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Where few have run before (Read 208 times)

AnneCA


    Checked out the new Bay Bridge – now, with bike/ped path! – this morning

     

    The joke now is that the bike/ped path is a two mile long pier – it doesn’t connect to anything.  Some time in 2014 it will connect to Yerba Buena Island, but, right now, the old bridge is in the way, and they can’t complete the connection of the path until that’s torn down.  Still, you can get up to the base of the single tower.   (even once it’s connected to the island, there’s still the pier effect – there’s no bike/ped access on the western span, so you won’t be able to get across to SF)

     

    Access now is from a couple points in West Oakland/Emeryville, which are actually about two miles from the foot of the bridge.  And what a lovely couple of miles that is – under freeway mazes and along side the water treatment plant.   Nice path, though – flat, wide, newly paved, with a decomposed granite shoulder for foot traffic, no crossings, new landscaping.  That approach part is open 24 hours, but there’s a gate that prevents you from accessing the actual bridge path except from “sunrise-sunset. “  This morning, CHP showed up almost exactly at 6:42 (official sunrise time) to open the gate.  Not sure if that was coincidence, or if they take the sunrise bit that seriously.  This was the first morning they were opening it, so it’s likely all new to them too.  Once the path is connected through to the island, they will have the bridge path open 24/7. 

     

    This is the chute after the access gate, headed for the bridge proper.  I felt like I was in a pinball machine. 

     

    Now we’re on the bridge.  That’s the old bridge looming on the left.

     

    Pfeiffer says:  what this bridge needs is some more dog pee.

     (if you remember my earlier post, you’ll see I found an option for carrying the dog supplies.  It’s from http://www.doodiepack.com.  Just exactly the right size – doesn’t fit much more than poop bag supplies, but that’s all I wanted.  He doesn’t even seem to notice it on, and I was glad to have it on this run, because there was not a single garbage can along the entire out-and-back route, and, of course, he pooped about 1.5 miles in.  But then he got to carry it, so fine by me!)

     

    Heading on up:

    There were just a couple other bikers and runners on the path this morning – like I said, it was the first morning it was open, everyone was in high spirits, lots of photo-taking.

     

    The tower:

     

    View of new and old and we head back east:

     

    Hope you enjoyed the tour!


    Feeling the growl again

      Thanks for posting.  By serendipity I was out for a run in SF one morning and happened to be in view as they brought 2 huge cranes from China meant to build that bridge under the Golden Gate with inches to spare.  It appears the new bridge looks a bit better than the old.  Big grin  Too bad the footpath will not cross to SF.

      "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

       

      I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

       

        Thanks for posting.  By serendipity I was out for a run in SF one morning and happened to be in view as they brought 2 huge cranes from China meant to build that bridge under the Golden Gate with inches to spare.  It appears the new bridge looks a bit better than the old.  Big grin  Too bad the footpath will not cross to SF.

         

        There's talk of refitting the western span with bike/ped lanes to complete the connection.

         

        The catch is that it would cost $1 billion to do it.

          Very cool, even if it is a dead end.

          AnneCA


             

            There's talk of refitting the western span with bike/ped lanes to complete the connection.

             

            The catch is that it would cost $1 billion to do it.

            Hey, we're 6.5 billion in, what's another billion?

             

            Another note about the dog in the pictures -- not that anyone asked, but the story cracks me up.  He has an overuse injury.  Overuse of the tail.  This dog wags his tail so damn hard that he broke it.  Not that he actually broke any bones in the tail, but he did break the wag.  Really, “broken wag,” it’s a thing.  There’s no treatment, and it’s supposed to get better in a couple of days.  In the meantime, the tail just hangs there, and he’s lost half his vocabulary.  Those puppy-dog eyes, they look crazy sad without the tail wag.


            Feeling the growl again

              Hey, we're 6.5 billion in, what's another billion?

               

              Another note about the dog in the pictures -- not that anyone asked, but the story cracks me up.  He has an overuse injury.  Overuse of the tail.  This dog wags his tail so damn hard that he broke it.  Not that he actually broke any bones in the tail, but he did break the wag.  Really, “broken wag,” it’s a thing.  There’s no treatment, and it’s supposed to get better in a couple of days.  In the meantime, the tail just hangs there, and he’s lost half his vocabulary.  Those puppy-dog eyes, they look crazy sad without the tail wag.

               

              Poor guy.  My avatar has only a stump (docked as a pup like most spaniels) so he makes up for it by just wagging the whole butt.

               

              LOL.  That's a good one though, thanks for sharing.

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               


              jfa

                Cool pics Anne!

                 

                Must be a very good place to watch the America's Cup races, or are the boats closer to the Golden Gate?

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                NikoRosa


                Funky Kicks 2019

                  I really liked that last photo!  Been hearing about this bridge for months on a radio show I listen too, it's cool to get an idea of how it looks.

                  Leah, mother of dogs

                    Thanks for posting!  Was wondering how that all worked out.

                    4/14/24 Napa Valley 50k, Calistoga, CA

                    7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV

                    9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR


                    running metalhead

                      Nice post.

                       

                      Reminds me on the dikes here in Holland. Not new but I haven't seen anybody running on them. I ran one form Lelystad to Almere, that's some 20km. The problem is that they have a constant and rather marked slope.

                      - Egmond ( 14 januari )            :  1:41:40 (21K)
                      - Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) :  0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)
                      - Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart )  :   1:35:19 (3th M45!)

                      - Ekiden Zwolle (10K)   ( 25 maart )
                      - Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )
                      - Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )
                      - Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)

                         

                        Poor guy.  My avatar has only a stump (docked as a pup like most spaniels) so he makes up for it by just wagging the whole butt.

                         

                        LOL, I have a Pug so she isn't much of a running dog. Of course, her tail is curled, so she does the same butt wag. It's really very comical.

                           

                          Poor guy.  My avatar has only a stump (docked as a pup like most spaniels) so he makes up for it by just wagging the whole butt.

                           

                          LOL.  That's a good one though, thanks for sharing.

                           

                          Funny - my running buddy also has only a stump for a tail, though they think one of her littermates probably gnawed it off when they were itty bitty.  Her whole back half wags when she gets excited.

                          keeponrunning


                             

                            Poor guy.  My avatar has only a stump (docked as a pup like most spaniels) so he makes up for it by just wagging the whole butt.

                             

                            LOL.  That's a good one though, thanks for sharing.

                             

                            Glad my dog isn't the only one-- she's half spaniel (Cocka-poo) and does the same thing.  Big grin

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