SMF to PDX is about 1 1/2 hours flying time - actually a couple of minutes less than to San Diego - on Southwest. About 1/2 hour more to Seattle. Times from Bay Area airports are a tad longer but not by much. Yes, there's more time involved with getting to the airport, security theater, etc. but what makes you think it would be any different for HSR unless you live downtown and are going downtown?

Your point about the segment between PDX and RDD is right, though. Really no business that would justify HSR in any way. Improving PDX-SEA and possibly south to Eugene would be good - use something like Brightline equipment (even the current Talgo could do it) and some strategic realignment and extra track so passenger and rail can coexist without causing problems with each other and you should be able to run 90 or even 120 mph through much of the Portland-Seattle segment. Like LOSSAN, I suspect you could do it for a reasonable amount of money (as transportation projects go) a bit at a time. Also gives you an opportunity to deal with sea level rise in places where tracks are very close to water level. But this being the US even that segment probably wouldn't justify Real HSR.