Week 8: Millbrae to Bair Island

 Week 8: Millbrae to Bair Island

May 30th, 31st, and June 2nd    

33.84 miles (374 Total)
14 hours and 28 minutes (171 hours 45 minutes Total)

Day 31: Bair Island

Day 31:  Bair Island

June 2nd, 2017

3.69 miles in 50 minutes

There was one more slice of the bay I could tack onto this hike, the reconstructed marsh land of the San Carlos portion of the Don Edwards Wildlife Preserve known as Bair Island.  This had been a hay farm in the past century, and exclusion of tidal action made the land sink as it was not renewed with new muck coming down the Cordilleras Creek.

The trail around this preserve barely touches any of it, and does not make it to the real Bair Island, only the body of land that reaches out to the slough named after Farmer Smith (I'd assume).  You can tell by my time that I was running, even if only a slow 13.5 minute mile.  After this I'm looking forward to more trail running, leading to a Ragnar Trail event in September in Wisconsin.

I will be organizing my thoughts into a "Day 0" post at sometime in the future to reflect on lessons learned on this hike.  But for now my desire to program has returned, as well as my fascination with nature's way of programming.  If you are still curious about me, check out my Instagram (scottj789) or Twitter (sejwords).  Otherwise, thanks for reading this far, and let me know if you are ever out hiking the entire bay and the day comes when you need a ride over the Petaluma River on CA 37.  I'll be glad to provide one.

Day 31:  Bair Island

    Starting Balance                                       54.99

• Uber earnings since June 2nd                          (66.39)
• Convenience Store drink and snack                       4.50
• Red's Java House coffee and breakfast sandwich          9.50

    Ending Balance                                          2.60

Kombucha of the Day -- Pineapple with Tamarind Soda

Voice Notes:

I think I know why Google isn't putting up any ads on my blog. I have not included material about products that advertisers are interested in. I am not selling something that matters to moneyed interests.

Day 30: Foster City to San Carlos

Day 30:  Foster City to San Carlos

May 31st, 2017

16.23 miles in 7 hours 11 minutes

I've now walked entirely around the San Francisco Bay on the Bay Trail.  It took me 30 days.  I will do an extra credit run on San Carlos's Bair Island after a day of rest to bring the total to 31.  As a computer scientist it is hard to stop without reaching a power of 2 -- 32.  So that implies I have to write up a Day 0 account as well.

Below are pictures from this last full day.  Once I crossed the pedestrian bridge from Foster City to Redwood Shores I could visualize every step of the way home, and I lost the sense of patience I've had the entire trek.  Which made me appreciate that somehow I had avoided that hurry-up feeling for the past 29 days.

I looked at the wetlands that surround Foster City and Redwood Shores with quite a different eye after hiking the bay.  I appreciated the restorations that must have been a planned part of these developments and are still going on today.  I'm finally proud of San Carlos for being the bayside town that didn't develop its marshland on the other side of 101.  And I'm home.

Shorebird hunting

What are these orange patches?

Approaching Oracle from Foster City

The emergency access road between Foster City and Redwood Shores

Thistles are beautiful and edible too

America's Cup winner in 2013

Redwood Shores Library

High voltage transmission lines that march down the Bay

Bulldozer working on tidal marsh restoration in Redwood Shores

San Carlos Airport

Bay Trail at Bair Island

Attempt to give a high-five to the traffic hand

SamTrans ECR Bus which I didn't have to take

Day 30:  Foster City to San Carlos

    Starting Balance                                       24.26

• Uber to Foster City                                    17.73
• Redwood Shores Library Cafe Decaf and Bagel             8.50
• Starbucks Decaf Iced Americano                          4.50

    Ending Balance                                         54.99

Kombucha of the Day -- Grape Cherry with Ginger Ale

Voice Notes:

Hit the trail at 10 after six this morning. Going to make it home tonight.

I'm a little surprised at how much seeing local stuff makes me want to get home.

I wonder what it would take to work for a venture backed startup again?

I'm looking forward to the self correction the people of the United States will cause to happen. Cuz sheesh. 

I know we are not the country I thought, but we don't have to stay that way.

There used to be an Oral-B building next to Oracle if I remember right. I never noticed the similarity in name before. 

I'm to the point where I can visualize almost every step to the way home.

To work for venture again would require not selling control. Mainly for the reason of protecting good future corporate governance.

No landfill hill for Foster City or Redwood Shores. And though they cover huge swaths of low-level islands they have preserved large swaths of marshland between them.

People talk of a barrier against rising sea levels to be built across the Golden gate Bridge. But then realize that at that point of water flowing out the bay is the deepest spot in the bay.

I have a hard time comprehending that walking brought me this far.