Los Esteros Rd., SJ - Aug. 16, 2011

Walking Distance: 3.8 mi. total (2.72 = "new" miles)

Walking Time: 1 hr., 17 min. (6:16 - 7:33 p.m.)

Start and End Point: Street parking, on Spreckels, near intersection with Grand Blvd., Alviso/SJ, CA

This evening I re-walked part of Los Esteros Rd. that I had walked earlier this week. Unfortunately, due to lack of parking for this undeveloped trail area (shown as double yellow lines on Bay Trail map), this couldn't have been avoided, unless I had someone drop me off in a car and pick me up again. I found street parking near the intersection of Grand Blvd. and Spreckels, and walked east on Los Esteros from there until it passed by the large San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant, and turned into Zanker Road.

The trail ended at Zanker Road and McCarthy Lane (not a well-marked turnoff). As mentioned in the previous entry this week, Los Esteros Road is marked with no parking, no stopping, and no trespassing signs, particularly around the Water Pollution Control Plant. Is this an updated term for what we used to call a sewage treatment plant? I'm not sure. 

In any case, I felt like I couldn't take too many pictures. A private security truck passed by me several times, but didn't stop. I would have been happy to talk to them about my Bay walk if they had.

Near the turning around point on Zanker Rd. was a fenced-in pasture of dry grass being nibbled down by a mixed flock of goats and sheep. And on the way back I listened to the distinctive cry of a red-tailed hawk above me (just like you hear in those Hollywood westerns).

In fact, this cry is worth listening to. Here's a link to the all about birds web site:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-tailed_hawk/id
Scroll down and click on the arrow (left side of page).

Wildlife Sightings:

10 doves; 19 Canada geese; 5 crickets; 6 swallows; 78 starlings; 9 little brown jobs (LBJs); 6 goats; 14 sheep; 1 red-tailed hawk; 7 crows; 3 rusty screws

Grand Blvd., Alviso/SJ - Aug. 14, '11

Walking Distance: 1.85 mi. (estim.)
Walking Time: 46 min. (6:08 - 6:54 p.m.)
Start and End Point: packed dirt parking area, near Marsh View Trail, end of Grand Blvd., Alviso/San Jose, CA

This evening I spent strategizing where I might find a parking space to walk Grand Blvd. and Los Esteros Road, in Alviso/San Jose, CA. This area of undeveloped trail (shown as double yellow lines on Bay Trail map) consists of a dirt strip along a paved two-lane roadway.

The route along Los Esteros passes by the rather large San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant -- and there are clearly posted no trespassing and no parking signs along this stretch. Fortunately, there is an environmental education center located at the end of Grand Blvd., that is part of Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. While the center was closed by the time I arrived, the parking area, fortunately, was not. I look forward to making a return trip to see the center.

I walked west-ish along Grand Blvd., to the intersection of Grand and Spreckles Ave., then turned around and headed east-ish along Los
Esteros Rd. Unfortunately, I only made it to the first bend in the road, before having to turn back. Given the lack of parking along this road, I'll have to re-walk some of this stretch of Los Esteros next time I'm here later this week. Ah well.

Wildlife:
1 dragonfly; 2 doves; 15 sea gulls; 5 whiteish snails +1 white shell; 2 unidentified brownish shorebirds (UBBs); 10 black-necked stilts; 1 mockingbird; and 1 screw