The Box Springs Mountains are my 2000 hectare backyard that surround my house on three sides forming a horseshoe shape. There are many excellent trails for running and biking and considerable potential to add trails to make even better loop options. Because of the limited loop options there are maybe three or four different routes I take 90% of the time I am looking for a run. For almost as long as I've lived in Riverside I had had great interest in doing a longer trail run along the full 8.5 mile ridgeline of the Box Springs (~2 miles of it off trail). Though I didn't have an obvious shuttle option and thought I might have to resort to using a ride-share app for the first time, I was feeling like I could use a solid run and it was time to give it a shot.
I parked in the neighborhood on the Moreno Valley side and set off through the fog up the M trail which I had never been up before. The temperature was wonderfully cool. I saw a curious and mostly indifferent bobcat along the way. Once above the M I followed the dirt road until I got to the hairpin turn near Hidden Springs. Here I veered off roads and trails and scrambled my way up along the multiple summits, still well in the fog. The recent fire greatly aided Everything up to this point was new to me so felt particularly energizing. Once at the prominent overhanging skyline rock the rest of the route was in known terrain for me. Despite the gopher holes, brush, and rock scrambling I managed to run the whole thing without walking, which was satisfying and maybe a little surprising.
The 8.5 miles took me 2 hrs 17 min without any stops. I then jogged back to my house, took a smoothie break, pedaled/pushed my bike up Two Trees, and rolled swiftly down Pigeon Pass back to my car. The Box Springs have so much potential as a trail running mecca for the area with the addition of just a few more trails. It's a really special place.
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