Fisherman's Pt. - Feb. 26, '12

Walking Distance: 4.6 miles
Walking Time: 3 hours, 17 min. (12:02 - 3:19 p.m.)
Start and Stop Point: Public parking lot, Fisherman's Point, Burlingame, CA

From the public parking lot at Fisherman's Point, I walked south toward to Coyote Point, passing a few fishermen along the rocks, and -- further along -- the Spay/Neuter Clinic (for animals). I left the main Bay Trail (shown as a red line trail on the Bay Trail map) to walk through Coyote Point, along the shore and stopping briefly at the Boardsports School and Shop and Snack Bar along the way.

The Snack Bar is open on most weekends and variable hours during the week -- depending on time of year, wind and weather conditions (and size of the boardsports crowd). I then walked back to the main trail and around the golf course, south, until I reached the spot where my friend Nancy and I had stopped (at the south end of Coyote Point) on a previous walk last weekend. After turning around here, I walked out onto some unpaved wildlife viewing trails/spurs and to the Coyote Point harbor/launch area.


On the way back, I walked around Coyote Point on the north side, and back to the Bay Trail, and back to Fisherman's Point -- which I passed and kept walking toward Burlingame. I passed The Sherman (docked dinner ship) and eventually turned around when I reached Kincaid's restaurant. I had a nice full walk today, with only a bit of cool and breezy on the return walk from Coyote Point. Not bad for February.

Wildlife Sightings:
163 ducks; 4 Western/Clarks grebes; 54 medium unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs) 55 tiny UBBs; 4 willets (1 with a bad wing); 171 sea gulls; 1 great egret, 6 snowy egrets; 13 brown pelicans; 7 cormorants; 9 Canada geese; 1 ladybug; 17 crows; 18 little brown jobs (LBJs)/songbirds; 5 UFO grebes/divers; 9 coots; 3 hummingbirds; 4 fabric kites; 39 pigeons

Seal Point - Feb. 19, '12

Walking Distance: 2.5 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 15 min. (3:15 - 4:30 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Seal Point Park, San Mateo, CA

Today, my friend Nancy and I walked from Seal Point Park, where we took the Wind Trail up the hill ( (a garbage mountain transformed into a place for trails and public art), and we stopped briefly to ponder many of the stainless steel sculptures on the hill. Most of the hill trails are paved and have wide enough clearance for a group of walkers, or a stroller or wheelchair. There is one set of stairs on the hillside facing the bay, but these can be avoided by taking another trail option.

There is a wind-surfing ramp/launch area at the foot of the hill on the bay side, with a gradual paved ramp, into the water. It looked quite nice, but also to be quite a hike from the parking lot on the other side of the large hill.


Once we returned to the Wind Walk sign, at the north end of the park, we followed the section of Bay Trail (shown as red line on Bay Trail map) over the bridge and past Ryder Park; and we continued on to the south end of Coyote Point, where we encountered a few puffs of wind before turning around and returning the same way.

Thank you to Nancy T. who joined me on this walk.

Wildlife Sightings:
27 ducks; 4 Canada geese; 3 cormorants; 1 bumblebee; 20 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs); 12  coots; 1 tiny caterpillar on trail.

Coyote Pt. - Feb. 18, '12

Walking Distance: 1.1 miles
Walking Time: 28 min. (4:20 - 4:48 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Coyote Point, CA

This afternoon I left the main Bay Trail (red line on Bay Trail map) to walk out to Coyote Point (green area on map) -- where I found myself being blown up hill as I made my way along the narrow winding path out to the end of the point, through a grove of swaying and creaking eucalypus trees, toward the marina.

I also had to brace myself to get a few, non-blurry pictures of the bay and skyline to the north. There is a reason why this area (from the San Francisco Airport to the San Mateo bridge) is well-appreciated by wind surfers and kite surfers.

Despite the 40+ mile-per-hour gusts, I did enjoy views of planes landing (to the north) at San Francisco International airport.

I passed the World War II Merchant Marine Cadet Corps memorial eagle statue; and I rounded the point, past the Coyote Point Museum (recently re-named the CuriOdyssey). I turned around once I reached the picnic table and restroom building that was part of Coyote Point Park.

Wildlife Sightings:
7 little brown jobs (LBJs); 2 tree squirrels; and 10 sea gulls

Coyote Pt., North Side - San Mateo, CA - Oct. 30, 2009

Walking Distance: 2.34 miles (7,443 steps)
Walking Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes (4:15 - 5:50 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Coyote Point Parking lot, San Mateo, CA

Today I walked around the North/West side of Coyote Point - up to, and around, the Yacht Harbor area and back. There were some nice views of the Bay, boats, and windsurfers. And I enjoyed seeing the distant San Francisco skyline appearing ever closer. However, I'll need to take fewer pictures or walk faster if I'm going to make it through San Francisco by the end Dec. 2009.

Make sure you get to Coyote Point relatively early in the afternoon. (Yesterday, (10/29) I attempted this same walk. However, due to the Bay Bridge closure for repairs, thousands of cars were trying to squeeze onto the nearby San Mateo bridge, and by the time I negotiated my way through traffic to the Coyote Point park entrance kiosk, the park person wouldn't let me through as it was too close to closing time. Ah well. I'm determined to keep going, despite natural and man-made inconveniences. Speaking of which, there was construction going on and some detour signs (to to some erosion and collapsed asphalt path) in a few sections (see image). So, make sure you look at a current map first.

Wildlife Sightings:
22 ducks; 60 Canada geese; 7 Western grebes (in water/Bay); 22 sea gulls; several planes flying overhead (into San Francisco Airport); and 3 crows.