Some days are just fantastic hiking days...
Day 250
11-12-2006
Started: Inspiration Trail, CA
Finished: Ferry Station in San Francisco, CA
Today's Miles: 17.5
Total Miles: 4075.4
Some days are just fantastic hiking days. Today was one of those days! It was an added bonus to wake up with family around and any hiker will tell you that it is definitely an added bonus to eat warm waffles before hitting the trail. After a casual morning and nice breakfast with Mom and Dad Natoli we headed back to the San Pablo Dam Road and started up the Inspiration Point Trail. Our day was starting at roughly 330 feet in elevation and within the first few miles we would be reaching close to 1800 feet in elevation so we worked up a sweat pretty quick. Even without the rigorous climb the sun was heating things up which was a real treat when we reached the area known as Inspiration Point and even more enjoyable when we were graced with clear sunny skies at the top of the ridge on the Seaview Trail, also known as the East Bay Skyline National Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail. The ridgeline trail allowed us to hike along enjoying distant views of the Golden Gate Bridge and a great deal of the beautiful San Francisco Bay shoreline. The breathtaking ridgeline views and the crystal clear sunny sky combined to create a perfect hiking experience. Once we had worked our way along the ridge we followed trails down off the ridge and eventually hit the Jordan Firetrail which dropped steeply off the hills and down to the stadium at the University of California-Berkeley. It was a fun walk through the active campus. We passed fraternity and sorority row where an afternoon gathering had a party feel to it and then made our way down College Avenue where we walked amongst many shoppers making their way from store to store along the long row of shops connecting Berkeley to Oakland. We transitioned from the eclectic laid back feel of Berkeley to the hectic big city feel of Oakland as we made our turn off of College Avenue to Broadway in O-town. We zigged and zagged our way through Oakland until we reached Jack London Square. Just outside the Square we were greeted with the smiling faces of Mom and Dad Natoli. They had taken a Ferry from San Francisco to come over and treat us to an Oakland style dinner. We enjoyed a tasty meal in Jack London Square and then made sure not to be late to the last Ferry running to San Francisco for the night. Riding through the choppy water of the San Francisco Bay was a real treat and we enjoyed standing out on the deck of the Ferry Boat letting the wind blow through our hair as we stared off at the city lights that were lighting up the East Bay Hills we had just come through and the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco we were excited about heading toward. We unloaded onto San Francisco soil at the historic 1898 Ferry Building with a beautiful clock tower that was modeled after Spain's Giralda Tower. We decided we would wait until tomorrow to put in our official miles along the Embarcadero through Fisherman's Wharf and down to the Golden Gate Bridge. Tonight we were going to continue playing tourist and take in the sights with Mom and Dad Natoli. Looking back at how wonderful today's hike was has added even another reason to why we undoubtedly love the life we are living and love the experiences that this incredible Journey has exposed us to. This country and the great people who call it home have an amazing story to tell and having been able to hear many of those amazing stories has enriched our lives in absolutely indescribable ways that will undoubtedly have a profound affect on our lives today, tomorrow and forever! Great terrain, beautiful views, deep thoughts, new discoveries and priceless stories, all part of another fantastic day of Hiking!
Your Friends on the ADT,
Randy and Sheri
Follow our Journey at www.treckusa.com
