Hike Miwok Trail in SFO

After 4 months i had decide to Hike, and my flatmate is all in, so i thought we will go to Sausalito for hike which i missed sometime back due to my laziness. So we are 2 people sure, just asked to bunch of other people. But my flatmate caught slight cold and decided not to come (It is bit cloudy here). I woke up everyone but towards the end Sunny and Nikhil dropped, so it left Verma, Kishore and Me for the trek. After a long time i drove more than hour. Those 30 degree uphill and downhill road in SF are crazy/scary on one side, but fun to drive on the other side. We crossed Golden Gate Bridge, first time me driving the car, a different experience, and first time got honked after a long time on the Bridge. (And couple more time rest of the the day, It is honk day for me) We reached the Visitor center near the trail, no signal to contact Nikhil, so we drove all the way back to SF, called them, (they have decided to drop as this point) so we went to visitor center again, checked the trail and started our Journey.

Here is the trail map http://www.everytrail.com/guide/miwok-trail-to-bonita-point/map

We start with lot of enthusiasm, but i got exhausted so fast. The views of the valley are amazing, me walking slowly and the scenery of the valley moving slowly backward, it felt like a movie/dream for sometime, but by legs started hurting and brought me back to reality. Kishore is always ahead of us. After a mile took my first stop, and then i am just trying to breathe and walk, really so much out of stamina... Finally we reached a point what looked like a peak where we switch to another trail, and thought uphill is over. Shouldn't have celebrated too early.

There is uphill again, we are almost into clouds, we can't see anything ahead that is few meters. Almost felt like what if we get lost, i am already exhausted, no mobile signal, all random thoughts, But we know the is no going back and we will eventually reach the starting point as hike is almost a loop :-)

Finally 2 more stops, and bit more struggle reached the highest point in the trail. We ate some chocolates to celebrate the moment. Then switched to Coastal Trail from there, which is downhill path to the starting point. We took some short cuts on the way. There is a nice view of the beach on our way down hill.

At one point the trail is collapsed, may be remnant of some earthquake.



We switched lot of topics on our way back, downhill so not so strenuous. We also took some crazy shortcuts one of them is fine, but the other one is lot steep and longer (With my old running shoes it is bit tough to do this stunt). Finally reached the beach which is in the picture above. We saw people surfing, and stood there sometime watching them surf. And we have decide to do surfing the next week. Lets see what happens. Then crossed the beach, sand went into the shoes, and it became bit uncomfortable to my legs from then on. We decided to skip Bonita Point part of the trek and headed towards the Parking lot. We started back to SF, decided to eat at some Indian Place. It is so hard to get a parking slot in SF, and for the first time in life i did real parallel parking :-). Food is decent and we headed back to home.

Overall it is a nice break from routine. So happy that i went for the trek, and also happy to have people like Verma and Kishore along side me accompanying me on this hike. And ya  i am back blogging. Hurry...Enjoy... 

Lot happened for last 2 years...

From April 2011 to Oct 2012, lot of things happened.
- July 2011, Finally our project launched (PageSpeed Service)
- Sept 2011, Visited Google, Boston Office. Nice place. Went to NYC on the way back, it is so crowded but and amazing and exhausting 2 day trip
- Oct 2011 applied for Promotion and got rejected...Sad but its a learning to reach greater heights.
- Nov 2011, After last year local Offsite, it have decided Maldives as our Offsite location, and made it happen. And you know what all i did there is snorkeling and Scuba diving, Yes Scuba Diving, Somehow the instructor told he will take me though i am not comfortable swimming, hardly managed on first day, more of struggle to breathe and move underwater. But on the second day started enjoying it, All possible things that can happen, happened..Me out of oxygen in between, swapped the breathing equipment from mine to spare one the instructor had under water ;-). Best part is exhausted his Oxygen too. I was panicked so much, but didn't realize we are only 3ft under water at that moment ;-). Luckily all went great... Finally i did Scuba...
- June 2012 - One more trip to US and more Skiing :-)
- May 2012 - A Major reshuffle project moved to US, and we have finally decided to move as well. My parents are bit worried, But finally they agreed, (And the hunt for the bride became aggressive)
- June 2012 - Got Promoted this time. Hurry i am a "Senior Software Engineer"@"Google" now.
- July 2012 - My Cousin's Marriage, But ya mine no luck. (My sweetheart is still hiding somewhere, where?)
- Aug 2012 - Again time for the offsite, And Phuket is the Winner. Pooja took an amazing hard work to make it happen. One more interesting Offsite.
- Nov 2012 - My mom decided not to hurry on my marriage, and finally gave me sendoff to my adventure 'Bye Bye India, Welcome America'
- Nov 2012 - Road trip to Disney Land LA, and Sea World, San Diego.
- Dec 2012 - Few weeks in US, without driving it became so hard to survive, (I eat only Indian Food :-)). Thanks to Kishore, learnt driving finally (One of the best things i have done in my life)
- Jan 1, 2013 - Went to a Azam's Hoiuse on new year, But we ended up driving to Big Basin, very scary mountain road. (I have not driven on a highway till then, and suddenly driving Highways at 60's and Mountain Passes, Crazy but with their support i have made it)
- Jan 2013 - Lots and lots of Ski Trips. And lots and lots of get togethers and parties. Thanks to Pulkit and Rahul and their best half's for all the arrangements and support.
- Feb 2013 - Bunch of Treks and Hikes.
- Mar 2013 - Vegas Offsite. Ohh man I gambled, and lost 300$, Bad but it is fun gambling along with your friends. But my new car too (Shiny new Red Prius IV)
- April 2013 - Whitewater rafting in American River.
- May 2013 - Yosmite Trip Ohh man i trekked sooooo much (Thanks Nikhil for pushing me mentally and physically to trek Nevada and Vernal falls)
- June 2013 - One more road Trip to Crater Lake, lots and lots of camping, Lava beds National Park (One Nice Long Road Trip)
- June 2013 - The most awaited moment of my life - I found my life partner.
- July 2013 - Not much happened, expect for Long Phone calls :-)
- Aug 2013 - Engaged to Deepa (My sweet sweeter sweetest Fiancee)
- Sept 2013 - Again hooked to Phone, and weekend squash became other favorite.
- Oct 2013 - Here we are. From now will update this blogs more often... Any by the way this is most memorable day, Its is Dushera, and i had finally updated a 2 year back log of draft post that i harvested to post on my blog. Truly an amazing day...

I wanna learn skiing

April 2011
Finally dared to Ski in this trip, and Did it. Hardly able to stand, but it is worth learning it...So much snow for the first time in life, it is crazy, almost like a dream, those slow covered trees on the way (just reminded me of a Christmas Day in movies). It is just awesome, may be i should say awesome++ ;-)

Trip to Los Angeles.

April 2011
One more amazingly planned trip, only half executed as expected, but overall its one memorable experience.
- 2 Hour waiting for a 2 minute ride at SixFlags. Worth it. (We just did 5 ride for the whole day ;-) )
- Universal Studio's, You much experience it everything is amazing.
- Mostly trip back from LA to Moutain View, it is 5 hrs on Highway 5. But we decided to take 9hr route on CA-1, most scenic highway in US. We lost the road, did a detour (+ 1 hour). Though out the route it said Big Sur closed, Big Sur closed, after 8 hrs into the trip, (2 hrs to destination as per the GPS), stopped at a petrol pump, to our surprise he told Big Sur closed means, we can't reach our destination, we have go all the way back to LA and go back to other highway, only one route (Damn!!)
Luckily there is one military pass, which we dared to go, and after 2 hours of drive, we finally saw some cars and reached office at 4PM (We are supposed to reach by 10 AM in the morning).

Its is misadventure, but one ever lasting experience... 

Google Team Offsite: Orange County, Kabini Reosrt

Dec 2010
Made some much plans for a International Offsite instead of inter state Office, and ended up doing a intra state offsite. But still a great one.

- Uno Uno and Uno
- After hours and hours of forest safari, a glimpse of Leopard, Unbelievable. Watching an wild elephant so big, so amazing
- Small snake in one of our room, everyone freaks out, house keeping guy come and say it just a snake, and it is forest, you should be ready for these kind of things, What the Fish...
- And Mafia to some extent it hate lying on the face.
- Long, Longer, Longest boat safari, nothing to see except for few birds long long ahead :-(
- Lots and lots of fun in the Van, playing bunch of games.
   

Searching for the one to start the next phase of life.

Nov 2010
What am i talking here if you get it, you got it, else wait until it gets clear.. I am not gonna tell more...
Am i ready for it, i don't know.

Had a Kingfisher Experience.......

Nov 2010
Planned to go home for a week, and thought of using my kingfisher points, had a big mess up but ya kingfisher made my day, i remember that Maruthi add that say taking peoplw home across India. Nice experience.

I went late, first day of winter schedule, smaller flight, so seats full. They offer a flight the next day, but they gave a business class ticket to other guy to HYD, so i am not accepting anything, unfortunately no more tickets, so they gave me a ticket to Vijayawada, and gave me a Taxi from there to my home town. (It heavy rains there, if it were not this, i might have had hard time going home that day).

Its sad that they are no more now :-)

Haha, I joined swimming classes finally.

Oct 2010
Finally in the anticipation that we are going for a offsite to Laksawdweep, and for full filling one of my dreams scuba diving, i joined the swimming classes, two days after i joined realized that the offsite plans got shifted to new location, but still i though i want to complete learning so that i won't miss the opportunity it comes next time, but the winter, pear pressure made to bunk the classes after a week, but for few days i have started learning swimming it is different experience, never able to swim, but the desire that i want to swim is one made me swim even in winter days, early morning freezing water, i can hardly stay for 40 min in that freezing water :(. Went for 2 weeks and done, I can barely swim across the width of a pool.

New project, New aspirations....

Aug 2010
Finally its new team at work, work looked amazing, in this project everything looks so simple from higher level, but to make a working implementation even for the smallest feature is a NP hard problem, given the constraints we are working with. Hmm for now we settled for most greedy approximate solution for each feature. And ya it is fun learning more things.

Take 2 - Shingani Gudda Trekking

Sep 2010
We have decided for to go on a major trekking expedition, and headed 'Shingani Gudda'. And here are some of the pics

• We have our first experience with 'Jalagallu', unforgettable and thrilling experience
• This time we are lead by a discouraging and boring trek guide from BMC
• Light flies, 1000 of them, its spectacular view. (Suddenly power went of in the night, and though it will be dark, but suddenly we witnessed the light from 1000's of fire flies, its unbelievable, i have seen it one movie and thought its graphics, but now realized it is real). I just started at them for more than hour even after the power came back.
• First ever night in a camping tent, poor Aravind can't stand the suffocation, and went and slept on a bench near the shed.
• We lost pathetically in a Antakshari competition around a camp fire. 

Overall an amazing experience...

A trip where nothing happened according to plans, but had loads of fun than expected - Orkut Offsite - Gangtok

Aug 2010
We have drafted a 2 page plan for the 3 days, and we eventually ended up doing 0 items from the plan, Haha you will laugh, but still it is one of offsite we have enjoyed the most. Some sweet memories i can always recollect are

• Reaching the Gangtok at 2 AM in the night, when we are supposed to reach at 1 PM. Drive took us in a different route saying there are land slide on the normal route, he got lost,  and got scared to inform us, and continue his quest, by the time we figured it out its too late, finally Vidya (My manager then took over and brought things to normal)
• Heavy rainfall, everything closed. Sat in the hotel for the first day completely.
• Tease the new pair in our group all the way in the bus.
• Starting the previous day, as the last day is supposed to be Bandh, and got stopped on the way, Thanks Avik, the localite talked to them, and finally convinced, them to let our bus go
• Mafia at the airport as flight got delayed 5 hrs due to High rainfall at source airport. (Its airport so it is dumb mafia only played with eyes no words, crazy play, we (mafia) won in that game)

A journey to Himalayas

July 2010
Himalayas - Chardam Yatra, me going to a pilgrimage place for 15 days, common you got be kidding you might say, but yes i have decided to go and have the feel of being at amazing on the beauty of Himalayas, Himalayas is amazing, i felt it more scenic than Brazilian sea mountains that we have seen, there have been lot of things over the 10 days of the trip. and then Manali, i don't know dream come true or disaster?? There is heavy rainfall just before we went and all snow washed away, all passes closed, but eventually it open on the last day of the trip, and finally reached the base of Rotang Pass. Just touched the snow, took some pics, and enjoyed the moment with my parents, especially my Mom, she loves snow 1000 times more than me. I and my mom played like kids for sometime, throwing snow at each other, sliding on the snow, its just amazing. And by the way whole Manali Trip is organized by me. (This is the first trip that i organized end to end, while my parent enjoyed, it is a gift to my parents. Typically i relax, and my dad takes care of every damn thing that is needed for us). But ending is bit sad me with 102 fever on last day, but finally managed to go home safe.  

Bussiness trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

June 2010

Orkut, sweat orkut, i am going to miss you, this what i have felt when i have to move to a new team, and as a leaving present i got to go to brazil, for KD. this is one of the amazing planned trip. we went to Rio, Ahh what a place?? Here is the what we did in Brazil.

• Day One: Arrived in Rio Mercure an amazing Hotel, made maggi :-)
• Day Two: Went to Christ the Redeemer  top most point around the place, with a huge statue of Christ, we ate frango there, which is amazing, came back to hotel checked out, checked in to 'mar ipanema'. Went to beach, we went to Lagon (lake over here) and walked over there, sat on the beach, heard a striking sounds(looked back we saw some object like pistol in someones hand) and ran back to hotel. played cards, ate mtr/maggi.
• Day Three: Went to sugar loaf, an amazing place. came back hang gliding wow it's amazing to float in air like a bird(want to learn it). back to beach, most amazing/colorful beach, ate, back to Belo.
• Day Four: Went to office, football match here so no one in office, enjoyed the match, try to get into a post match party pub but they never let us in as it is completely filled.
• Day Five: Office, meeting, Wow i can't believe i played football for 2 hrs with Brazil colleagues, most pathetic player around, but they are too good to make me feel comfortable, you know what i score a goal tooooo. Completely screwed came back to office, played ping pong for a while, back to hotel. , ate maggi, saw a movie on tv don't know the movie but its an amazing movie.
• Day Six: Completely screwed, all parts of my body not listening to me at all, got up late, but realized nishant, janani still in hotel, went to office.
• Day 7,8,9,10: Finally tried to do some work. Some more fun on weekend and back to Bangalore.

Gulti Get Together @ Hyd.

Since Rajesh and Naresh are about to join IIMC and IIMA respectively we thought its a nice time for a get together. I really don't remember who started it, but after a long debate/persuading/begging most of the people agreed for the get together. Aravind, Nitin, Kiran, Srihari, Gopi, Lekya, Vamsi (Senior), Jaffar (Junior) and me confirmed there availability for the occasion. We decided on meeting in Hyd, so the next question is what to do. We finally decided that localite aka nitin will come up with a plan. The plan is to spend a day at water world, dinner with every one, book a room in a near by hotel, chit chat over the night. Just the day before we are about to start for the get together, i got to know that i have received and internal award @ Google, and award cermony is scehduled the every day (which is early morning next day). So i have to give up the fun travelling to hyd with everyone, and take the flight early morning sunday. All this last minute things to attend the award cermony ruin as i have over slept, and by the time i got up everything is over, not only that i got very late to catch the flight. Finally just reached 2 minutes before checkin closed, but you know what due to some issue the flight departure got delayed 30 min :(. Finally reached the place at around 11, by that time every one almost gathered and waiting for me to join. We are all went in, took some rides, then moved to artifical rain, people danced a lot in the rain, then continued with more rides, and then the waves, i really don't underatand this people, people crowded for an artificial line, but when the real rain started everyone searched for shelter, but we instead went to water ride that is at highest elevation in the damn heavy rain, took the slopes, its amazinng feeling, then we got exhausted and relaxed at a rest area, rain also stopped. we made pranks on each other for a while, then left the place, went to near by park and saw ppl playing cricket, our Rajesh made some deal with local kids playing there, and we played a cricket match in the park, occasionlly naresh trying to hit ball so hard it went on to the road, and everyone enjoyed it. after that we went to paradise i guess and ate like pigs more juniors joined for the dinner who are working in hyd. Then booked a near by room, played dumbc, antaksari and recollecting those old college memories, hmm too good time. next morning ppl have different plans and decided to meet in the afternoon for movie, stupid khana/naresh ditched us. everyone got crazy over the flavoured pullice, and finally there ends one of the amazing gulti get together. (This is sometime in 2010 :-()