Conquering Mt. McInnis
In days gone by, Sierra Nevada trails were my go to getaways. Nowadays the mostly tame flatland of nearby McInnis Park finds me sauntering along with my granddaughter’s dog, B.B. King. No heavy backpack needed.
But wait. Rising precipitously from the flatland is stately Mt. McInnis. First a small confession: Mt. McInnis is not a real name, at least as far as I know, but a name that I made up. Stately Mt. McInnis is in fact a few hills that probably rise no more than a couple hundred feet, if that.
Yet from its “peak,” B.B. and I enjoy the fine view of multi-use McInnis Park beneath us. Which includes miles of hiking paths, a golf course, restaurant, softball fields, batting cages, soccer fields (the proper term is soccer pitch), picnic tables, miniature golf, a skate park, a canoe/kayak navigable channel leading to San Francisco Bay, tennis courts, and a fish-stocked pond.
My main interest is the dog friendly area and walking trails, where different factions of dogs and owners frequent McInnis Park at all different hours. They always make me smile.
A regular named Gary once owned two Labrador mixes, named Lilly and Lacy. That was about 20 years ago, when I was introducing my new puppy, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, named Tyra. One of Gary’s dogs could make over-the-shoulder catches before a tossed ball would hit the ground. I admired the animal’s Jerry Rice-like athleticism and made it my mission to teach Tyra the same skill. (And I did.) Of course Lilly and Lacy are gone now, and so is Tyra. But Gary has another Lab mix, Clipper, and they usually come to the park in the morning.
Another morning man, Jimmy, brings a tan mixed breed named Rita. She wears a bell on her collar, so he always knows where she is, and in her mouth constantly are both a ball and a Frisbee, at the same time. I’ve never seen her without her toys.
Some of the dog people are walkers, getting exercise along with their pets. Others tend to congregate, socializing, halting conversations only long enough to toss balls or Frisbees as their dogs retrieve them. B.B. and I are walkers.
Of course the late afternoon dogs and owners are an entirely different cast than the morning or midday people. One late afternoon man is known as “Cookie Bob.” He carries treats and as you would expect, most of the regular afternoon dogs seek him out.
A midday walker named Marge has a wonderful white standard poodle with a few large black patches on his body; he has the great name of Angus . . . I could go on and on.
Meanwhile, as dogs and their owners gather below, B.B. and I have once again conquered foreboding Mt. McInnis and are now in descent. The meandering channel in the first picture’s center is the canoe/kayak navigable waterway leading to San Francisco Bay. There’s also a hiking trail on the levee that follows along the channel.
Next, B.B. continues leading our descent, now from the Mt. McInnis southwest “face.” Mountain climbing routes always seem to go up a “face,” rather than a side: the north face, south face, and so forth. Below us on the right is the McInnis skate park. Hollows in the complex get progressively deeper, going from fairly easy to maneuver in to very challenging. Weekends, and especially during summer vacation, kids pour into the skate park. Sometimes competitions are held, with spectators, judges, scoring and a public address system.
But wait. Rising precipitously from the flatland is stately Mt. McInnis. First a small confession: Mt. McInnis is not a real name, at least as far as I know, but a name that I made up. Stately Mt. McInnis is in fact a few hills that probably rise no more than a couple hundred feet, if that.
Yet from its “peak,” B.B. and I enjoy the fine view of multi-use McInnis Park beneath us. Which includes miles of hiking paths, a golf course, restaurant, softball fields, batting cages, soccer fields (the proper term is soccer pitch), picnic tables, miniature golf, a skate park, a canoe/kayak navigable channel leading to San Francisco Bay, tennis courts, and a fish-stocked pond.
My main interest is the dog friendly area and walking trails, where different factions of dogs and owners frequent McInnis Park at all different hours. They always make me smile.
A regular named Gary once owned two Labrador mixes, named Lilly and Lacy. That was about 20 years ago, when I was introducing my new puppy, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, named Tyra. One of Gary’s dogs could make over-the-shoulder catches before a tossed ball would hit the ground. I admired the animal’s Jerry Rice-like athleticism and made it my mission to teach Tyra the same skill. (And I did.) Of course Lilly and Lacy are gone now, and so is Tyra. But Gary has another Lab mix, Clipper, and they usually come to the park in the morning.
Another morning man, Jimmy, brings a tan mixed breed named Rita. She wears a bell on her collar, so he always knows where she is, and in her mouth constantly are both a ball and a Frisbee, at the same time. I’ve never seen her without her toys.
Some of the dog people are walkers, getting exercise along with their pets. Others tend to congregate, socializing, halting conversations only long enough to toss balls or Frisbees as their dogs retrieve them. B.B. and I are walkers.
Of course the late afternoon dogs and owners are an entirely different cast than the morning or midday people. One late afternoon man is known as “Cookie Bob.” He carries treats and as you would expect, most of the regular afternoon dogs seek him out.
A midday walker named Marge has a wonderful white standard poodle with a few large black patches on his body; he has the great name of Angus . . . I could go on and on.
Meanwhile, as dogs and their owners gather below, B.B. and I have once again conquered foreboding Mt. McInnis and are now in descent. The meandering channel in the first picture’s center is the canoe/kayak navigable waterway leading to San Francisco Bay. There’s also a hiking trail on the levee that follows along the channel.
Next, B.B. continues leading our descent, now from the Mt. McInnis southwest “face.” Mountain climbing routes always seem to go up a “face,” rather than a side: the north face, south face, and so forth. Below us on the right is the McInnis skate park. Hollows in the complex get progressively deeper, going from fairly easy to maneuver in to very challenging. Weekends, and especially during summer vacation, kids pour into the skate park. Sometimes competitions are held, with spectators, judges, scoring and a public address system.
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Does calling McInnis Park a "parkland paradise" sound too strong? B.B. doesn't think so. Maybe I don't either.
Conquering Mt. McInnis was written in 2017. B.B. was put to rest June 28, 2019, at age 14 and three months. My granddaughter raised him while living in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. When school no longer made it possible for her to care for him, he came to live with us. Though he was my close companion for a relatively few years, I miss him greatly. B.B. was a wonderful dog. He was family.