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Stairclimbers Heaven

1/31/2014

Some pix from a vigorous Sausalito hike, accompanied at times by light rain.

… Cable Roadway's lower part, around 196 steps, Central to Crescent near Sausalito Blvd. Pix 1 through 6.

… A gate on Lower Crescent: Pic 7.

… Two homes on Crescent: Pix 8, 9.

… Top of Oak stairway, pic 10. A house is being built at the top of the steps on the right side. About 94 steps.

… Sunshine to San Carlos: The foot of these 48 steps down from Sunshine is a few yards from Cooper Lane's foot. Pix 11 through 15.

… Cooper Lane: 119 steps. San Carlos to Spencer, pix 16, 17, 18, 19.

… Street-wiggle sign and a few steps: Spencer to San Carlos, pic 20.

… Santa Rosa to Harrison: 20 or so steps, pic 21.

… Part of Excelsior Lane (179 steps total): 22, 23, 24, 25. Excelsior ends at Miller.

… A house on Miller, pic 26.

… Last foto, a garden on Harrison at San Carlos.

1. Cable Roadway starts up from Central

2. Cable Roadway's lower part, Central up to Crescent

3. Cable Roadway climbs to Crescent

4. Wood with wood railings near the top

5. Top at Crescent

6. Top at Crescent

7. A front gate on Lower Crescent

8. Houses on Crescent

9. Crescent Ave.

10. Top of Oak stairway

11. Top of steps at Sunshine Ave.

12. Down the stairs from Sunshine Ave.

13. Sunshine to San Carlos Ave.

14. Sunshine to San Carlos

15. Sunshine to San Carlos

16. Top of Cooper Lane steps

17. Cooper Lane

18. Cooper Lane

19. Cooper Lane at San Carlos Ave.

20. Spencer to San Carlos

21. Santa Rosa to Harrison

22. Excelsior Lane

23. Excelsior Lane

24. Excelsior continues up across Harrison

25. Excelsior Lane at Harrison

26. A house on Miller

27. A garden on Harrison at San Carlos

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New-Eagles-Point

1/30/2014

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The new Eagles Point Overlook at Lands End's east trailhead is now fully walkable and sit-able. I liked the old one better (THEN pics, first four).

Had expected another slightly raised platform with a few steps like the old one. No doubt new plantings will soon improve upon the present net-covered bareness here. There are three benches in a row, like the benches at the other overlooks, with an older bench a short distance to the east. The ground directly beneath the new benches is concrete and the rest hard-packed. Pix 5 through 9.

You'll have a view of the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Presidio's westside, including Lincoln Blvd. as it winds uphill. At the east trailhead now is a large Lands End sign, a couple of park map/infosigns, and some directional signage like the older ones on the main trail (mid-park). Pic 10.

Started off at the Lands End Lookout (pix 11, 12), moving past the top of the lower parking lot overlook steps (126, pix 13, 14), curving round to the main Coastal/Lands End Trail.

Visits to a favorite "Tony's Trail," reached by a short stairway up from Fort Miley and another down from the VA Hospital parking lot. The trail (15 through 18) zigs down through thick sand to the El Camino del Mar Trail; the connector stairs (pic 19, about 89 steps) between the El Camino del Mar (pic 20) and main Lands End/Coastal Trail; and a bit of between-trails scenery: 21 and 22.

Two long stairways are necessary to hike the whole Lands End trail out to the east trailhead, one up and one down. First, the "Painted Rock" up (pic 23, 138 steps), not as green as it should be this time of year, but still with some new grass showing up. At the top of this, down the 117 or so various kinds of steps on the east side (pic 24). At the foot of the eastside steps, a don't-hike-down-here sign (pic 25).

After checking out the new Eagles Point, crossed the street (a crosswalk would be welcomed here) to continue on the sandy trail that's just below the east edge of the Lincoln Park golf course, and down the 52 steps that still await tiling. The artwork for the top benches (last two pix) was completed several years ago.

1. THEN: Old Eagles Point Overlook from several years ago. Presidio's westside in distance.

2. THEN: Old Eagles Point from several years ago

3. THEN: Eagles Point Overlook as it was. Presidio bluffs in distance, right

4. THEN: Eagles Point as it used to be. Presidio in distance.

5. New look for Eagles Point

6. Eagles Point, 2014

7. Eagles Point 2014, Marin Headlands across

8. The new Eagles Point. Lands End/Coastal Trail upper left

9. Eagles Point's new look

10. East trailhead signage

11. Lands End Lookout

12. One of Adolph Sutro's twin lions at Lands End Lookout

13. Steps down from lower parking lot overlook

14. Steps down from lower parking lot overlook. Sutro Baths ruins below.

15. Short stairway down from VA Hospital

16. Short wildspot trail above Fort Miley

17. Old Fort Miley ruins, left

18. Narrow thick-sand trail down to El Camino del Mar Trail

19. Connector stairs between El Camino del Mar Trail and main Lands End/Coastal Trail

20. Treebench on the El Camino del Mar Trail

21. Wildthings shelter between El Camino del Mar and main Coastal/Lands End Trails

22. Trail from El Camino del Mar down to Lands End Trail

23. One of two stone benches along the westside steps I call the "Painted Rock" stairs

24. Various kinds of steps on the eastside

25. A don't-hike-down-here sign

26. Tiled bench at top of Lincoln Park stairway

27. Steps up to trail at east side of Lincoln Park golf course

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Presidio Stairs Workout

1/11/2014

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Started off from the second Golden Gate Bridge MUNI stop (#28) to ascend the Golden Gate Overlook's main steps (37, first pic).

Continuing on to the east trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs (473 or so steps). Pix 2 through 11.

Down from Battery Crosby and up to Lincoln (pic 12), stayed on the same side of the street where a few yards to the west the Sand Ladder log stairway swoops down to Baker Beach.

If you try to count these, you'll probably get a different staircount each time as some will always be covered with sand. You may or may not feel wood beneath your feet. It has more than 225; this time counted 231 as a conservative estimate, with a "Challenging" rating from me for this one. An excellent workout. Pix 13 through 17.

Back up again to Lincoln after getting my hiking boots soaked by a wave while taking far-pix up from the Sand Ladder's foot (18, 19, 20, 21).

Up again, crossing Lincoln at the well-marked crosswalk for the foot of the Connector Trail (pics 22, 23: 208 steps) that climbs to Immigrant Point Overlook.

The Anza Trail extension mentioned in a previous post is fully walkable now. Crossed over from the top of the Connector, starting at the short, older flight of steps that leads to Rob Hill Campground. There are 13 wood steps and a short footbridge with the new trail continuing across Washington & Compton next to residences until it hits the regular sidewalk.

Further downhill on Battery Caulfield, you can cross the street from the end of the sidewalk at a crosswalk and continue this trail extension on the east side. Pic 24.

Or instead of continuing downhill, you can start up the trail for the Marine Cemetery Vista, maybe stopping at the overlook's benches, onto the boardwalk, then down the stairs (103) to 14th Ave. On your way out of the park at the 14th Avenue "Gate," you'll have a view across busy Park Presidio Blvd. to Mountain Lake where I recently saw these guys: pic 25.

Enjoyed a beloved old forest trail on a previous hike. Hadn't done the 56 steps to the Post Chapel (pics 26, 27) and the trail alongside the cemetery in a while. It runs east to west, is a good workout for such a short trail, and still not overly manicured after all this time. It's among the wilder spots in the park with twigs, leaves, and eucalyptus bark underfoot, huge old trees, and some logs to sit on and step over (last pic).

1. Up to Golden Gate Overlook

2. Batteries to Bluffs Trail

3. A view from the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

4. People at View Point

5. Marshall's Beach Trail below

6. Trail to Marshall's Beach down from Batteries to Bluffs Trail

7. Marshall's Beach Trail off the Batteries to Bluffs

8. Batteries to Bluffs Trail

9. Batteries to Bluffs westside

10. Batteries to Bluffs westside

11. West trailhead for Batteries to Bluffs

12. Battery Crosby and Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead upper right

13. Sand Ladder near top

14. Near top of the Sand Ladder

15. Sand Ladder down to Baker Beach

16. Near foot of the Sand Ladder

17. Sand Ladder's foot

18. Sand Ladder up from Baker Beach

19. Baker Beach's Sand Ladder

20. Starting back up the Sand Ladder

21. Up the Sand Ladder to Lincoln

22. Connector Trail's footbridge

23. Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point Overlook

24. New Anza Trail extension on east side of Battery Caulfield Rd.

25. Mountain Lake Park

26. Post Chapel stairs

27. Post Chapel steps

28. Forest trail alongside the cemetery, out to the overlook from the east side

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Few More Discoveries

1/10/2014

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Discovered a few more Sausalito stairways on a trek north.

Up the El Monte steps (119, first pic) from Bridgeway, headed north on Bulkley, taking advantage of the short below-street walkway (pix 2, 3).

First new sighting was 28 steps up from approximately 87 to 93 Girard to a driveway with a dead-end on the north side. Short, yeah, but I liked the houses here: pic 4.

The next street to the south was Locust's steep vehicle part, so uphill on Locust, then its 60 steps to Cazneau.

At the dead-end of Spring an unmaintained trail looked tempting, but reconsidered and continued on the streets.

At Rodeo & Nevada, up a little way into an openspace I thought might be a park, though no signage. The pavement had a diamondy design as I passed the tops of some houses.

Back down again, then downhill (pic 5) on Nevada to Marin where I found a nice long stairway. Look for 27-35 Marin Ave. on Google Maps street view for the top. It's concrete, railed, unnamed, with 32 steps to Marin (it winds) below (pics 6, 7, 8). It continues directly across the street to come out at Nevada near Tomales: 115 steps total (second block: pix 9, 10, 11). Foot at Nevada near Tomales, pic 12.

Finding myself on a sidewalk next to trafficky Bridgeway, looked around for a stairway to take me back up again. This one's old concrete and old wood, with all-wood for the top at 212-220 Woodward, 75 steps. It's called "Maple," according to Google Maps, but no signs at either end, pix 13 through 18.

Circling back, passed the foot of the longest stairway found here so far (more fotos in a previous post), Laurel Lane (299 steps) at Easterby & Woodward. Pix 19, 20, 21.

Pic 22: Foot of Langendorf Park, its upper stairs in an earlier post.

Strongly attracted to this short dead-end street and its houses: last pic, Filbert Court; a sign sez it's a private street.

1. El Monte steps, Bridgeway to Bulkley

2. Pedestrian walkway below Bulkley

3. Pedestrian walkway down from Bulkley

4. Short stairway up from Girard

5. "Watch Downhill Speed," Nevada & Rodeo

6. Steps down from Marin

7. Stairway down from Marin Ave.

8. Foot of first flight down from Marin Ave. to Marin Ave. (it winds around)

9. Second block down: Marin Ave. to Nevada near Tomales

10. Second block down: Marin Ave. to Nevada near Tomales

11. Second block down: Marin Ave. to Nevada near Tomales

12. Foot at Nevada near Tomales

13. Foot of Maple at Bridgeway

14. Bridgeway to Woodward

15. Maple stairway

16. Up to Woodward

17. Maple from Bridgeway to Woodward

18. Top of Maple at Woodward

19. Foot of Laurel Lane

20. Foot of Laurel at Easterby & Woodward

21. Foot of Laurel Lane, 299 steps

22. Lower entrance to Langendorf Park

23. Filbert Court

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Warren to Stanyan

1/9/2014

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Hadn't hiked Mount Sutro Forest on a weekend in a while. Lots of people, including kids, dogs, joggers, whole groups of hikers; only two mountain bikers encountered this time. Great to see so many people enjoying the trails and appreciating our urban treasure of a "backyard mountain." It's so dry now though; I'm used to damp/muddy underfoot. More rain, please!

Started off at 7th Ave. and Warren. After a few uphill blocks on Warren in the Forest Knolls neighborhood, the mighty green Oakhurst stairway begins its ascent to Crestmont (first four pix, about 353 steps).

From the top of Oakhurst at Crestmont and a short curve to the north is the unmarked trailhead for the steepish West Ridge Trail (fifth pic). It comes out at the Historic Trail (pic 6) and continues up.

Pic 7: Top of the West Ridge Trail at the summit.

Continued on the Historic (pics 8, 9) to the turnoff for the summit; my favorite sitting spots were taken.

Down the East Ridge Trail (pix 10, 11, 12) to its foot. Looking down from Medical Center Way's pedestrian walkway (pic 13), you can see part of the Fairy Gates Trail. On to the trailhead for the Fairy Gates. A short distance along is a trail marker for the lower Historic Trail (14 through 19). It was disturbing to see the notice-to-spray-pesticides sign near pic 19 where the green park infosign is.

Pic 20: The Edgewood Trail across as seen from the lower Historic. This beautiful trail leads out to the south dead-end of redbricked Edgewood Avenue. At the north end of Edgewood is the top of the Farnsworth stairway (149 steps), down to Willard.

Pix 21, 22: The short wood stairway down to Stanyan. At street level is the Interior Greenbelt's trails infosign (last pic).