit Deep Canyon mid-course once the field had settled. Heat, early dehydration, and conservative fueling were the early talking points among the spectators, with many saying it felt warmer and harsher than expected for this time of year.
The vibe at Deep Canyon today wasn’t rowdy — more focused and gritty. Crews were busy refilling bottles and cooling runners with ice before heading into more exposed terrain.
