Shiloh is a former SVBC Executive Director.

After leaving Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition in August and doing some traveling, I came back in November ready to serve SVBC in a volunteer capacity. “Eleni!” I said, (SVBC’s awesome staff member who organizes fun bike rides), “how’s the annual King Tide Ride coming along and do you need any help?”

Eleni responded by saying, sadly, because the King Tide fell on a weekday and so rider numbers might be limited, they had decided not to do it…. Bummer, I thought, and then, but wait! Let’s do it anyway the day after. So, last Saturday, about 60 of us met near the VTA headquarters in North San Jose and had a beautiful ride up the trail.

This year, we did things a little differently than in former expeditions. In addition to learning about water (thank you Valley Water for supporting the SVBC Wheels and Waterways ride program through a grant from the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program) we layered in a historic Alviso element. It was clear you all loved it and learned a lot.

Got Dirt?

One of the most interesting tidbits was when Neil Hedgecock, with the US Army Corps of Engineers and James Ujah from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, known as Valley Water, talked about the coastal flood protection, pond restoration and public access components of the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline, Phase 1 Project. We were all blown away by the fact that 1.1 million cubic yards of fill for levee construction and up to 1.0 million cubic yards of fill for tidal marsh restoration will be needed. Where do you get that much dirt? Especially since it has to meet certain specs. The answer: It will be generated from a local quarry and also lots of Bay Area construction projects. The future South Bay BART extension may be a possible source for the pond restoration component. If you’re in the dirt business, Valley Water wants to talk to you!

But when can we ride?

As you might suspect, while King Tide riders enjoyed learning about these projects, the self-interested amongst us wanted to know one thing…when will the 9-mile Alviso Ponds loop trail, partially closed for construction, reopen? This meshed well with a conversation about construction delays due to rain and other factors. Given the extremely sensitive nature of the area, any amount of rain halts work. We recreational bicyclists, while eager to ride and enjoy the beauty of the Baylands, should also be patient. Portions of the 9-mile loop trail are closed due to construction of the first reach of the project (Reaches 1-3 are from the Alviso Marina to Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge) and will be reopened in the summer of 2025. Once the project reaches have been completed, the Alviso Ponds loop will no longer be accessible to the public. Instead, there will be an ADA public access trail that will connect the Alviso Marina to the Coyote Creek Trail.

Yacht Club Lunch

After learning about these projects, the group pedaled over the South Bay Yacht Club. The Club was formed in 1888 by wealthy businessmen who liked sailing. Dean McCully, the Club’s Vice Commodore (I too did not know what a commodore was and had to look it up) allowed our group to come inside and kick up our feet while he served chili, hot dogs and cookies. What a treat! Thank you Dean and the Club!

At the Yacht Club, we were greeted by Valley Water Vice Chair, Richard Santos, and the Executive Director of the Preservation Action Council of San Jose, Ben Leech. In a moderated conversation, Oprah Winfrey-style, we learned about this historic town, once considered the port of San Jose. Santos was born and raised in Alviso and told many great stories, noting that it was founded in 1845 and incorporated in 1852, serving as one of the oldest towns in Santa Clara County until it was annexed by the City of San Jose in 1968.

One of the highlights of Alviso is the story behind the Bayside Cannery. Relocated after the great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, the Bayside Cannery was owned by Thomas Foon Chew, at one time the richest Chinese American in the US, and known as the “Asparagus King.” Thomas and his family immigrated during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act but were granted an exception for being merchants. He was known to hire workers of many ethnicities and paid good wages.

A Ride About Town

To wrap up the ride, we all toured the Yacht Club, including spectacular views of the Bay from the top floor. We then looped through the neighborhood and pedaled back to the start, with a slight re-route to avoid the King Tide flooding under Highway 237. (The King-like tide had come in!)

Thanks to all who made this ride happen including:

SVBC Volunteers Tian Harter, Jeff Rossel, Richard Wang, Mary Fran Lynch, Betsy Megas, Haojun Li, Mikael Bengsston, Jaime Reyes
Ben Leech, Preservation Action Council, San Jose
Vice Chair Santos and all the Valley Water support staff, Kristen Yasukawa, James Ujah, Amy Fonseca, Michael Lee, Diana Ramirez
Neil Hedgecock from the Army Corps of Engineers
Dean McCully and Roy Hays at the South Bay Yacht Club
And the wonderful Eleni Jacobson, SVBC’s professional staff who makes it easy for volunteers to put these kinds of rides together

We hope to see you all on future rides!