The nights had been cold and damp, and the forecast was for the temperature to be in the 40s last Wednesday morning, February 6.
The Piedmont Recreation Department's Walking on Wednesday group met at the usual time at the Exedra for their weekly walk, and after rain the past two weeks, were pleased to see a clear sky and a sun that promised a lovely winter morning walk on Piedmont streets.
Another large group showed up - 22 walkers and two K-9 best friends. Joining the walk was Warrine Coffey for the first time, another recruit by Alicia Rivera.
With an informal goal of eventually walking all the streets in Piedmont, Crest Road was Wednesday's designation. The street provides a walking challenge because it has a steep incline that ends at La Salle Avenue on the border with Oakland, but the group was ready. Not only did it offer a good workout, it also provided a great view of the city and the Bay beyond.
So off the group went up, up Highland Avenue in a long line that looked like another Wednesdays parade.
When the walkers reached Hampton Road, Michael Marx was in the lead and he took the group for a side excursion through Crocker Park, home of the famous granite statue of Benny Bufano's mother bear and cubs. While there they met 18-month old Maggie Tenenbaum and her nanny, Amanda Anderson, inspecting the sculpture for the first time.
The walkers continued up Hampton past some PG&E street work, to the new Hampton Park
for a quick inspection, then uphill on Crest, a half block beyond the park.
Taking their time, everyone reached the top where they stopped for a group photo with Oakland, the Bay, San Francisco, and some handsome palm trees in the background.
The walkers continued on to La Salle Avenue and made a quick loop of the not previously walked
Tyson Circle that sits above Tyson Lake, all but obscured far below by trees and homes on Sotelo and La Salle.
The walkers descended La Salle in single file to Hampton Park, as there are no sidewalks.