Wow, that just sounds like a long walk....
Day 249
11-11-2006
Started: Walnut Creek, CA
Finished: Inspiration Trail, CA
Today's Miles: 16.0
Total Miles: 4057.9
When we woke this morning the light rain that was falling outside made our warm and cozy indoor accommodation at the Power's house feel even warmer and cozier. We enjoyed sitting with Jakob, Tamar, Marsha and Ken this morning while eating the muffins we purchased at the bakery yesterday afternoon. Randy and Tamar sipped on a tasty cup of hot tea, their caffeine free coffee alternative, and the rest of the gang enjoyed some of Ken's house brewed Peet's Coffee. After looking at maps with Ken and Marsha we all headed back to Heather Farms Park where we finished our day of hiking yesterday. We strolled along the Walnut Creek Canal System on a trail called the Contra Costa Canal Trail. We stayed with Jakob and Tamar for the first half of the day's miles, but then Sheri's desire to make a run for the road crossing where we had planned to meet her Mom and Dad Natoli caused us to say, "see you later" to our hiking partners. The Canal Trail eventually led us to the Briones-Mt. Diablo Regional Trail which took us through the Briones Regional Park and along Lafayette Ridge. The wet weather that had been raining on and off had caused the trail along the Ridge to become extremely muddy and the steep ups and downs that the trail followed along the ridge combined with the mud to make for a very demanding and slow moving hike. We found ourselves checking and double checking the maps we had with us because we felt like the amount of time and energy we were putting into the hiking wasn't providing the appropriate amount of mileage over the terrain. The maps were correct and our heavy, muddy feet were just working very hard up and down very slippery trails so they felt like they had come much farther than they actually had. When we reached one of the Parks Staging Areas we took advantage of the picnic table so as to enjoy a short snack break. The trees hanging over the table helped keep the light drizzle from continuing to saturate us and Jakob and Tamar cut up some very tasty cheese and crackers for all of us to enjoy. Sheri couldn't stay seated too long because of the building excitement that was growing inside her knowing that the sooner we reached the Dam Road at the start of the Inspiration Trail the sooner she would be able to see her Mom. The hiking this afternoon was really delightful. We hiked an area maintained by the East Bay Municipal Utility District that is a Watershed and Water Storage Area. The trails were winding through the woods along the shores of the Briones Reservoir and the San Pablo Reservoir with beautiful water views. Our timing couldn't have been any better when we turned away from the reservoirs and started up the Inspiration Point Trail to where it crosses San Pablo Dam Road. We crossed over the Dam Road and just as we went to drop our packs Mom and Dad Natoli came around the corner with huge smiles and big waves leading the way. We tried to knock off the mud we had picked up throughout the day before jumping in the rental car they had picked up from the airport. After an unsuccessful attempt at cleaning up we piled in the car and made our way toward the Bay Bridge where we had a chance to be tourist for the night in San Francisco. We jumped right into the tourist scene with a trip to Pier 39 where we had a nice dinner overlooking the calming waters of the San Francisco Bay. We are so excited to be where we are and to have the company of family to share our discoveries with us. The only bitter sweet feeling we are struggling with is the idea that being "almost there" also means "almost over". All of the excitement that we have to see our families also comes with the knowledge that they are arriving to help us celebrate a completion, a completion of a dream, and a completion of our goal of hiking from one Ocean to the other across the entire continent! Wow, that just sounds like a long walk, and it's almost over, we are really here, we are sitting just a short distance, what seems like a rock toss, from the Pacific Ocean! We look forward to sharing our experiences with family and can't wait for the rest of our support crew to fly in from back east. Knowing just how little time we have left until we reach the Ocean has made us talk about how important it is that we cherish each and every day we have left in this Journey. We feel like we have never taken a single day for granted and want to be sure to always live our lives that way. The next few days will give us the perfect opportunity to reminisce about the amazing and unforgettable days of this Journey as well as provide us an opportunity to discover the breathtaking sights and sounds of California's Bay Area as we continue to appreciate each and every step we our fortunate enough to take!
Your Friends on the ADT,
Randy and Sheri
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