Guadalupe River - Nov. 19, '11

Walking Distance: 6 miles
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 49 min. (10:12 a.m. - 1:01 p.m.)
Start and End Point: (New) Alviso Educational Center (2040 Gold St.) parking lot, Alviso, CA

I'm still waiting for one last segment of Bay Trail to re-open further north (Alameda Creek Trail by Coyote Hills). In the meantime, I am investigating the Guadalupe River Trail (shown as purple line,  connector trail on the Bay Trail map). I believe the Guadalupe River starts in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains; it moves through downtown San Jose, past San Jose airport, and eventually runs into the San Francisco Bay at Alviso.

I started walking from the Alviso/north end of this trail. This morning I headed first toward historic Alviso (across the railroad tracks and within sight of Vahl's restaurant and bar), running into where I'd walked the Bay Trail (red and gold lines on map) a few months ago. I then turned around and headed toward San Jose, following a broad, packed dirt/gravel trail, passing a (golf driving range) and crossing under Highway 237 (thicker white line on map).

Note: In case you're walking in wet months (winter/spring), during heavy periods of rain, it might be advisable to check the status of this trail in advance, as there are signs posted warning of possible flooding of the Guadalupe River in lower spots. During other times, the creek bed is home to grasses, trees (with leaves changing colors this time of year), rocks, ducks, egrets, herons, and the occasional feral/abandoned cat further south.

I passed a golf course (which I could see from the other side), and an abandoned red shirt or towel. There are all sorts of lost or left-behind objects on the trail. Each item may have a story to tell.

I walked south until I reached a red metal bridge (near River Oaks), and crossed this bridge so I could walk the other side of the trail on the way back to Alviso. This provided a nice change of scene in this area, where there were multi-dwelling housing developments and a park.

Wildlife Sightings:
2 kites (birds); 1 cloud UFO bugs; 11 little brown jobs (LBJs); 6 snowy egrets, 2 great egrets; 29 pigeons; flock of 20 ? birds (blackbirds? LBJs?); 1 turkey vulture; 3 snails; 1 tiny black beetle; 2 tennis balls; 6 white butterflies, 1 orange and blk/brown butterfly; 1 tree squirrel;1 bumblebee; 23 ducks; 12 crows; 7 cormorants; 31 Canada geese; 24 coots; 1 cloud gnats or mosquitos?; 1 dragonfly; 2 robins; 2 great blue herons