A chance meeting near the top of San Gorgonio
Meet Hal Winton from Harbor City. I ran into him near the top of Mt. San Gorgonio on Saturday.
We got to chatting, and he told me that on Aug. 9 he had finished the Mt. Disappointment 50K Endurance Run, which travels the rugged canyons and trails of the San Gabriel Mountains. And he had bagged at least one peak since then before tackling the 10 tough miles from South Fork to the 11,500-foot summit of Gorgonio.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he told me something else: He's 77.
Oh c'mon, that can't be right.
In talking to him, I learned that he was an accomplished endurance athlete for many years who still really loves being out on the trails.
When I Googled his name, I learned a lot more about him -- lots of tough runs, lots of miles. Winton in January ran the Avalon Benefit 50-Mile Run on Catalina Island (at age 76) and serves as co-race director of the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run, a punishing trail course that starts in Wrightwood and finishes in Pasadena. The 22nd annual run starts at 5 a.m. Saturday (the event is full; no last-minute sign-ups).
He told me that at this time last year he was laid up with heart problems. But a pacemaker and a bit of healing later, and here he was, laughing and talking about this hike, his next hike, his trail building work and more.
And at that moment, I realized that I wanted to be just like Winton -- always thinking about the thrill of the trail challenges that lie ahead.
--Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer
