Heather Mashhoodi - San Fran Bay Circumnav via Bay Area Ridge Trail (CA) - 2021-04-27

It was easier for me to do this supported and keep a through hiker pace than to try to pummel through. I have a converted camper van (equipped with an awesome spouse and a dog) that I was able to sleep, shower, and re-supply in most nights. Pretty epic luxury for a through jaunt : )

I got a lot of logistical help from the Bay Area Ridge Trail Counsel in providing me with docents and easement information.

I’m a bay kid: I grew up in the East Bay, worked in the South Bay, and am headquartered in the North Bay. It’s been a dream of mine since hiking the long trails (PCT/CDT) to walk around the Bay Area. I always admired the route for its brevity, its access to plenty of gourmet ethnic re-supply spots, and almost perfect year-round accessibility. I had a ton of fun on this route. The diversity of the route ranges from wilderness areas with backpacking camps to homeless encampments. Beautiful open coastline vistas to suburban oak forests. Little notches of trail under a freeway and brief easements between golf course resort style homes. An epic way to get to know the bay and avoid the commuter traffic : )

This route definitely needs an update, though. There are tons of cool ways to get around road walks and private lands. I would like to make a more accessible alternate route with roller blading through SF, Kayaking the north bay instead of doing highway 37, and biking through the seedy areas of San Jose.

Collected data from Garmin GPS watch and in-reach Mini

Instagram 'BART' highlight and Strava blogs are probably the easiest way to see the progress.

@likejanedoe on instagram

Strava blog and links:

Day 1 Thursday, April 15

https://www.strava.com/activities/5134421493

The GPS from my watch (Garmin Connect and Strava Data) is non-existent from the starting point 37.21694, -122.06962

To this point 37.25945, -122.12284

However, the inreach has data from the entire start and finish of that day. See ‘Day 1 BART in reach.gpx’ and contrast with the ‘BART day 1.gpx’

Also note that the meta data from the photos place me in accordance with the trail while the watch failed to record. This can be observed in the Strava link for day 1. See below for reference.

This is the only discrepancy / gap from the GPS watch data.

Day 2 Friday April 16

https://www.strava.com/activities/5139132236

Day 3 April 17

https://www.strava.com/activities/5145271478

WATCH Died

https://www.strava.com/activities/5139495656

GAP in Day 3 is made up on April 23rd

https://www.strava.com/activities/5180960251

Day 4 April 18

https://www.strava.com/activities/5158129613

Day 5 April 19