Hiking Pacifica

With the California wildfires ranging and the air quality in San Jose in 150+ (unhealthy range), according to PurpleAir, Inna and I decided to escape the smoke and haze by hiking in Pacifica.

The drive from San Jose to Pacifica was uneventful, taking about 45 minutes. We parked at Mori Point (the parking lot there was closed). From there, we hiked along the "Old Mori Trail" beside Sharp Park Golf Course to Pacifica Beach Park.

Here is my Strava route:

 

We strolled along Sharp Park Beach, noticing a few local surfers in the water. There were a few waves (although the Surfline forecast rated today's conditions as "Poor").

After observing a few of the surfers, we continued our walk to the end of Beach Blvd. Reaching the end, we turned around and returned, stopping by Perfect Pour Cafe for a quick drink and a light lunch.

Inna ordered a medium Latte with a breakfast panini, while I selected a medium Mocha and a breakfast veggie sandwich.

Finishing lunch, we continued our hike along the coast, enjoying the cool, fresh ocean air (unlike the smokey air in San Jose). Although fog persisted throughout our hike, it did not bother us. Visibility was acceptable, and the cool temperatures made hiking pleasant.

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Windsurfing 3rd Ave

With the end of summer in sight, I would like to enjoy a few more windsurfing sessions. When iwindsurf.com forecasted favorable winds at Coyote Point, I decided to try windsurfing for the 12th time in the season.

When I arrived at Coyote Point, I saw signs that the Coyote Point Park was closed. Although disappointed, I decided to try my luck at the nearby 3rd Ave in Foster City (Baywinds Park). 

Arriving at Baywinds 10 minutes later, I was shocked at how busy it was. It seemed that every windsurfer and kiteboarder was there! I parked my Sienna minivan near the rigging area and took out my 2018 Fanatic Freewave STB 105 board. I was slightly unsure about the wind, so I rigged my Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail.

I saw rigged sails ranging from 3.7m to 5.0m, and I thought I fit correctly. After parking my Toyota Sienna far away, I returned to my setup sailing for the first time. The launch was quite busy, with many windsurfers getting in and out of the water. Once in the water, I water-started and sailed into the channel. 

At first, the wind was not very strong, a bit gusty, and I managed pretty well. However, as I sailed further out, the wind intensity increased dramatically. I was getting quite overpowered on my 5.0m sail. I drifted back to the shore and rested a bit.

I decided to try again. This time, the wind was even stronger in the channel, with large breaking swells. I was getting huge jumps on my board and was sailing out of control at maximum speed. 

It was so much fun but also so exhausting. After a few sessions, I was utterly depleted of my reserves and returned to shore. Sailing back was relatively easy, though I was sailing fast on a broad reach.

I should have used a smaller sail - perhaps a 4.5m would have been better. It was a great day, and I hope to return to 3rd Ave again.

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