Alameda Creek, cont. - Sept. 8, 2011

Walking Distance: 3.6 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 43 min. (5:43 - 7:26 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Peregrine Way and Falcon Dr., Fremont, CA

This evening I walked another section of the Alameda Creek Regional Trail and, in the process, went from Union City to Fremont and back to the Union City area again. I started in an adjacent residential block, and followed a dirt path up to a short hill to get to this trail. (The eastern section of this trail is shown as a purple, solid line/trail on the Bay Trail Map.)

While not technically part of the Bay Trail, I'm following this trail toward Niles Canyon area because I following Alameda Creek further up into the hills to its source looked interesting, and also because a section of the Alameda Creek trail down toward Coyote Hills was closed until next month.

I found out later in the walk this evening that I was walking on a closed section here as well. Oops. What was my first clue? Probably the recently rearranged dirt and the earth movers. I failed to see the closed trail sign, as I entered this trail mid-way through this section.

However, once started, not easily stopped. So, I continued east to a section of the Alameda Creek trail that was open -- and followed this trail until a bridge, near the intersection of Arizona St. and Copa del Oro, in Union City.

Along the way I stopped to take some pictures under the Highway 880 underpass; not something I would normally see if I were driving along on top. This area, with pillars reflected in the creek, had the stillness of a cathedral.

The first leaves are starting to turn colors, a sure sign that summer is in retreat. I'll miss the light that has made evening walks possible in the past several months.

On the wildlife front, I saw a hawk; some lizards soaking up the last rays of sun on the rocky creek bank; swallows darting about before the sun slipped below the trees; and a housecat stalking a duck. I couldn't resist warning the duck.

Wildlife Sightings:
6 swallows; 5 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 ground squirrels; 1 hawk/kestrel/; 3 pigeons; 22 Canada geese; 1 dove; 1 blue jay; 1 ball; 6 lizards; 2 dragonflies; 3 crows; 11 ducks; 1 orange and brown butterfly; 1 cat (I'm guessing it was a domestic cat)