Day 7: 2015-05-02 Mountain View - Alviso

Home stretch! 

All that was needed to complete my planned walkabout was a 17 mile "day trip". I started day 7 at Mountain View, picking up the bay trail at Crittenden Ln and making my way towards Sunnyvale. This was the place I made a mistake on day 1, so I was absolutely sure where I was going today.

Beautiful Snowy Egret

It was cloudy and slightly chill at around 50 degrees this morning. The sun didn't bother me for a while as I headed eastward in Moffett bay trail. For the first two miles, the trail is bordered by water/slough on both sides. There were plenty of shorebirds and waterfowl in this area.

Over the next three miles, the trail will meander with NASA, Lockheed Martin & Sunnyvale Waste Water treatment plants on one side and water on the other. All through thus far and for the next two more miles, the hike is on a dirt trail, built on a levee. 

After passing the sports complex on the right, the trail enters Baylands park and for about a mile or so, will be a paved. I continued on Gold St connector, Gold St, Elizabeth St and Hope St to reach the Alviso Marina County Park. 

Expansive Alviso Slough Scenery

Alviso is a community in San Jose by the wetlands and the park is the staging area for a 9 mile loop around the Alviso slough. Alviso slough is a unique experience. 9 miles of trail built on levees with water all around you is absolutely one of a kind and a fitting end to my hike. 

American White Pelican

If you are a bird watcher, Alviso slough as well as Moffett bay trail will be a treat. I saw a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, herons, pelicans and more today. An adult American White Pelican feeding was the highlight of the day.

And so, some 6+ hours and 17+ miles later, I completed the SF bay walkabout. While I was happy that I completed the ~150 mile hike in 7 days, it left me somewhat empty...  Walking for 8+ hours, I found myself being in the moment and not thinking about anything else for long periods... Just focusing on what I was seeing, hearing and experiencing. This is the closest I've come to what could be characterized a meditative experience. 

I do plan to go back to places that I couldn't fully experience. The 5 mile loop around Newark slough & the 6 mile loop around Bay Farm island (where Oakland airport is located) are on top of the list. If and when I do those sections, I'll add on to the blog. SF bay trail continues in 5 more counties further north. May be, I'll take them on too.

Key Stats from Day 7

• Distance covered: 17 miles
• Elapsed time: 6 hours 30 minutes (including breaks)
• Breaks: About 20 minutes
• Cities: Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Alviso (San Jose)
• Dog friendly segments: Bay trail in Sunnyvale (portions of Moffett Bay Trail)
• Birds observed: Willets, Black-necked stilts, Mallards, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, American White Pelicans, Western Gulls, Ravens and Double Crested Cormorants

Cumulative Stats

• Covered 145 miles
• In 7 days, an average of nearly 21 miles per day
• Across 4 counties - Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and San Francisco
• Walking on an average 7 hours 20 minutes each day

Pictures (60+) from the hike today. Complete map of the 7 day walkabout.