Trail Search, 3rd try, Rodeo - Mar. 9, '11

Walking Distance: .6 mi.
Walking Time: 38 min. (11:51 a.m. - 12:28 p.m.) (estimate)
Start and End Point: unpaved shoulder, San Pablo Ave., Rodeo, CA

Persistence, or stubbornness, brought me back to Rodeo today, to search for the trail along the Bay, South of Lone Tree Point (shown as a solid red line on map).  Trains (and therefore train tracks) run along the shore in this area. Previously, I had investigated the possibility of a trail running along the land/hill side of railroad tracks, without success.

Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful -- again. But I offer my theories below as to where this trail might be. I figure that if there is a trail along the Bay side of the railroad tracks (running from SW of Lone Tree Point to Hercules), access to this trail might be gained from Lone Tree Point (Park) in one or three ways:

Negotiating slippery rocks at low tide, and walking South-ish around Lone Tree Point toward Hercules.

1. Scampering down a fairly steep embankment (sign said cliff) to the rocky shore below
2. Slipping through a cut in a wire fence, and sliding down a mud chute toward the railroad tracks
3. Clambering down a steep slope (a small warning sign calls this a cliff) toward the tracks and rocks below

These photos are not terribly descriptive. Please write to me if you have the solution to this puzzle. I would love to stick around and figure this out, but I have about 400 more miles to walk this year. And, if I've misread the Bay Trail map, and I'm an idiot, be kind.

One up-side to this search: I enjoyed a short walk on a tiny beach, at Lone Tree Point, that was strewn with different types of shells, a few pieces of beach glass, and assorted other items.

Warning: Read no further if you are squeamish, or find dead bird feet disgusting...OK, those of you who are still with me...I found one unfortunate, recently deceased bird (I believe it was a coot) on the beach. Coots have very strange, greenish, prehistoric-looking feet. So I couldn't resist taking a picture of said feet.
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Wildlife Sightings:
1 Western grebe; 2 sea gulls; 2 crows; 1 domestic cat (in yard on San Pablo Ave., across the street from where I parked)

Pinole Bayfront Park - Mar. 7, '11

Walking Distance: 3 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 3 min. (1:14 - 3:17 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Pinole Bayfront Park parking lot, near waste treatment plant, Pinole, CA

Pinole Bayfront Park was a very pleasant place to walk out by the water's edge; there were benches along the way, strategically placed at locations with scenic views -- including one on a small hill. The small loop trail around this hill is closed on the side closest to the water; erosion seemed to have caused the asphalt trail to collapse in one spot.

At one point there was a sign with descriptions of views, and small holes (one shown at right) to look through (showing where high tide might be with respect to the description).

If you like trains, you may see a few rumble past nearby. After walking around Bayfront Park, we ventured Northeast toward Railroad Avenue. The paved, dog-friendly trail ran roughly parallel to the train tracks, until we started walking on Railroad Avenue (the residential street).

After passing Sala Resteraunt, we continued through a neighborhood with older, wood boarded-up buildings on the Bay side of the road, and a relatively new community of houses on the right side, and turned around at Railroad Ave. and Sycamore Ave., as I did not have my Bay Trail map with me and it was unclear how far we would be allowed to continue walking through this development.

Looking at the map later, we might have been able to continue a few more blocks, before turning around and walking back to the car.

Thank you to Matt and Nugget for joining me on my walk today.

Wildlife Sightings:
9 sea gulls; 6 crows; 12 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 hummingbird; 2 black oystercatchers; 1 coot; 1 Western grebe; 12 starlings; 12 pigeons; 4 ducks; 1 small unidentified brownish shorebird; 12 ladybugs; 1 pillbug; 3 turkey vultures

Hercules, San Pablo Ave. - Mar. 1, '11

Walking Distance: 1.6 miles
Walking Time: 35 min. (2:59 - 3:34 p.m.)
Start and Stop Point: Parking lot, near Linus Pauling and San Pablo Ave., Hercules, CA

This stroll down San Pablo Ave. (shown as double red lines on map) was quite comfortable for pedestrian traffic, due to sidewalks covering the entire stretch. I walked along San Pablo Ave., from Victoria Crescent to the end of Highway 4 (also known as John Muir Parkway), which now terminates at at business park.


I wonder what John Muir would make of the term "office park" or "business park." Perhaps it's better he didn't live long enough to ponder this question. While a successful businessman himself, Muir did value open space. And, there is not much "park" in an office or business park.

There was still some grass and trees in the hills surrounding this stretch of San Pablo Ave. -- enough to support a large hawk soaring above. (see very blurry picture of hawk shown at right). However, the open land seems like it is being developed at a rapid rate, with new dense housing tracts under construction.

I heard a few rustles and caught sight of tiny darting movements in the undergrowth, or what I call "blurs in the bushes" or BIBs for short. These were likely small lizards basking in the sun that were scurrying for cover as I walked by. This makes sense as almost one year ago,  last Spring, I took many pictures of lizards. Lizard season, in areas where they still exist, is about to begin again soon. This will probably make the hawk happy.

Wildlife Sightings:
3 sea gulls; 4 crows; 5 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 hawk; 1 ladybug; 1 pillbug; 3 blurs in bushes (BIBs - likely lizards)

Rodeo - Trail Search - Mar. 1, '11

Walking Distance: 1 mile
Walking Time: 49 min. (1:58 - 2:47 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Unpaved shoulder, San Pablo Ave., Rodeo, CA

This afternoon I searched for a trail (red line on map). While I was unsuccessful in finding this trail, it was a beautiful day. And slogging through uncut, bright green grass for a few blocks looking for a trailhead in East Bay Regional Park land, and strolling down a few quiet residential streets, was certainly no hardship.

I started today's walk on an offshoot of San Pablo Avenue, near the San Pablo Bay Regional Shoreline - Lone Tree Point area. I crossed over the small Pacific Avenue bridge toward what had been a waterfront restaurant. While it was closed, there were signs that seemed to indicate another restaurant might take it's place in the future.

From here, I thought the red line trail might follow the railroad tracks in the area. But, all the approaches I tried were fenced off. The question: was the trail on the narrow, rocky shore side of the railroad tracks, or the hill side of the tracks?

At 2nd Street there was an access point to an area of parkland with a small footpath, but was fenced off when it got closer to the railroad tracks -- where the map seemed to indicate a trail might be. The map seemed to indicate a trail that started around 2nd Street and proceeded Southwest from here.

The green grass was tall enough in some places that it might be easy to lose items -- like this (toy) purple light saber.

Walking down residential streets, I saw an odd site. Where a large tree had been, there were now just trapped bits of banches fused to utility wires, left to hang in the sky. Flightless, suspended wooden birds.

I also saw several cats sitting in driveways and yards, taking in some sunshine. One dark colored cat with bright green eyes against bright green grass stood out.

Wildlife Sightings:
20 red-winged blackbirds; 2 crows; 3 pigeons; 3 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 bumblebee; 12 sea gulls; 6 cats (domestic)

Rodeo to Hercules - Feb. 28, 2011

Walking Distance: 3.4 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 1 hr. 25 min. (4:41 - 6:06 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Unpaved shoulder, San Pablo Ave., Rodeo, CA

Today's walk was part urban sidewalks, followed by a stretch of open space by the water to watch the sunset.

I first walked East on San Pablo Ave., spotting a roof full of pigeons along the way, to the intersection with Railroad Ave. -- my end point in yesterday's walk.

I then turned around and walked through downtown Rodeo along Parker Ave., enjoying painted signs, a bar, a bait shop, burger restaurants, an old movie theater turned into a church, and an abandoned restaurant with a dutch windmill on top.

I took a right turn on San Pablo Ave., and walked up a gradual slope to the intersection with Victoria Crescent, before turning around to head back to my car, and an East Bay Regional Park area (San Pablo Bay Regional Shoreline - Lone Tree Point) near the Bay.

By the time I arrived at the Point, the sun was starting to go down, and there were just a few people there. In addition to an old crumbling wharf, there was a small cove and beach with a cluster of wading shorebirds. An Amtrak train rumbled by, but other than that, it was very peaceful.

Wildlife Sightings:
12 pigeons; 14 LBJs; 12 sea gulls; 14 smaller UBBs; 1 dove; 6 ducks; 1 hubcap