malgal7777

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Put it on the board...YES!

I did it!!!!   Woo-Hoo!  I walked 100 miles - almost in the whole month of April.  Since the last weekend of April was a bit of a snow bust, I had to finish my 100 miles this past weekend 5/1-5/2!  And what a way to finish...

I was feeling defeated last week when I wasn’t able to complete the 100 miles up in Tahoe.  I ended up being 17 miles short!  Can you believe that?  17 miles!! And I have a friend, let’s just call him “Barry” who was going to give me the whole $1000 if I was able to do it.  So I really felt down knowing I had blown it.  Blown all that training and blown it for the Ride4Reason fundraiser.  But “Barry” said hey, finish it up this weekend and you’re still in the running.  So I went back to the drawing board to find another route that would push me over the finish line.  But it was Bob who suggested I hike San Francisco.  AND, if I hiked SF, he would be encouraged to join me.  Bob’s a city slicker.  If he goes too far from being able to purchase a newspaper out of a metal box, he gets hives.  So, we mapped out a 10-12 mile route (I had to go easy on the guy) starting from the Ferry Building and walking the circumference of the SF peninsula to Ocean Beach.  It was FAN-TAS-TIC!  WOW.  Just WOW. 

We started at Justin Herman Plaza and since it was May Day we were hoping to find a rally or march happening.  And in perfect SF fashion, we were not disappointed!  Sure enough a large rally was gearing up to head down Market.  I’m going to assume the march was for workers rights, but it was actually unclear to us what their message was.  Not a good sign for a march/rally!

This first stretch of The Embarcadero was a bit sad.  Covid and the lockdowns have definitely taken their toll.  I know it was early and a weekend, but a lot of these businesses are still shuttered and closed.  And there’s a couple of homeless encampments taking over the street car kiosks.  The homeless.  Sooner or later I have to go there.  I can spout my love for California all I want, but it’s California’s biggest shame.  It’s no longer a skeleton in the closet, it’s all out in the open for all to see.  And I have no answer for it.  It’s always been here, since I’ve been here.  And it definitely has gotten A LOT worse within the past 10 years.  And it’s not just one issue, it’s the perfect storm of multiple issues coming together:  not enough affordable housing;  not enough livable wages; mental instability; drug addiction; nomad living lifestyle - yes that’s a thing.  I don’t think California is doing nothing.  There’s just too many people.  And you can’t just throw them in jail or put them onto a bus to make someone else’s problem - like other regional areas have done, there has to be some compassion and humanity.  But these encampments are not humane.  They are breeding grounds for disease and despair.  What does that say about you as you walk on by?  Trying to ignore the garbage and filth these people are living amongst.  But I have no answer.  I don’t even know where to begin to help these people.  So for the time being, I’m going to continue to stick my head in the sand and hope that California will rise to the challenge and find some solution, sooner rather than later. 

The Embarcadero curves around and leads you to the touristy part of the city...Fisherman’s Wharf.  I personally hate this part of town.  It’s just too much:  too many people; too many lame chain restaurants;  too many cheesy chotchkie stores.  My parents on the other hand love it.  When they come to town all they want to do is come to Pier 39 and Alcatraz.  My dad would live on Alcatraz if he could.  One of these days I just may lock him in one of the cells.  Today though, things were different.  I loved seeing that Alcatraz tours are once again up & running.  AND not a lot of people yet...wink wink wink...for those of you who've tried to go but weren’t able to get a reservation.  It was early, so the area was just coming alive. The street vendors setting up their wares or street performers getting into character. Then there’s the abundance of colors of all the flashy stores and restaurants.  The sounds of the sea lions barking at the tourists watching them.  The marina with the famous “Rocket Boat!”  I was digging it.  Fisherman’s Wharf also has some great views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.  It wasn’t so horrible.  Bob showed me Scoma’s restaurant, a tiny seafood restaurant that’s been here for years and is supposed to be pretty darn good.  There’s even a chapel for the local fishermen.  Then of course there’s Musee Mecanique.  A museum of antique slot machines, animations, coin operated pianos and the like.  It’s pretty cool and I believe most of the games are still functioning, so you can play.  Unfortunately it is also closed because of the pandemic.  You can donate to help keep it open though.  Just go to https://museemecanique.com.  

Then we hit Aquatic Park. An interesting cove at the West end of Fisherman’s Wharf.  This is where crazy people swim in the freezing waters of the bay, most without wet suits.  On this cold, windy morning we found a group of children being taught how to acclimate their bodies to the water so they can grow up to be crazy people.  Horrible way to spend a Saturday if you ask me!  

We continued to go around Aquatic Park and up and around to Fort Mason. There’s a great trail that we’ve never taken that gives you an even better view of the GG bridge and Fort Mason below.  And once you get on the other side, you’re in local land of OZ!  Where the curtain is pulled back and the locals are enjoying the real SF.  Now for those tourists who spend their whole time at Fisherman’s Wharf and The Embarcadero, more power to you.  Just don’t say you’ve been to San Francisco.  Because you haven’t.  Once you get over the hump, one of my favorite scenes of SF...the buildings.  Squat, square homes of multiple pastel colors rolling like waves along the hills of San Francisco.  In other areas of the city, the hills are rolling with colorful victorians.  The colors are what I love best about San Francisco.  

It was here that I realized I was hiking with Cher.  We had to make yet another stop so Bob could make a wardrobe change.  It’s also kind of a production with him narrating what he’s doing.  I got to hear all about the ins and outs of why he rolls his flannel rather than fold.  Why he’ll wait to take off the thermal leggings.   Where to put his first UO sticker. Yada, Yada, Yada.  Good thing he’s pretty cute.  As he was changing, we noticed a statue of an older man in a suit but no plaque telling visitors who he is.  I thought he looked like Rodney Dangerfield.  But why would anyone put up a statue of Rodney Dangerfield in SF?  That would be the ultimate “no respect” though, a statue but no plaque.  Ends up it’s a guy named Phil Burton.  He was a US Congressman from California who is responsible for 87,000 acres of the SF Bay Area being designated as a National Park. I was basically ending my hike in a National Park thanks to this man.  He deserves a plaque god damnit!

So once you pass Fort Mason, you are now in the Marina district.  It’s where Cal Berkeley students go after they graduate. They mutate here on the hollowed grounds of Crissy Field.  Like yuppy gremlins. Working out or drinking Philz Coffee.  The homes along Crissy Field are gorgeous. Huge picture windows with a front row seat to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Each one is architecturally different and once again, the colors!  Beautiful. The only downside was the wind.  It was pretty darn windy along this stretch.  But Bob had his windbreaker and I had my knit cap.  I can endure the wind if I have my ears covered. 

It’s a long stretch from Crissy Field to the Presidio.  The old barracks of the Presidio on one side and the entrance of the Bay on the other.  The GG Bridge is the main attraction here.  It’s majestic. Great time to get over there.  Parking was plenty and not a bad way to have a picnic. There’s a climbing gym, a trampoline park and under the bridge is Fort Point.  I have been here before, took my parents.  I was able to slyly divert their attention from the bells and whistles of Fisherman’s Wharf with the chance to view history!  They are suckers for historical buildings.  And Fort Point is a National Historical Site.  It was built during the Civil War in 1861.  It’s been awhile so I don’t remember too many of the details, but definitely worth a visit.  

Now we began our assent to the Jewel of this hike...The Golden Gate Bridge.  It’s a National Icon and San Francisco’s mascot.  As you climb the hill and get closer to the bridge there are a bunch of tunnels and “hide outs” along the way.  Remnants of the military presence that once dominated San Francisco.  But the absolutely coolest thing about this hike was I had NO IDEA you can actually walk underneath the bridge itself...like right below the huge steel red frame!!  It’s literally a wind tunnel, so hold onto your hat!  But super duper cool!!  If you have any engineers or construction people in your circle, this would be a great spot to bring them.  

As you continue around the bend, you come to Baker’s Beach.  Not sure if it’s still a nude beach, but it used to be.  The unfortunate thing about nude beaches is the people who SHOULDN’T be nude are the first ones to get into their birthday suit. But that’s my problem, not theirs!  Some nice trails along this stretch, but nothing too exciting to report.

We soon came upon the neighborhood Sea Cliff.  Now this is where the really rich people live.  Like Robin Williams had a home here;  Nancy Pelosi I think lives here.  Mansions with a view of the Pacific.  Bob & I had to walk through right?  I am happy to report the other half live very well.  I stopped to smell the roses (literally) but I noticed that all the gardens actually smelled horrible.  The fertilizer was strong here.  Bob & I laughed that that was how they kept the riff-raff away, by surrounding their homes with a shit moat.  Worked for us!  We high tailed it out of there.  

Now we came to our last stretch...Land’s End.  A labyrinth of trails along the coastal edge.  We needed to stop for another wardrobe change.  This time his leggings were going back on.  Which meant he needed to get down to his underwear.  Let’s just say a whole group of people got a little more than they were expecting that day!

Finally we made it to Sutro Baths and the Cliff House!  Fantastic!  Unfortunately the Cliff House closed due to the pandemic and is not reopening.  I cannot imagine this space will be closed for long.  Fingers crossed.  We decided to head down to Ocean Beach and end our hike by having lunch at the Park Chalet.  We were both famished and Bob was getting cranky.  Needed to feed him STAT.  I have more to report here but Bob might get mad at me, so if you see him again, just ask him about our new friend Franklin!  

BTW, Sunday I did my final 4-5 miles back at my MacArthur Trail.  I brought Stella this time and she loved it.  It was as fabulous as ever!

I’m still going to hike y’all and write about it.  So check in to see where I go next.  I enjoyed writing my thoughts and feelings down.  Even if nobody reads it, it’s my journal to this wonderful life I’ve been blessed with.  Why not tell the world!

Thank You to all who have donated to the Ride4Reason fundraiser and have endured reading these ramblings.  But, That’s All Folks!  (for now).  xoxox

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Weekend 3, the Lost Weekend

As I went back to re-read my blog I noticed I had cut off my WHOLE weekend of 4/17!!  This is my 20 mile walk from the Emeryville Marina to the Richmond Marina and back via the Bay Trail along the water & Hwy 80.  So let me try to reenact my journey!

The theme of this hike was “Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart, you just gotta poke around” - Once again I tip my hat to the great Jerry Garcia.  Not sure if you all figured it out, but I love Jerry.  I came to the Bay Area to follow the Grateful Dead’s music and I never left.  

This particular hike was absolutely beautiful.  I wish it wasn’t so I can mix this blog up, but sorry folks, you live in a beautiful area.  Even along a dirty highway, there are things of beauty all around you.  Take for example this hike, wildflowers everywhere.  Even popping out of the sidewalk.  I'm reminded of Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park...”Life refuses to be contained...it just finds a way”.  And sure enough, Sunflowers out of the sidewalk!

Since I was next to a highway, I went with headphones this time around.  One of my positives during this pandemic is my rekindled love for music radio stations.  I love listening to a radio station and I definitely have my favorite DJ’s. My personal favorites this past year were:  WWOZ - a local New Orleans station; KCSM - a Bay Area jazz station and KXT - out of Dallas, TX.  These stations literally kept me sane during the lockdowns.  I highly recommend them, especially if you’re cooking, doing chores or working in the garden. 

This particular morning I went with WWOZ.  And what a good decision that was.  Ron Phillips was spinning his favorite Saturday morning tunes and I was going down the road feeling BAD (as in good)!  Irma Thomas, Anders Osborne, The Subdudes and a little known singer/songwriter out of New Orleans, Chris Smithers.  If you get overwhelmed and about to burst...stream Chris Smithers “Let it Go”.  So funny.   Anders Osborne is a name my friends have been trying to get me into for a long time.  And I’m a bozo, definitely missed the boat on this one!  From his new album, try this song:  Welcome to Earth.  

Ok, so I digress!  Back to the walk.  In one of my last posts, I mentioned the people I meet.  Well this am was a doozy!  As I was grooving to the sweet sounds of the Crescent City I was approached by a group of ladies.  They had a question for me:  What’s more important in a relationship:  Love or Economics?  My first response was “Wow, you ladies don’t mess around for a Saturday morning!  Going deep on me”.  But, because I’m me, I had an answer. Now usually I would have said Love, Love, Love.  Hands down right?  But they caught me at a weird time.  I have been obsessively thinking of a comment I overheard from another group of ladies while doing my Diablo hike.  One of them had commented “I have no desire to marry just for love.  Forget that, I need to be economically stable”.  My reaction was pity for this poor girl.  I literally felt sorry for her.  The more I thought about it (obsessively for two weeks) I came to realize, she didn’t necessarily say she wasn’t going to work, she just wanted someone with their shit together and would contribute to their family being comfortable.  What’s wrong with that?  Is being comfortable taboo now?  So when my Bay Trail friends asked me, that’s how I answered.  Love was great but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable, isn’t that love after all?  I obviously made one of the women very happy.  She loved it.  The other two nodded and smiled, they were on Love’s side.  So we said our goodbyes and I felt like I had gotten a weight off my shoulders.  As I was walking away though...I asked myself...But didn’t YOU marry for love?  And sure enough, I did.  Bob & I didn’t have a pot to piss in.  And while we’re not the Rockefeller's, we’re comfortable enough for us.  I love him dearly and love has to be the basis that you build your financial future upon.  If you don’t have that, it get’s ugly when $$ is involved.  The best part of this moment was that song “Welcome to Earth” was playing as I was coming to this realization and the last line is literally “Love is always the answer”.  The Universe works in mysterious ways!  But, where were the ladies...I wanted to change my answer??!!  No where to be found.  Man, I blew it.  I would now obsessively think about this for the next 20 miles. Told you I was a bozo. 

By this time I had reached The Albany bulb.  A Bay Area gem to the north of Golden Gate Fields.  There’s a great beach and then it jets out into a peninsula which is covered with art installations all over.  I’ll talk more about that later, since I came back on Sunday to finish my 25 miles. This morning though I watched a group of swimmers about to enter the freezing bay waters, no wet suit mind you!  CRAZY and No Thank You!  Brrr.   Next Stop, Point Isabel, dog heaven.  A large open spaced off-leach dog park.  I go there all the time.  If you have a dog, you should take them.  They will love you even more than they already do. 

Now past Point Isabel is where the trail gets interesting.  You start to wander away from the highway and are now among the prettiest beaches and marshes. It’s an interesting view of the Bay Bridge and you can no longer see the Golden Gate Bridge as you veer north of it.  You now start to come upon single family homes along the trail.  You’re instantly reminded of Cape Cod.  A ocean view from Richmond, CA.  The best part is once you see this neighborhood you know you’re close to the marina.  And sure enough, I turned the bend and there in front of me was the Ford Assembly plant, my 1/2 way point.  But, it’s a very cruel joke.  You see the plant across the opening of the marina, it’s literally right there!!  Then the realization hits you in order to get to it you need to go around the WHOLE marina.  And as you continue to walk and go around another bend, the sidewalk gets longer and longer and longer.  The Richmond Marina is HUGE. Lovely though.  Large green spaces with people doing yoga;  a ladies bootcamp class along the water; boats coming and going from the marina and two pretty cute restaurants also along the water.  

I finally made it to the Ford Assembly Plant and now Richmond Ferry Terminal.  The assembly plant hosts seasonal events, we’ve been to the women’s roller derby ones.  Nothing like watching tough chicks bully each other on roller skates.  Then there are a few businesses strewn throughout the building.  Dolls Kill, which I believe is a clothing business for those on the freakier side of the spectrum.  And Mountain Hardware!  Quality clothing for the outdoorsy types.  I should have gone in and gotten a windbreaker.  The wind was pretty brutal.  

The best part was of course the Rosie The Riveter museum.  A museum dedicated to the women that left the kids at home and joined the workforce to help build ships during WWII.  This whole area was built for the war effort.  Richmond grew from 25,000 to over 100,000 within three years!!!  Can you imagine?  How does any town build the infrastructure needed to maintain that population?  Grocery stores?  Clothing? Schools?  Highly recommended.  It’s a suggested donation, so don’t be cheap, donate.  You won’t be disappointed.  I once brought Charlotte and a couple of her Girl Scout troop there to meet a real life “Rosie”.  She told the girls her story and it was of course about LOVE!  The trials and tribulations of her and her partner as he was fighting in the war and she was here making the ships that would keep him safe.  Man, where were those 3 ladies!!  

The way back was pretty much the same. I made it!  Now onto Sunday, 4/18. The Albany Bulb!  A Bay Area gem.  Bob & I have been coming here for years.  Way back when it was a landfill full of broken concrete slabs and rebar.  Some artist types took it upon themselves to start living there.  They kept the concrete slabs and rebar and started to make installations out of them.  Giant sized figures;  rows of wooden paintings; mazes and one guy even built a concrete castle along the water facing the Golden Gate Bridge.  Best real estate in the Bay.  They exemplified the phrase “one mans trash is another man’s treasure”.  Of course the stuffed shirts got wind and kicked them out.  But gave the stuffed shirts an idea...Hey, why not make a park out of this dirty unused lot?  Duh.  So before you harass your kid for taking art classes, remember it’s usually the artists who push the rest of society in the right direction.  

It’s also a great place to bird watch and now the wildflowers are a blooming, so it’s quite serene.  If you’re looking for some inspiration, this is the place for you.  

So my posts/weeks are a bit out of order.  Oh well!  It’s my blog and I’ll create chaos if I want to!  

I’ll end on this note:  Love is ALWAYS the answer. 

So sponsor me (hehehe):  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert/Donate

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  The final weekend!

Ok, ok, Ok.  This weekend was going to be the final hoorah.  And I was going to end it in style in The Tahoe National Forest!  The Mt. Rose Wilderness.  Unfortunately it ended up a big bust.  My daughter Charlotte had her first and only volleyball tournament in a year up in Reno, Nevada.  It’s a 3 day event.  We drove up Thursday.  The first day of the tournament I ended up working all day.  Which is a good thing.  It’s the first day in a long time I had work.  I wasn’t about to pass it up, but I wasn’t able to watch Charlotte and her team play. when Saturday came around, I decided to cut my hike in half so I could get back in time to watch one of the games.  Nature had a better idea.  Why not get back even sooner so I don’t miss any of the games?  I walked up 3.5 miles a steep and narrow trail only to be blocked by a very large snow drift that didn’t seem to end.  I no longer had a trail to walk on.  I took this as a sign and headed back to the tournament.  The only thing to report is I was able to watch most of Saturday and all of Sunday. They had a rough start but finished strong by winning all of their games on Sunday.  I was a very proud Momma.  

So, I am 17 miles short of my goal of 100 miles. I do plan on making it up this weekend, but technically the event is over. After this weekend I will submit my final mileage towards the Ride 4 a Reason event.  I was able to raise $350 towards my daughter school, which is something right?  

AND I think I’m going to continue to write about my hikes!  So stay tuned for more Tracy & Hiking 2021!

Peace Out everyone!  Thanks for reading my ramblings and be good to your families and most importantly to yourself.  You’re worth it.  

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Weekends 2 & 3, the grind.

Weekends 2 & 3 were tough.  Tough towards the end.  I was tired.  On both Saturdays, 4/10 & 4/17, I hiked 20 miles each day.  Doing the bulk of my 25 mile weekend quota. My poor feet were throbbing and they hated me at this point. But...there’s nothing like the end in sight...literally. Being able to see the end of the road! Just a little bit further. Unfortunately when you do see it, your legs become weights and the reality of how tired you are sinks in.  

Luckily for me, I live in paradise.  The Bay Area in spring is quite lovely.  Even along a dirty highway, there’s beauty to be had.  Everything is blooming.  “Sometimes you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.”  Thanks Jerry!

So, that’s what kept me going.  The vast amount of beauty I found around me.  

It’s been 2 weeks now and I’m having problems recalling all of 4/10-4/11.  That’s what happens when you’re fifty folks.  I need to jot some notes down while I walk, make a list of things.   I’ll post some photos and hopefully that will help jog my memory:

Ah, Yes, I remember now.  My new friend MacDonald Gate to my old friend Lake Chabot.  This time I included the whole lake and then returned by same way I came.  19.9 miles.  I started early and one of my favorite parts of the whole hike came at the beginning. I was on MacDonald Gate Trail, past the Park Ridge entrance overlooking the canyon below.  Time was approximately 7:45 am.  The whole canyon was ALIVE with the sound of birds.  Chirping and singing, communicating with each other.  So loud and constant.  Nature’s Aviary.  I couldn’t believe I was privy to these private conversations. I stood there for quite some time, just listening.  Which I never do!  I’m the bozo who cannot wait for my next turn to talk.  I’m not listening to you, I’m just waiting for you to stop, so it’s my turn again.  I know, horrible.  But there you have it.  And you know what, I learned something.  I learned that if I don’t stop and LISTEN, I’ll miss out.  I would have missed that exhilarating experience of hearing that many birds talk at the same time!  That was the theme of this hike.  Stop and listen and you just might experience something enlightening.  Something I need to remember in other areas of my life. But then I remembered I had 18 miles to go, so SNAP OUT OF IT!

I made it to Lake Chabot. This time though, I went the opposite direction, counter clock-wise. My original plan was to walk the lake twice.  On the second lap, I was going to change directions.  I’m happy to report, that I think the decision not to hike around twice was a good one.  Lake Chabot is not easy.  It’s 9 miles of some pretty gnarly inclines and it gets hot.  I also found out I prefer clock-wise.  It would have been tough, especially since my second lap would have been the direction I did not prefer.   

I may have had a preference on my direction, but Lake Chabot is still pretty extraordinary regardless of the direction you go.  One of the great parts of hiking is you come upon some interesting people.  As I was nearing the Lake Chabot Marina, I heard the dulcet tones of a ukulele being played.  The marina was pretty much my half way point, so to come upon a spiritual sound egging  me on, was energizing to say the least!  The marina is the busy part of the lake.  Lots of movers and shakers.  Families picnicking, boating, fishing and just mulling about.  Life is awakening after a long tough year.  And the ukulele was my sign that we just might make it after all.  It was being played by a teenage boy sitting at a picnic table with his family.  Enjoying the fresh air while having a bite.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  

Then there was super mom & dad.  I don’t know who this family was but they were awesome.  A spark of energy I have never seen before, and that’s saying something.  My nickname is FireCracker!  Him & his wife came out of a small path along the trail.  Lake Chabot has all these really nice small beaches or coves where people can fish in private or just sit along the water.  They came out with a stroller and a 1-1/2 year old.  The toddler was adorable of course.  Super chunky cheeks and a smile that would melt a glacier.  I was about to hit the largest hill in this direction.  It’s a hill that doesn’t stop.  Every time I go down it, I thank my lucky stars I’m not going up.  Well today the stars were not with me.  So, I’m starting to make my climb and they are behind me but gaining fast.  I’m thinking to myself, no way.  Too much baggage.  It can’t be them.  Sure enough, they blow past me up this hill.  We stop to talk, I commend them on their progress with a stroller and a baby in it.  I also let them know this hill is just beginning so pace yourself.  And they have another 6 miles to go to get back to the marina. But I’ll be damned, they were killing it!  Amazing.  I actually lost track of them until a mile later.  I was coming down a canyon on a zig-zag trail and they were already at the bottom.  The toddler had made his way onto Mom’s shoulders!  Dad was now carrying the stroller and they were still moving pretty fast but singing and making it pretty enjoyable for their baby.  I couldn’t help but feel a sense joy in knowing how lucky that baby was to have those two as his parents.

Sunday saw me back at Point Pinole for a quick 5 mile hike.  It was as beautiful as ever.  Not much to report except to post more photos!

And then we have Saturday, 4/17, my 20 mile walk along the Bay Trail.  Emeryville to Richmond and back.  

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Here we go!

Back to Mt. Diablo we went to begin the official Ride 4 Reason - Run•Walk•Ride Event!  Helping to raise funds for 12 Bay Area School PTSA’s:

https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert/Donate

If you need to fill your good deed quota for the day, how about contributing to the excellent cause of our school PTSA’s?  Mind you, we’re not the district, we’re the Parents, Teachers and the Students.  We get s**t done!

Ok, so on Saturday 4/3, I hiked 14.6 miles to the Summit of Mt. Diablo.  My previous post gave you an inkling of what Mt. Diablo was like.  And I’m hooked!  It was 14.6 miles of natural bliss. I started at my favorite gate:  Mitchell Canyon Road and took a trail called Back Creek to Bald Ridge to North Peak to the Summit.  Back down was even more glorious:  Juniper Trail to Deer Flat Rd to Mitchell Canyon Trail which lead me straight back to the car.  

Trying to formulate my thoughts on what I enjoyed best:  

The FLOCKS of Wild Turkey’s?!!  Not 1 or 2.  20 of them!  Like guardians of the peak, gobbling along the meadow, telling all visitors they’re in for a treat.  Now, I do not believe the turkeys get up to the peak.  They’re satisfied with the beautiful long grasses of the bottom.  I’m the only jive turkey among them today.

Maybe it was the GROVES of Manzanita trees?  I cannot express just how beautiful these trees are!  As I was making my climb up I found myself thinking  about my last trip here and lo & behold I was among the groves again!  I know it sounds silly, but it’s as if they magically appeared once I started thinking of them!  Like forest gnomes who wait for someone to BELIEVE that they exist and BAM!  there they were.  I know it’s hard not to focus on the hard but smooth rust colored exterior of their bark, but I could not help noticing the leaves this time.  A soft pastel Easter green in the shape of an almond.  How beautifully these two colors meshed together:  Burnt Sienna & pastel green.  If you have any artist sensibility at all and love color, nature is by far the best place to find inspiration.  

Or maybe it was the wildflowers that are now in full bloom, especially at the top?  Talk about color!  Purples, yellows, whites, pinks, reds...like a natural Seurat painting that you’re viewing up close.  If I was able to pull away and view  at even higher elevations, oh the images they would produce!

I guess I would HAVE to say the views.  Breathtaking. It was such a glorious blue sky day too!  It’s not easy to get up there mind you.  90% of the trip is fairly do-able.  The trail zigs-zags up to North Peak.  You start to get a bit cocky. Looking up and seeing the visitor center building of the Summit, I began my chant, “I’m coming to get ya! I’ll be done in no time!”   And like that...Instant Karma.  That building turned into Zeus throwing an extremely steep hill/lighting bolt my way.  Because it got pretty steep suddenly and my heart was pumping. My chant turned to Fred Sanford...”I’m coming to join you Elizabeth!”.   But, WOW!  It felt as if I was in the Swiss Alps viewing the scenic towns within the rolling green hills below me.  A modern day Elizabeth Bennett walking through the rolling hills of Pemberley.  

Day TWO.  Sunday, 4/4.  Inspiration Pt / Nimitz Way to Wildcat Canyon Peak loop back via Wildcat Canyon Trail and Gorge.  12.1 miles.

After my Saturday hike, I treated myself to a nice cold ice bath!  Yup, sat in the tub, ran the cold water and to Charlotte’s delight she dumped a bag of ice onto my legs.  I lasted about 5 minutes.  Then finished off in a hot shower.  And you know what??  It worked!  On Sunday, my legs were feeling pretty darn good and ready for Day TWO!   Nimitz Way trail to Wildcat Canyon Trail loop.  12.1 miles.  

I got a late start since it was Easter Sunday.  Charlotte had fun hiding the eggs for us and I had fun beating Bob in finding them.  BTW, I’m not competitive in anyway.  Nah!  Not me.  My own personal Christ had risen and he was ready to find the most eggs and walk the most miles.  Thank You Jesus!

This hike was interesting because for the first half you’re walking along a ridge overlooking the Bay to the West and the Valley to the East.  The second half you’re down in the canyon walking along a river stream (which I had no idea existed).  Tons of animal sightings:  Cattle, goats, deer, turkeys, bunnies and a few coyotes. The cattle are a bit unnerving.  They’re docile, but BIG.  Me no likey anything that big that moves. AND they’re very close to the trail, so you need to give them a wide berth as you pass by.  The really creepy ones sit and stare at you from the bushes. Pretty startling you as you walk past. 

The goats are awesome.  A centuries old practice for wildfire management.  Hundreds of goats chomping away at the tall grass!  They’re herded by a Shepard and his dog.  The Shepard sits in his trailer, but now and again you see the dog patrolling the electric fence they have to keep the goats in a particular area.  The views this person gets while the goats munch on the grass is amazing.  Best seat in the house. 

The fun part of this hike was walking in the open air along the ridge and looking back to see my friend Mount Diablo.  Crazy how I was just there less than 24 hours ago walking along it’s trails and staring down on this very spot.  

Then there’s the return through the canyon.  Not too much to say here.  It’s a gravel path that looks up at the ridge you were just walking along.  The really cool part is when you reach Tilden and you get to the Wildcat Canyon GORGE trail.  Now, I am not that familiar with Tilden Regional park.  I live 10 minutes from it and have never truly explored.  We’ve been to the steam train, farm and Merry-Go-Round when Charlotte was little, but I seem to always get lost.  Lost while driving.  The roads do not make sense to me and god forbid you go through there at night.  Even walking through this Sunday I was confused.  All these nooks and crannies of parking lots.  Anyway, must get brave and figure this park out.  

But, the GORGE trail is pretty spectacular.  Really beautiful.  It was a great way to end my journey because it brings you back up to Inspiration Pt.  A perfect loop.  

So this weekend is a big one.  Macdonald Gate in Oakland to Lake Chabot in Castro Valley. Around the Lake and back.  20 miles.  Wish me luck and I’m sure you’ll read all about it!

As Louie Anderson always says...Be Good to your Families!  

Peace Out!

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:   D I A B L O!!

Ladies and gentlemen I finally made it to Mount DIABLO.  I like to envision a young Antonio Banderas whispering it in my ear.   “Mount DIABLO”, emphasizing the Diablo. “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” Banderas.  Before Hollywood and Melanie Griffith sucked all the Spain right out of him.  

Diablo is a pretty special place.  The fact that it’s been in my backyard all this time and I haven’t enjoyed its beautiful trails is embarrassing.  Spring is definitely the time to go.  It’s green, the wildflowers are blooming, the waterfalls are running and the sky is big and blue. 

I found a lovely starting point on the East side of the peak in the quaint town of Clayton.  Which I had no idea existed.  There’s a quarry back there too. They’re digging into one of Mt. Diablo’s smaller peaks.  Like a seven layer granite cake. My only question is which peak is next when they’re done with that one?  It’s a blaring example of humans insatiable need for natural resources, but at what cost?  

I began on a great starter trail called Falls Trail.  It’s a 6-8 mile loop through some spectacular Manzanita Tree groves and a running stream.  The stream and waterfalls aren’t very big, at least not when I was there, but the serene spots in which to stop and enjoy them are quite picturesque.  Multiple times I found myself sitting along the running water in awe and breathing in Mt. Diablo’s beauty. The path is narrow in some spots and you pass underneath some precarious rock formations.  The rock actually “flakes” which doesn’t seem stable and you step over many small rock slides.  I do not want to be there when the big guys above you give way.  It definitely preoccupied my thoughts while walking through and I found an unexpected “pep in my step”.

One of my favorite sections of the trail was the walk through the GROVES of manzanita trees. Look at this tree!  LOOK AT IT!!  Gorgeous.  Super smooth and it’s as if someone poured a can of Burnt Sienna colored paint on it??? Weird.

So this is it people.  The time has come where I will start this 100 mile journey. It’s 3/30 and this weekend is the beginning of the end.  Here is my updated routes:

April 3-4:

Saturday:  12.4 miles (Butt Kicker)

Mount Diablo Summit via Back Creek and Mitchell Canyon  

Sunday:  13-15 miles - Loop 

Tilden/Inspiration Pt/Wildcat Canyon 

April 10-11:

Saturday:  20 miles - Lake loop

MacDonald Staging Area to Lake Chabot, around whole lake and back

Sunday:  5-7 miles. Neighborhood loop

Coolidge Ave to Joaquin, Skyline, Redwood Rd, to Coolidge. 

April 17-18:

Saturday: 21.98 miles round trip

Albany / Richmond shoreline - Up to Ford Plant and back.

Sunday:  3.4 miles.

Point Pinole Shoreline.  Once around. 

April 24-25:

Saturday:  17.9 miles.

Snowflower Peak -Mount Rose Wilderness - Reno, NV. 

Sunday:  TBD

I’ll still be in Reno, so it may end up being a Riverwalk Day.

On Sundays, I will post pictures and tell you about my weekend and how far I actually made it.  I have a feeling I’ll need to use the weekdays to accomplish. 

IF you can sponsor me, please do!  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert

Until then Friends...Stay Safe and most importantly, Be KIND to one another.  You never know what another individual is dealing with inside. 

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Coyotes, Cliffs and Route Changes...Oh MY!

Boy, does time fly when you’re having fun!  In less than a month I will be filling my pledge to hike a 100 miles within the month of April.  In case you don’t remember why, it’s because I’m raising funds for 12 Bay Area public schools through RIDE 4 A REASON.  IF you can, please sponsor me at:  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert

Of course I’m falling behind on this blog.  This might be the hardest part.  Hiking in California is easy.  I now know why John Muir kept going when he left Oakland and walked to Yosemite.  The East Bay regional parks, that’s why!

I find it unfathomable to want to live anywhere else.  According to the current talking heads on the news there’s a big exodus out of California.  My reply:  BYE FELICIA!  California, the Bay Area in particular, has always been good to me.  I came here via Amtrak in 1994 with no $, no job and no place to stay.  Literally came off the train with nothing.  Within a week I had a job & apartment and was on my way to bringing in some cash.  Wasn’t easy, and I even had to go back to Illinois with my tail between my legs for a couple of years, but now, I’m living the dream with my wonderful husband and beautiful daughter!  Life is a Gift when you appreciate what you DO have and stop complaining about what you DON’T.  

Do I miss my family back in Illinois?  Terribly.  Is it expensive?  I guess.  Does CA have problems?  Yes, lots.  But name a state that doesn’t?  And the whole “you get a lot more for your $ in other states”...more what?  I get so much out of CA.  I don’t need bigger or more.  Here’s a taste of what I need:

This is my neighborhood.  Nothing fills your soul like a little fresh air and a beautiful sunset.   

COYOTES!!  The coyote’s in the Bay Area are getting restless.  I’ve come across a few coyote’s in my two recent hiking spots:  Inspiration Pt. in Tilden Park and the Lafayette Reservoir.  I guess there’s one in particular that has attacked a few people in Lafayette.  Luckily, I got my walking sticks and I also carry a small mace spray can.  The mace spray is more for the perverts that undoubtedly are out there, but can be used for coyotes too!  When walking at Inspiration Pt. there were two large ones, coyotes, not perverts.  Took a snapshot (below).  Let’s just say they are very well fed. 

So we decided to give the coyotes a break and headed to the coast.  The West Coast of the Continental U.S.A is about 20 minutes from our house. There’s a portion of Hwy 1 that was closed off and they moved the highway inland.  The portion they closed is called Devil’s Slide. Not sure if it was called that because of the dangerous turns or the hillside collapsing onto the cars. Regardless, a vehicles loss is a pedestrians gain!  It’s a spectacular 1.3 mile stretch along the coast.  VERY WINDY, but spectacular and it’s now only used by pedestrians and bicyclists.  I even got Bob & Charlotte to join me again with the lure of the Pacifica Taco Bell afterwards.  I HATE Taco Bell.  Always have, always will.  But my husband LOVES it.  I think we’ll fill his coffin with Taco Bell soft tacos and he can enjoy eternal bliss.  It’s actually a cool spot.  Tons of surfers, no matter what time of the year it is.  Obviously this is where families go to teach the kids how to surf.  The Taco Bell “Cantina” is right along the water and the lure is you can walk up barefoot after your surf session. Except that window is never open.  The reality you’re in a dirty Taco Bell settles in quick and disappointment ensues. By the way, I stuck with my energy trail mix. Pacifica is quite nice though.  A quaint town tucked into a cove.  I hope to come back and try a different restaurant one of these days!

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I wanted to do an urban hike.  Oakland is home to multiple street murals.  I love street art and that includes a lot of what people would refer to as “graffiti”.  One beautiful Saturday morning my husband Bob was enjoying a root canal in downtown Oakland and I was his ride home (he was all doped up on Xanax). So I decided to keep myself busy with a stroll through the neighborhood.  It’s one of those neighborhoods that has A LOT of potential.  Older vintage buildings with small businesses scattered throughout. It was good to see that the pandemic did not wipe out all of them, but saddened to see it definitely took its toll.  It’s a neighborhood that seems to take one step forward and then two steps back. They’re building a lot of Condos, so we’ll see what that does to the neighborhood.  That discussion is for another blog. 

I was not disappointed.  Fantastic!  I only wish a camera could do them justice. I started at 19th street and made my way into Oakland’s Chinatown.  I would like to document them all by canvassing a neighborhood each weekend.  I say document because they can disappear.  There’s a lot of building happening in Oakland and if a parking lot owner sells it’s property, most likely the murals there will be covered up by a condo monstrosity.  Which is what happened to one of my personal favorites.  Here are just a few that I encountered on my walk:

This weekend I’m headed back to Anthony Chabot Regional Park and Mt. Diablo.  I’m up to 10 miles, so steadily gaining traction.  Anthony Chabot has become my new happy place.  AND...I’m changing a couple of my routes:  First, I’m no longer going to hike Lake Chabot twice.  Instead, I’m going to start near my house (MacDonald Gate) and walk there, then go around the lake.  That will be 20 miles.  Second, Charlotte has a volleyball tournament in Reno on the last weekend of April.  Parents are not allowed to be inside for tournament, only athlete’s and coaches.  SO, I’m going to close my Ride4aReason pledge in Reno, which in my book is Tahoe.  I’ll keep you posted on the route I find. 

 Lastly, I’m so grateful for Ride 4 a Reason.  If not for them, I wouldn’t be doing this.  I’m absolutely loving it!  So, if you want to give yourself a challenge, sign up at https://rideforareason.weebly.com.

Or sponsor me and I’ll do all the hard work at: https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert.

Until next time people and Be Kind to One Another!  

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021: Weeks 4 and 5.  The block and bounce back.

A new first everyone.  WRITER’S BLOCK.  I am two weeks behind because I could not find the right words to say.  I just stared at the screen with nothing coming to mind.  Blank stares. Crickets chirping. Where do I start?  That pesky question again.  Perhaps if I talk about what ails me, I can push through.  Complaining!  Now, THAT’S the ticket!  You can always find something to complain about, right? Well, writer’s block ailed me.  It’s real and added to the will to give up.  I told a lot of people about this blog.  I don’t think they’re reading it, but maybe they will?? I can’t give up now...can I?

After a sluggish third week defined by minor depression and the will to give up, Weeks 4 and 5 can be described as the “the bounce back”.  I was able to brush off those negative thoughts from that red devil that sits on your shoulder and whispers in your ear:  You’ll never do it.  Give up loser!  

I flung that sucker to the ground.  

But on its heels came another realization.  I’m almost 50.  In July I will hit that top of the hill milestone.  My knees are the ones reminding me.  They’re not hurting, they ache.  That red devil I flung climbed right back on and clung to my knees.  But fear not, I did not get discouraged!  I listened.  When your body talks, time to listen carefully.  My knees were saying, they’re proud of me and they like the direction I’m going. BUT, you are older, you are overweight and perhaps you had too much, too fast and you’re overplaying your part. Thanks Jerry.  So I’m pulling back on the running and hikes during the week.  I’m not getting upset if I don’t make my 10,000 steps everyday.   I’m easing into the weekend, where I will continue to take longer, more strenuous hikes.  AND because it is 2021 there is modern technology, which means I have help.  I purchased a set of compression knee braces!  Yup, that’s exciting news these days.  Keeps these kneecaps in place without being too uncomfortable.  Another piece of equipment I’m finally using are my hiking sticks.  Compliments of my bestest friend Laura.  She purchased these sticks for me last year for my birthday because she knows I enjoy hiking. Seemed like a great gift.  Except I have been hesitant to use them.  Bob & Charlotte are mercilessly making fun of me for even thinking of using them. I guess I look “elderly”.  My knees politely remind me that I am elderly.  In nature they are a god send.  It’s winter in Northern California, which means lots of rain and slippery mud on the trails.  These sticks come in handy for sure.  

Week 4, I headed back down to Lake Chabot in Castro Valley.  A beautiful overcast day spent with my daughter Charlotte and our volleyball family, Odessa and her daughter Veronica.  Odessa has joined Noom with me and Char & V are about to start volleyball again now that the shutdown has opened slightly.  What better way to get everyone in shape by taking them on a 9 mile hike?  After 4.5 miles the realization of 9 miles started to hit the ladies.  Luckily at this point we might as well continue on, since it’s the same distance!  My aggressive hiking scheme had snagged more victims.  But these ladies didn’t bat an eye.  The girls kept up and Odessa is a brisk walker; I found myself trying to catch up to her!  We also had an incredible discovery.  A deceased bobcat on the side of the trail.  Sorry, didn’t take a photo of that one.  It was starting to decompose.  But it was big!  Not mountain lion big, but medium size dog big.  Pretty cool.  It validated Odessa bringing a kitchen knife for our safety (that’s another story). 

That was Saturday.  On Sunday, I did another “reconnaissance” mission.  I met Sarah at Inspiration Point/Tilden Park.  It’s one of my April hikes.  You enter from the east, through the town of Orinda.  Great views of Mt. Diablo to the east and the rest of the bay to the west.  It stretches from Berkeley, Tilden Regional Park to Richmond, Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.  Today, it was packed.  People are definitely spending their time outside.  Cyclists making their way up the hill, clogging traffic.  Parking lot filled to the max. Crazy thing is both Sarah & I found parking spots right away.  It was a gorgeous day.  I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this hike come April.  Sarah and I went a mile in and then turned around.  We found a great bench with a view of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Breathtaking.  It was beyond lovely and we were able to catch up.  Since the pandemic started, being around other humans is far and few between.  We were privy to a Cooper’s Hawk calling to its mate and the mate popping out of nowhere.  I know it was a Cooper’s Hawk because I am now happily birdie nerdy with my local bird smartphone app.  I was able to remember a few details that Sarah & I noticed about the feather coloring under their wings. I had to go through a few hawk species but as soon as the app played the call, I knew what it was.  A Cooper’s Hawk has a very distinct call.  Get yourself the smartphone app Merlin Bird ID.  Great stuff.  

Since we only did two miles Sunday morning, I wanted to get in some more hiking time.  Because as Bob says “I’m in some weird aggressive extreme hiking stage”.  Why fight it?  Let’s see where this takes me.  I drove up to Skyline Blvd, which is right up the hill from the house.  Parking at Redwood Regional Park and that stretch of Skyline Blvd has a CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY amount of people.  I’m not sure I would want to live across the street from that parking lot.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  I continued to head south on Skyline when I came to another (back) entrance to the park.  It’s identifiable by the cool red single family home that resembles a farm house.  Whoever lives there, you lucky bastard.  It’s precious.  

Abby joined me and we headed down towards the creek below the canopy of the giant redwoods.   First thing to do when you’re among those giants is to breathe.  The Bay Area just experienced a strong wind storm during the past week.  It was as if a tornado had torn through the trees.  The debris covering the trail was immense.  Too many downed trees to count.  Stunning.  Walking among these trees is a peaceful affair, I cannot imagine it being terrifying enough to create such damage. Majestic with vibrant colors from the recent rains, they’re so alive.  I never wear headphones.  I want to hear them lightly sway back and forth.  I ended up adding another 4 miles up a steep incline to my day.  I was back and on the right track.

Saturday week 5 started among a man made giant.  I was going to walk the Bay Bridge to Yerba Buena Island bike/hike trail.  It’s 3 miles up and 2.9 miles back and a really cool perspective.  Usually you’re not able to stop at this location in the bay, you’re driving 60 mph.  It’s a great view but very loud.  Skyline mom Carole joined me today. She had never walked it before.  Highly recommend.  But be prepared to wear headphones or listen very intently to your walking partner.  The view makes up for any difficulty hearing.  The way to Yerba Buena Island is a gradual incline.  Not too bad while walking.  Riding a bike might prove to be challenging.  And once you make it up to the Island, there’s a nice resting spot to take in the view facing the East Bay Hills.  They’re still building the path that is to lead around the Island and down to Treasure Island.  THAT will be a super cool hike once it’s all said and done.  There’s also the Coast Guard headquarters at the base of the bridge tunnel.  Great basketball court.  

I may keep my weekend hikes mellow next week.  Give those knees a break.  Happy Chinese New Year!  Happy Mardi Gras! 

Let’s shake 2020 off us and start anew.  Work hard to refresh our souls.  Till next week and I'll leave you with a bit of wisdom I read on my tea bag this morning “Gratitude is not about what is received; it’s about how you receive what is there.”  I appreciate all of you and being able to do this.  

#hikingwithtracy2021

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021: Week 3 - 1/18 thru 1/24 training.

If Week 2 was all that and more, Week 3 is the week that wasn’t.  Remember in a previous post I mentioned one of my nicknames is “Firecracker”?  Well Week 3 is why.  All light and sparkle at first but now it’s time to shoot out the lights.  I woke up in a real funk Monday.  The main reason being I’ve hit my first plateau.  Which brings me to reason #3 of why I’m doing this (my first post listed my reasons for doing this hiking challenge). 

#1 Glutton for punishment.  I’m an impulsive yessir.  Then come to regret or even resent it later.  

#2 Raising funds for Skyline High School through the program RIDE 4 A REASON 2021.  If you can help support my journey: https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert.

#3 I’m “overly chunky”, which is my word salad for OBESE.  Yup, I am now considered obese.  I couldn’t believe it but then I never stand on the scale.  I’ve been living in sweet denial that I hovered around 145.  Nope.  My jaw dropped.  166.  For those of you who don’t know me, I’m almost 5′2.  ALMOST.  I’m a little round mamma earth walking around.  

So I figured I would kill two birds with one stone; raise $ and get myself back into some semblance of my former self.   For the first 30 years of my life I was 100 lbs soaking wet.  The next 5 years I teetered between 115 - 120.  When my daughter Charlotte came along, I went up to 155.  Took me awhile to lose any of it, but lose it I did, and I got back down to 129.  Then I had the bright idea to run a marathon.  Not sure why exactly. Probably the same reason I started this nonsense.  Needed to lose that last 9 lbs, so what better way than to train for something super hard and give myself a real challenge!!!  HA!  What a joke.  I would train by running 10 miles, 16 miles, 22 miles, etc.  When you train, you actually run the marathon twice:  last training session and the marathon itself.  Since I was doing all this running, being the nitwit I am, I rationalized that I can have 2 cheeseburgers and 5 beers afterwards.  And so it went, I ran and ran then came home to eat and eat.  By the time it was all said and done I had gained my pregnancy weight back, I was now 140-145.  

That was in 2007.  I’ve kept the weight on for the next 14 years.  When I got back on the scale recently I came to the decision to finally lose this maternity fat.  I joined the online weight program Noom.  Now I have to count the calories I’m eating and get on the scale everyday.  I was prepared to hate it, but I don’t.  It keeps me in check.  I messed up my second day and my weight went UP.  I got scared and have been very strict in my new regimen and then I shed 6 lbs. the first week and a half.  Each day, another pound!  I was on a role.  Then it stopped and flatlined.  I’ve cut out alcohol and red meat.  I’ve been limiting my caffeine intake.  Drinking water and tea like they’re going out of business.  Still nothing.  On Monday, I crashed.  Couldn’t take it.  WHY??!!  This is why I’ve never succeeded in the past.  No matter what I do, the weight just lingers.  

But I came to realize by the weeks end that this is a journey, not a race. I need to go back and read my subtitle to this blog!  MY JOURNEY TO...  Plus my wonderful husband Bob reminded me that it took me 15 years to gain this weight, it’s going to take some time for me to take it off.  I need to show myself some empathy and understanding.  I need to tell myself what I would tell a dear friend.  

So, I brushed off those negative feelings and I’m staying on course.  My hikes this week were local and fairly minor, but I still managed to get 10,000 steps in on 4 of the 7 days.  And I found another beautiful and challenging trail in Pleasanton.  The Pleasanton Ridge Trail. I didn’t have time to really investigate but I managed 2.5 miles up a VERY steep incline.  I also came up with another idea and that’s an urban hike through Oakland.  Oakland is rich with incredible street art everywhere. So why not take a walk and discover all the really cool murals / street art that we blindly pass by everyday?

Wish me luck and until next week...

#hikingwithtracy2021

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021: Week 2 - 1/10 thru 1/17 training.

Week 2 down and what a week it was!  Started out fairly mellow.  The hikes within the first weekend included two very familiar local beauties:  Point Pinole and Sibley Volcanic Regional Park.  These two are my personal favorite stomping grounds.  Hiking the perimeter of Point Pinole is always a pleasure. A easy 3 mile perimeter walk with views across the water of Marin to start and Vallejo/Martinez to end.  Gorgeous moss covered trees within the peninsula and plenty of bird wildlife to adore as you walk.  So serene and calming.  It is my happy place.  Sibley is a bit rockier and tons of inclines to keep you sweating.  The mileage here is up to you.  You can do a 1 mile loop or switch back on trails and do 8 miles!  I used to just do the Loop top, not aware that a whole expanse of land lay right in front of me.  I just had to go through the cattle gate (at the time, I didn’t realize you were allowed past those gates).  And it was like walking into Xanadu!  It had just rained (I LOVE hiking in the California rain) so the rolling hills were nothing but lush greenery.  I honestly remember my gasp of astonishment.  An acknowledgment of what I had been missing!  

Both of these parks are also off-leash dog parks.  So bring your best friend(s), I always do.  My dogs are definitely off-leashers.  They get hives when I try to put their collars on.  They’re quite a team, not much into other dogs, they like to explore, dig and run, run, run!!

But, the most notable thing about these hikes this week is I wasn’t alone.  I had company!  My West Coast “G” accompanied me at Point Pinole and Ms. Lisa V joined me at Sibley.  Can I just say that when you’re among good company time does fly.  I couldn’t believe how fast we marched through these parks.  I guess I’m usually daydreaming about the beautiful skies and what I’m going to do with all that money when I win the Powerball...hmmm.  Sorry, I digressed!  It’s a great way to catch up with friends.  The fresh air definitely allows a person to open up and talk.  Which I feel is a very cathartic release (am I using that word correctly?).  It’s been a pretty stressful year for EVERYONE.  There’s not one person on this planet who hasn't been affected by the pandemic one way or another.  Fresh air is the great reliever.  So, if you’re feeling the stress, just walk out your door and BREATHE!!

The week itself, I am proud to say, was filled with a couple of victories!  I introduced running back into my routine to help with building endurance.  The goal was to run for 30 minutes straight without stopping.  So, I slapped on some headphones and ran around a 4 block radius in the neighborhood, doing a big loop.  Now, between you & me, I think I walk/hike faster than I actually “run”.  I’m pretty slow.  I actually think I saw an old woman pass me while taking her dog for their morning walk.  AND the first two times I did not make the 30 minutes.  First time, 17 minutes, tops - and I stopped not once, but a few times in between.  But, I was determined so I got back out there and the second time, 25 minutes - and I stopped not once, but a few times.  But they are not kidding when they say “Third time’s a charm!” because on my third outing, I DID IT!  30 minutes, continually running.  AND I got 5,000 steps before 8am!  Which lead to my other victory, which was I made over (sometimes way over) 10,000 steps 6 out of 7 days!!  I was very proud of myself.  

So, the second weekend hikes were NOT so mellow.  I think I may have killed my family.  We were going to check out the Palo Alto park that just opened to the general public in December, Foothills Park.  I guess the rich people have been keeping the riff-raff out for decades.  The ACLU sued and prevailed and now hordes of the middle class are stretching their legs on hollowed wealthy ground!!  From reports I’ve been reading, it’s quite nice.  But, we’re going to wait on that one.  Everyone is heading there, so they close the gates early and there’s nothing worse than hiking with too many people on the trail anyway.  Pretty much what you’re trying to get away from.  But note rich folks of Palo Alto...the Alberts will be back! (maniacal laugh; maniacal laugh)!!

So we headed to the East side of the bay to Sunol Regional Wilderness.  WOW!  Fantastic.  I’ve been here before.  It’s the regional park with a couple of really cool rock formations:  Cave Rock and Little Yosemite.  Don’t get too excited when you read “Little Yosemite”.  If Yosemite was your whole body, Little Yosemite in Sunol Regional Wilderness is your pinky fingernail.  Not to say it’s not beautiful, because it is, it’s just “Little Yosemite” is a bit misleading.  That’s just one person’s view, you do not have to agree with it.  Also, when we arrived, there was a East Bay Hiking Challenge happening in the regional parks so the parking lot was PACKED!!  Luckily we found a spot pretty quickly but now there were tons of people around and they were all heading towards, yup you guessed it, Little Yosemite.  So the Alberts headed onto another trail near the car and what a delight!  No people.  Beautiful trail along the Alameda creek and spectacular views.  I wanted to do the full loop but we got ourselves into quite an incline that just WOULD NOT STOP.  Up, up, up...That’s when the Alberts broke down and the mutiny began.  Do we continue?  The trail down has got to be within the next turn. I wanted to continue, but my poor family was done.  Even the dogs were done.  We had to start carrying 13 year old Stella, our chihuahua.  I think she actually fell asleep in our arms!  They of course, were right.  No need to kill ourselves and the dogs and by the time we got back to the car we had done 5.5 miles up a very steep incline.  So it was a success.

On Sunday, I was on a reconnaissance mission for one of my April routes, the Bay Trail that runs from Emeryville to Richmond.  My goal in April is to go all the way to Richmond and back.  Sunday, I made it to the Albany bulb and back, which was a total of 10 miles!!  Let’s just say, my dogs are barking!  I started the trail with my bestie Sarah and her dog Tyson.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be walking along the water with friends.  Sarah & Tyson got their steps in and then left me to get my walk on.  Since the sounds of traffic aren’t exactly rewarding, I put on my headphones and the dulcet tones of Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revitionist History filled my mind with tons of “what ifs...”.  By the end of the walk I was grooving to the Dr. John Pandora station and Professor Longhair was urging me to “get my Red Beans cooking”.  

It’s going to be hard to beat this week.  But, I aim to please so stay tuned for me to get my “Red Beans cooking”!  

Remember if you can, please support Oakland Public schools by sponsoring me at:  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert

Better yet, register yourself and create your own personal goal at Ride 4 Reason: https://rideforareason.weebly.com

#hikingwithtracy2021

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021: Week 1 - 1/1 thru 1/9 training.

AAAAAAnd we’re off!  First week of training behind us.  And what a week it was!  Lot’s of excitement, not with me but with the country as a whole.  No better time to get out there and runaway from the talking heads of "personality” news and Twitter.  

Since one of my routes in April is Lake Chabot in Castro Vally, I decided to get my “sea legs” with this Bay Area gem.  If you are not familiar with Lake Chabot, I urge you to get out there and explore.  It’s absolutely beautiful.  It’s a 9 mile hike around the perimeter of the lake with lots of peaks and valleys.  I plan to walk clockwise and then turn around and go back counter-clockwise.  I’m glad I gave it a trial run.  It’s pretty HARD. The thought of turning around after 9 miles to go back 9 miles, lot’s of inclines each direction, should not be pleasant.  But it was!!  I realized that I have only hiked the Lake in one direction, clockwise.  There will be scenery I have not seen, coming from an alternate direction.  That’s how wonderful this local lake is.  No matter what time of the year, it’s lovely.  I was fortunate enough to get a foggy and rainy day.  The hills were alive with water. I’m getting excited about having to turn around.  I just need to work on my endurance.  

Which I continued to work on throughout the week.  Point Pinole, Peralta Creek and Sausal Creek.  Every day trying to get at least 10,000 steps.  Not making it a couple of times.  Luckily I’m still employed so I won’t always have the time.  But had one cool sighting.  Two very large crows attacking a red tailed hawk.  Each crow would attack one at a time and they were not letting up.  The hawk was making a very scared sounding call.  Did not see the outcome as the group were moving in the opposite direction.  I’m sure the hawk got a little too close for comfort to their nest and they were showing him the door.  

Making better eating choices and drinking A LOT of water.  If I can consistently keep moving with eating better, I may have something here.  Mind blown! The question is how long will this last?  They don’t call me “firecracker” for nothing.  Lot’s of sparkle at first, but boy do I fizzle out!  Well, some day everything’s going to be different...

If you can support my journey:  https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert.

THANK YOU!

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021.  Where to begin...

Welcome to my story.  2020 is behind us and in its wake I’ve pledged to hike 100 miles within the month of April, 2021.  Now mind you, I have the WHOLE month to do it.  I’m going to break it up into my weekends. Twenty-five miles per weekend.  It sounded easy enough, but when I started to map it out, IT’S A LOT!!

Why, you say?  Why do this to myself?  Here are my main 3 reasons:

1) Because I’m a glutton for punishment.  Yup.  But that’s well known already.  

2) Because I’m raising funds to benefit Oakland and Alameda public schools through a program called RIDE 4 A REASON.  

RIDE 4 A REASON is the largest fundraiser that benefits my daughters school Skyline High School in Oakland.  It’s usually held one weekend in April and bicyclists ride from the Bay Area to Sacramento.  Last year, it was cancelled due to the pandemic but still managed to bring in some much needed funds to the 12 schools it supports.  https://rideforareason.weebly.com

This year the event is all virtual and they’ve included running, hiking and walking.  Each participant is given a fundraising site and 1 month to accomplish their goal.  I’m committed to raising $1,000 and hiking 100 miles!  Ouch.

If you can sponsor me, please do at: https://runsignup.com/tracyalbert

Nothing is too small or too large!   By supporting me, you provide much needed motivation!  If people are willing to donate hard earned $$ to this cause, then I better get my Big Ass out there!  And out there, I will!

If you cannot donate, then help support me by following along!  Read this blog on my progress and send me good vibes.  I do believe in that stuff!

This blog will be my journey journal.  I’ll track my training (which has already begun) and the April hikes themselves.  Here are the routes I’ve mapped out currently.  Note: these may change as I learn about new routes:

April 3-4:

Murietta Falls -Del Valle Regional Park  -Saturday:  12 miles round trip (Butt Kicker)

San Andreas Lake to Lower Crystal Springs Resv.  -Sunday:  13 miles - round trip      

April 10-11:

Lake Chabot.  Going around twice  -Saturday:  9.85 miles around x 2:   19.7 miles.

Coolidge Ave to Joaquin, Skyline, Redwood Rd, to Coolidge.  -Sunday:  5-7 miles.

April 17-18:

Albany / Richmond shoreline - Up to Ford Plant and back. -Saturday: 21.98 miles round trip

Point Pinole Shoreline.  Once around. -Sunday:  3.4 miles.

April 24-25:

Tilden/Inspiration Pt/Wildcat Canyon. -Saturday:  15.58 miles.

Bass Lake/Alamere Falls -Sunday:  9.5 miles - round trip

3) Because I’m tired of being overly chunky and scared of slowing down.  Plus what better way to come out of the 2020 fog by giving myself a personal goal to achieve?  Lord knows I didn’t get anything accomplished in 2020, except I did perfect the perfect roast stuffed turkey for xmas.  And the family & I remained healthy and employed.  Find your OK’s, I always say!

But, now’s the time to brush that 2020 mildew off of me and get to it!

#hikingwithtracy2021