India Basin "gap" - Nov. 30, 2009

Walking Distance:
Walking Time:
Start & End Point: India Basin Shoreline Park, parking lot (near playground), San Francisco, CA

Today was another day where I covered some old ground, and went back to finish up a segment not walked previously. This time I walked surface streets (Hunters Point => Evans Ave. => Jennings St.) to Heron's Head Park, and walked out to the Point, to get pictures of the sculptures of lizards, snakes and a turtle made from stones
(example shown below). Port activity can be seen to the North.

Then I walked the "gap" we had missed Nov. 26
(Innes Ave. =>Aurelius Walker, shown as an elbow-shaped double yellow line on Bay Trail map above). Aurelius Walker (Fitch St. on older maps) ends in a cul-de-sac, where parking is, I believe, possible/legal as well.

Wildlife Sightings:
4 willets; 2 crows; 16 sea gulls; 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 6 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 1 coot; 1 unidentified grebe (rusty colored neck); 5 ducks; 7 cormorants; 1 snowy egret; 1 peregrine falcon-looking bird; and 1 rusty screw. (Walks through industrial areas almost always have at least one rusty screw laying around, and old tires are popular denizens too. But, I failed to start counting tires at the beginning of my walk earlier this year; so my urban wildlife metric is measured in rusty screws.)

Candlestick (back-track) day - Nov. 28, 2009

Walking Distance: 4.98 miles
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 1 min. (12:46 - 2:47 p.m.)
Start & End Pt.: Candlestick Point Recreation Area
(California State Park), parking lot, San Francisco, CA

We got lucky. Today (Saturday) was a non-49er-football game day at Candlestick Park; and we parked in the Park area, across from Candlestick Park Stadium. It was sunny, but quite windy at the end of the point past the last fishing pier. You could, when gusts were strong, easily lean into the wind, without falling over.

After walking out to the Point, we walked (West) down Harney Way toward Bayshore (yellow parallel lines), retracing some of my steps along the Bay from earlier in the week.

We then walked East, and North as far along South Basin as possible. A few 49ers fans (for game next day) were starting some early tailgate picnic activities; and ground squirrels were in abundance, dashing across the trail at unpredictable intervals.

Wildlife Sightings:
16 ground squirrels; 88 sea gulls; 16 ducks; 1 black oyster catcher with orange beak; 6 crows; 26 little brown jobs (LBJs); 7 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 3 rusty screws; and 1 rabbit.

India Basin Shoreline Park - Nov. 26, 2009

Walking Distance: 2.69 miles
Walking Time: 1 hour, 12 min. (2:41 - 3:53 p.m.)
Start & End Point: India Basin Shoreline Park, parking lot, San Francisco, CA

The weather stayed sunny for our second walk today, but cooled off quickly as the sun went down. Alec & I re-parked (near India Basin Shoreline Park playground area) and walked the upper segment of this (red line) trail, past the old PG&E facility, and out to the end of Heron's Head Point (Park), and back. The Point offers some nice views across the Bay, and of large ship/port activity (to the North). It was quiet due to the holiday (U.S. Thanksgiving), and there were only a few other people, out walking their dogs.

By the end of the afternoon, we had worked up an appetite, and went home to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, and bake a few pies (pecan and pumpkin).

Wildlife Sightings:
14 Canada geese on playground grass; 1 hummingbird; 1 black and white cat; 34 little brown jobs (LBJs); 7 coots; 85 ducks; 60 sea gulls; 3 American avocets; 4 unidentified brownish shorebirds; 2 pigeons; 3 snowy egrets; 3 cormorants; 1 great blue heron; 3 Western grebes; and 2 black oystercatchers, with orange beaks, that cried & flew away.

India Basin, Hunters Pt - Nov. 26, 2009

Walking Distance(s): .66 mile
Walking Time: 23 minutes (2:13 - 2:46 p.m.)
Start & End Pt.: Street parking (end of Aurelius Walker, cul-de-sac) near India Basin Open Space sign, San Francisco, CA

We walked this short segment of trail (red line on map) until we reached the fence topped with barbed wire (i.e. up to the fenced off old Naval base that is being redeveloped) at one end, and what looked to be an abandoned boat marina at the other end.

Wildlife Sightings:
25 ducks; 1 Western grebe; 85 sea gulls; 1 little brown job (LBJ); 2 ground squirrels; 2 willets; 1 cat; 1 snowy egret; 20 unidentified brownish shorebird (little ones)

Candlestick, Part 1 - Nov. 24, 2009

Walking Distance: .78 mi. (2,485 steps)
Walking Time: 53 min. (3:32 - 4:25 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Park, parking lot, off Harney Way, San Francisco, CA

I was only able to cover a short bit of trail late this afternoon, but I enjoyed seeing the different colored areas of cement and tile work that decorated the trail along Harney Way down toward Highway 101. Although some of the tile work at the trail end needed repairs, I could still see a nautilus shell shape when looking at this area on Google maps (aerial or satellite view).

The protected area of Bay below Candlestick Point seemed to be a popular hang out for sea gulls and ducks.

Wildlife Sightings:
63 sea gulls; 1 rusty screw on sidewalk/path; 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 great egret; 1 snowy egret; 1 crow; 37 ducks (including 8 buffleheads); 1 feral? dog running along edge of water/rocks; 1 brown pelican