Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 1, 2013

B2

MWTR _ Start To Finish and In Between

 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 1, 2013 


THE 2013 MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE….......

THE SOCIAL SIDE! By Deanne Davis

A WORD OF THANKS

Thanks to all involved with this year’s successful Mt. 
Wilson Trail Race. From the full field of participants to 
city staff to volunteers to the spectators and supporters, 
it all added up to a wonderful day of running, walking, 
competing and celebrating the trail.

The MWTR is a wonderful collaboration between the Mt. 
Wilson Trail Race Committee and the City of Sierra Madre. 
It’s truly a labor of love for the MWTR Committee members, 
many of whom run in the race. We enjoy working with the 
various volunteer groups which also support the event, and 
appreciate everything they do for the MWTR.

However, most people are not aware of the 40 to 50 
volunteers who have been working on the trail over the past 
four months to get the trail ready for the race….and for the 
enjoyment of people who just like to run or hike it more 
leisurely. These trail work volunteers have given up their 
Sunday morning doing the real dirty work: widening the trail, cutting back brush and grooming 
it into the fantastic shape it is in now.

The MWTR Committee will be sponsoring trail work days year-round, and encourages the 
general public to pitch in. If you use and love the trail as we do, then a few hours of your time 
to give back to it is not only fair, it is most rewarding! Send me an email to put you on the email 
list, and I will let you know the next time we schedule a trail work day.

And we would encourage the community to make a contribution to the Fletcher Fund, which 
pays for tools, equipment and materials that are used on the trail. You can send a check (write 
“Fletcher Fund” on the notes line) to:

Sierra Madre Community Foundation

Attention: Donations

P.O. Box 716

Sierra Madre, CA 91025

The Mt. Wilson Trail is truly a gem, located right in our backyard. The MWTR Committee is so 
proud to stage an activity that highlights this gift of nature. We encourage you to use the trail 
often, but with love and respect.

Pete Siberell, Chair, Mt. Wilson Trail Race Committee

psiberell@santaanita.com

So! Did you go downtown to see the beginning 
of the Mt. Wilson Trail Race last Saturday? If you 
didn’t, write yourself a note and put it in your 
calendar so you don’t miss it next year. I know, 
you’re saying, ‘Well, I’m not running! And I don’t 
know anybody who’s running, so why go!”

Oh, dear friends, so many reasons. First of all, 
it’s great fun to just see who you’ll run into. Our 
athletically amazing daughter, Leah, was running, 
and we wanted to see her off, take her picture, and 
give her a hug. Discovered later that dear friend, 
Christy Lee, was also running. Former City 
Councilman and Mayor, John Buchanan, was 
running, so we shook a lot of hands and wished a 
ton of good luck.

So much to see! Lots of friends at Beantown 
and Starbucks, I bet you know a bunch of those 
folks, too. The blond lady walking around with 
a Macaw. Former race winner, (many times) 
Sharon Pevsner, just back from Massachusetts; the 
Arrogant Bastards Crossfit Trail Racing Team of 
Monrovia had a huge booth and about a hundred 
Arrogant Bastards (name only, no personalities 
involved) were there. Leah had a fine story about 
running through Eaton Canyon on some arduous 
trail and encountering a very young guy wearing 
an Arrogant Bastards shirt, moving rather slowly 
who seemed at that moment, the exact opposite of 
Arrogant, so she asked him, “Are you Arrogant?” 
He nodded his head somewhat dolefully and 
replied, “Oh yes, I’m an Arrogant Bastard.” 

Friend, Kathy Bray, had a nifty table of earrings 
(I bought green ones), scarves and other nice 
things modestly priced. Leah got purple ones. 
We admired the running shoes; the medal racks 
for all the serious athletes to hang their medals; 
Doc White’s Trail History booth; and were happy 
to see the VFW guys out in full uniform, our 
Grand Marshalls for this year’s July 4th parade, 
btw, including neighbor, Bud Switzer, and just 
enjoyed being part of it all.

Lined up 7:25ish to watch the race begin. 
300 excited, elated runners took their marks, 
including a runner from Africa and another 
import from Baltimore! The front ranks were 
shirtless, sweating young males - with apologies 
to Apocalypse Now: “I love the smell of napalm in 
the morning,” I could only think Baldwin Avenue 
was filled with “the smell of testosterone in the 
morning!” 

The horn blew, off they went, the crowd cheering 
and clapping, and the 105th running of this 
wonderful local event was on.

Next up, the kids races. These are our favorites as 
the kids have on their race shirts, which resemble 
nightgowns on the smaller ones. This year there 
were two sets of kids, little tiny ones and what 
looked to be kids 10 or 12 and under. They run 
from the starting line at Kersting Court to Mira 
Monte and back, crowds cheering just as excitedly 
for them as for the big guys! The little tiny ones 
are so cute, lots of mommies and daddies holding 
little hands and running. 

Walked over to Peppertree Grill for breakfast, got 
back in time to see friend, Karen Moran, roaring 
down the hill, holding out her hands to small 
twin daughters Olivia and Tessa Rae, who were 
jumping up and down, cheering on their mom, 
saying, “Come on with me! Finish with me!” 
they did and she did and it was an absolutely 
perfect morning. 

Yep, just another one of the joys of being a Sierra 
Madrean, hangin’ out at our Trail Race. Hey! 
Don’t miss it next year!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE..........SIERRA MADRE STYLE

The Mt. Wilson Trail Race is and has been an important part of the Sierra Madre persona for 105 
years! What sustains this event? The hard work and commitment of the entire town. Behind the 
scenes the support of the community are the life blood of this event!


Earlier in the year, the Sierra Madre Community Foundation wrote a big check to support 
the Kids Fun Run. Pictured above are MWTR Chair Pete Siberell and Foundation 

President Erica Blodgett. Photo courtesy SMCF


Volunteers dish up the carbs at the Pasta Feed on Friday evening. 
Photo by Dean Lee/MVNews


Members of the Sierra Madre Woman’s Club slice and distribute oranges for the runners 
on the morning of the event. Photo by Bill Coburn


Lono Tyson in blue tee, honorary race starter who retired after last year’s race (at 84), 
chats with Ralph West, who has run the race somewhere in the range of 30 times 

Photo and caption by Bill Coburn

2013 MT. WILSON TRAIL RACE LOCAL TRIVIA QUESTION: 

(Be the first to answer and win! Send your answer to: editor&mtnviewsnews.com. 
MWTR Committee members, city staff and members of the media and their families 
are excluded from participating.)

HOW MANY SIERRA MDRE RESIDENTS FINISHED THE RACE?:

 A) 54

 B) 68

 C) 72 (Hint: You might try looking at www.mountwilsontrailrace.com)