Univ. Ave. to Dumbarton Bridge - Sept. 8, 2009

Walking Distance: ~ 2.7 miles
Walking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (9:15 - 10:30 a.m.)
Start & End Point: Dumbarton Bridge/Ravenswood Open Space Parking Lot

The Ravenswood Open Space trail along the Bay on this map (nearest Dumbarton bridge and Ravenswood Pier) was closed (until 2011) due to salt pond restoration work being done. So, I parked in the Dumbarton Bridge parking area and after walking over to look out onto the bay and under the bridge, I walked on the bike path along Highway 84, along the salt ponds, and down University Ave. (shown as double red line on map); then I walked back to the parking lot. The path (grey dotted line on map) linking the Ravenswood trail (further south) that I walked yesterday was also closed to the public.

Wildlife sightings: None (with the exception of some birds far away on the bay). Unfortunately, this route along the highway was not all that conducive to living things. I do remember seeing 1 hubcap, many cigarette butts, pieces of broken glass, miscellaneous clothing items, a belt, a few single gloves, and a nametag, among other items along the path. And there were underground telephone lines (buried underground and marked with an occasional metal grate) along the same route. The little salt flats and salt slushpiles several yards away were interesting to look at, but I could see no life in them from where I stood.

Bay Rd., East Palo Alto, Part 3 - Sept. 7, 2009

Walking Distance: 2.4 miles
Walking Time: 1.5 hours (9:10 - 10:40 a.m.) with lots of stops
Start & End: Parking lot at end of Bay Road, Cooley Landing; East Palo Alto, CA

This morning I finished the trail I had started yesterday at Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. At the end of the trail was a nice observation platform, that made for a nice quiet stop, with a view of the Dumbarton bridge just to the north. Unlike late yesterday, when I was being pelted by dust specks in the wind, it was calm this morning, making it easier to see and hear birds, insects and other signs of life. I looked for a trail heading back toward University Ave. (grey dotted line on map shown), but didn't see anything like this. A trail like this would come in handy for my next segment I plan to hike. But, the next few miles look a bit iffy.

Wildlife sightings: I heard a few songbirds at the beginning, and spotted several small swift or swallow-looking birds darting around. Naturalists, my apologies, I'm learning about the wildlife right now. Other than that, I spotted two egrets flying a ways off, and just a few flowers and insects (a dragonfly, some tiny butterflies, a strange looking bee) this morning. Just a soft buzz of electrons from the transformers I was walking next to....otherwise, it was nice and peaceful.

Cautionary tale: On the drive back home, while stopped at a stoplight, the car in front of me slowly rolled backward until it hit my car. In talking to the young woman driver a few minutes later, she explained that she was wearing flip-flops (sandals like I'm wearing to hike around the bay), and she'd had some kind of malfunction while trying to take one of her flip-flops off (or trying to put one on, I'm not sure which), which prevented her from stepping on the brake and halting her roll backward. In her defense, she was only wearing the flip-flops because she went out last night and was wearing high heels, which irritated her foot, and thus caused her to wear flip-flops this morning. Hmmm. I'm not sure I get it; but she was nice, and apologized for the trouble.

Bay Rd., East Palo Alto, Part 2 - Sept. 6, 2009

Walking Distance: ~ 2 miles
Walking Time: ? (~ 1 hr.)? (~6:20 - 7:20 p.m.)
Start & End: Parking lot at end of Bay Road, East Palo Alto, CA

This evening, I drove through East Palo Alto, and parked at the end of Bay. I then back-tracked to finish the last little bit of yesterday's hike (which was supposed to finish at Bay Rd./Cooley Landing parking area). And then I returned to parking area, and starting heading north. It was breezy. Maybe this explains why there wasn't any birds or other wildlife about. It didn't help that a large speck of something blew into my left eye, and I was busy keeping that eye closed and trying to walk along as if nothing had happened. But, I spoke to some nice folks along the way, including a family that may have been doing some geo-caching (finding objects).

Wildlife sightings: Nothing

East Palo Alto, Part 1 - Sept. 5, 2009

Walking distance: ~ 3 ? miles
Walking Time: 1.5 hours (9:05 - 10:35 a.m.)
Start & End: Geng Road Athletic Center Parking Lot, East Palo Alto, CA

This morning I crossed Palo Alto into East Palo Alto via Geng Rd. (off Embarcadero), and hiked toward Bay Road.

There is something surreal about walking down an elevated path, and having two different worlds on either side of you. As I walked north, on my left side, was East Palo Alto, a modest suburban neighborhood, and high-crime area, with bars on windows and barking dogs (and one screeching parrot) on one side of the path, and, on the other side -- an immaculate, green golf course, with three lads playing there without a care in the world (where their biggest frustration and the occasional f-word was directed at a bad golf swing). Some small differences on this section of trail: more spray paint/tagging and more dog poop.

Wildlife spotting: more egrets, ducks, Canada geese; another pheasant; two black-crowned night herons that looked like they were hunting as a pair; some small black-and-whites (black-necked stilts); and lots of white-shelled snails hanging onto tall blades of dry grass along the way.

Below is a link to an image of some black-crowned night herons.
http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/sanfranciscophoto1/ig/californiabirds/nightheron.htm

Lucy Evans Center Loop - Sept 2, 2009

This evening I hiked the loop starting from the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center parking lot. I hiked northwest-ish along the bay, around the Palo Alto airport and golf course, and then across on Geng, and down Embarcadero, past the duck pond -- and back to the Lucy Evans parking lot where I started. I'm guessing this loop may have been between 3 and 4 miles in length. It took me an hour and 20 minutes to complete.

Along the way back, I saw a beautiful pheasant pecking at something on the side of the road (the first one I've seen alive, and not stuffed in a museum); three white egrets; and many ducks, Canada geese, and other birds too numerous to count. There was a nice sunset to the west, and a moon rising in the east as I finished this walk.

As stated previously, I will miss these long summer days, that make these evening walks possible.