The fruits of our Labor Day 1

I think it is apropos that Labor Day weekend is also the weekend on which the 3 day asks us to walk the furthest before the actual event. The suggested schedule was 18 miles easy walking on Saturday and 15 miles easy walking on Sunday. (As if 18 and 15 miles is ever easy).

Patti and I (having been away on vacation) have been somewhat limited on the distance we have walked recently so we both were excited to challenge ourselves to this back to back test. I sent an email to the rest of the team to see who could join us and Dana raised his hand and said hr would be glad to walk with us on our 18 miler.

Little did we know he walked 20 miles the day before on the bike path in Lafayette. He may have wished to rethink his choice to join us as we started out on what was to be a challenging walk from the Sausalito Yacht Club to the Beach Chalet and back.

On this walk there are a number of hills to climb. On the actual 3 day last year we walked all these hills but on two separate days. They were challenging to walk then, but together they definitely tested us. The first hill is relatively minor up from Sausalito and down into Fort Baker and Cavallo Point.

This is a must do stop for us throughout the year. Patti and I are planning on our post walk recouping visit to the spa now.

The next hill is no little deal. It is from Cavallo Point up to the bridge. Having a camera gives you a great chance to stop and breath as you snap a picture.

On this Sunday before Labor Day the bridge and just about everywhere was full of people, enjoying the weather and the day. But it was early as we crossed the bridge and it was not too crowded. (It would be PACKED on the return trip).

But we had a clear spot for a picture of the "survivors" on the bridge.

We crossed the bridge and then headed along the coast toward Seacliff.

There are old military bunkers, that they seem to be restoring to some extent, along the way.

The day was warming up and as we walked along Lands End, where there is hill 2,3, and 4 Dana and I started to get, a little "damp!"

But the bridge and the water and the views made the walk beautiful behind the sweat.

I totally forgot about the steps going up on the way to Beach Chalet. I only remember them when we walked back and how those SJ Bike police ran up them with their bikes on their shoulders. Geeezzz.....

Here are those steps but we are going down them. On the way back, well, you know.... it's going to be UP.

But hey, nasturtiums are always a good excuse to stop.

Getting closer to the end of the trail, the great bridge in the haze behind us.

The stately cypress trees announcing the approach of the end of the Land's End trail.

Boats out in the Pacific...

Sutro Baths .... (long gone now, but once the recreational hub of coastal SF)

Ruins of Sutro Baths - Cliff house

A low tide means a BIG wide Ocean Beach and beyond it the Beach Chalet.

Some one decorated some horse ****. I guess I was delirious at this point because I found it amusing.

We met Glenn at the Beach Chalet where we had lunch. I eyed Dana and Patti skeptically as they ordered garlic fires. I watch in amazement as Dana downed a stout. (I was thinking of the walk back already...).

Staircase railing carved in the depression.

Part of Team:Are We There Yet?

Are we ready to head back to Sausalito? I kept thinking about those darn stairs.

I think the gull is sensing my fear!

Beautiful warm day at the coast. Very unusual. Special for us and our hill climbing.

Easy goes it.... one step at a time.

The homes of Seacliff in the distance.

A Seacliff home... Please notice I took NO pictures of the stairs on the way back. I was in survival mode.

Does your heart good to see the bridge getting closer. That means most of the climbing is done... well except..... that one on the way up from Cavallo.

There were dozens of kite surfers on the bay playing with the wakes of ferry boast.

The bridge was so crowded it makes me a little nervous and my solution is to walk faster and get it over. I sat at the end and waited for Dana and Patti to cross over and snapped a picture.

We cruised on by Cavallo and headed up to Alexander for our walk back to the club.

This weekend was the Sausalito Art Festival. I don't recall if I have ever seen traffic this bad on Alexander, Second and Bridgeway. I was imagining some of the cars were thinking it would be good to just get out and walk like us.

The traffic was bad (basically at a stop) for a couple of miles.

When we approached the club there was traffic even out on the water. There were a number of Ferry Boats waiting to come in. The fair had just ended and there were people waiting to be taken back to SF or elsewhere.

But we were finished for the day. Dana (to his credit) did the whole thing without complaint. And I must say, he had a challenge after a 20 mile walk the day before. We had essentially put the most difficult parts of the 3 day into the same day. My legs felt alittle like a rubber band pulled way too tight. I felt like a rung out dishrag and was having a hard time imagining doing this again tomorrow. But then I thought... I thought about Mama Bear in Ohio, battling stage 4 Breast Cancer and I went home and took my epsom salts bath. We are not there yet... not yet.