Blog Archives

To Greet the Morning Sun

1/26/2015

A series of stairways eventually took me up to the GGNRA's Alta Trail above Sausalito recently. Stayed up there so long I barely made it down the mountain in time to catch my usual ferry.

First up, the 121 Bridgeway to Josephine/North stairs, first three pix.

Past the tops of a couple favorite stairways Second St. (4, 5) and West Court.

A brief stop at Southview Park (pic 6) for a quick trailsnack.

Continuing to the lower Cable Roadway steps that begin at Central and climb to Crescent: 196 steps, pic 7.

Curving around and ascending from Sausalito Blvd. is upper Cable Roadway with its 93 steps: 8, 9.

The uppermost block of Cable Roadway is a steep vehicle street. Left on Prospect (pic 10), it's a short distance to the foot of the 204 Prospect steps up to the freeway area and Wolfback Ridge Road: 11, 12, 13. A short dirt trail past the top of Cloudview; down 45 more steps to Spencer at Monte Mar.

A couple blocks west on Monte Mar (pic 14) and under the freeway for the foot of the Morning Sun Trail to take me up to the Headlands trails. The Morning Sun Trail is part dirt trail, part wood steps (218-ish): 15, 16, 17.

After a short time on the Alta Trail (pix 18 thru 21), downhill on Spencer several blocks to the top of the 184 Spencer to Santa Rosa stairs. No street signs at the top or bottom for this one: 22 thru 26.

Santa Rosa winds around (pic 27).

Excelsior Lane (about 179 steps) is one of the two very visible stairways people see rising up from Bridgeway, last five pix.

1. Bench partway up

2. Bridgeway to Josephine/North

3. Top of steps at Josephine/North

4. Top of Second St. steps, eastside

5. Down to foot of the east Second St. steps

6. Southview Park

7. Up to top of lower Cable Roadway steps at Crescent

8. Continuing on the upper Cable Roadway steps at Sausalito Blvd.

9. Looking down upper Cable Roadway near top of steps

10. Stairs up ahead on Prospect to right

11. Starting up the Prospect stairs

12. 204 steps for Prospect

13. Prospect climbs to Wolfback Ridge Rd. and the top of Cloudview

14. View from Monte Mar

15. Starting up the Morning Sun Trail

16. Switchback steps

17. Up to Alta Trail

18. Alta Trail

19. The Headlands' Alta Trail

20. Alta Trail, GGNRA

21. Alta Trail above Sausalito

22. Near top at Spencer

23. Near top at Spencer, looking back

24. About 184 steps

25. No signs at either end for this one

26. Spencer down to Santa Rosa

27. Santa Rosa, steep and winding

28. Excelsior Lane is three blocks long

29. San Carlos down to Bridgeway

30. Excelsior at Harrison

31. About 179 steps

32. Last block of Excelsior Lane down to Bridgeway

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January Batteries to Bluffs

1/25/2015

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To welcome the New Year, my usual three-stairway Presidio route: First, the Batteries to Bluffs Trail, then the Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point Overlook, and finally heading east from Battery Caulfield Road up the Marine Cemetery Vista Trail.

This time starting out from the second bridge area stop for the #28. From here a few blocks to the Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead. East to west up to Lincoln: about 472 steps, pix 1 thru 16.

Crossing Lincoln (pic 17) to the Connector Trail (208 steps, now super-photogenically green alongside) up to Immigrant Point Overlook: 18 thru 29.

Then downhill on Battery Caulfield. Crossing at the construction site of the future nursery school and up the trail for the Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook just behind and above the Presidio Landmark residences. Counting the stepped boardwalk, about 103 steps for this one: 30 thru 36.

1. East Batteries to Bluffs trailhead

2. View Point, about 130 steps along

3. About 472 steps

4. Midtrail

5. Trail down to Marshall's Beach, about 49 steps

6. Up to the footbridge

7. Starting up the westside

8. Green on both sides now

9. Oceanview

10. San Francisco's longest stairway

11. At first there were no railings

12. Another view down from the westside

13. Up to Battery Crosby

14. Curving around

15. Top of the stairs at Battery Crosby

16. Trailhead at Lincoln for Batteries to Bluffs Trail

17. Cross Lincoln for the Connector Trail

18. Starting up the Connector Trail

19. Into the Forest

20. Up from Lincoln

21. Straight ahead will take you out to a residential area

22. Turn left at the trailsign

23. This way up to Immigrant Point Overlook and Rob Hill Campground

24. Climbing and winding around

25. 208 steps

26. Forest beauty

27. The vehicle street at the top is Washington Blvd.

28. Another highly recommended trail

29. Top of the steps at Immigrant Point Overlook

30. Merchant Marine Cemetery Overlook, 1881-1912, plaque/benches ahead, right

31. Stepped boardwalk leads to a stairway

32. Wyman Ave. and residences to right

33. Down to Park Trail / Mountain Lake Trail

34. To right from here, out of the park at 14th Ave.

35. About 103 steps counting the stepped boardwalk

36. Foot of the steps, part of Mountain Lake Trail

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E to W Coastal Trail at Lands End

1/24/2015

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A good, vigorous west-to-east on the Land’s End/Coastal Trail, starting with the 127 Sutro Ruins-view steps that descend from the lower parking lot overlook. Pix 1 thru 5.

Over to the cavetop viewplace (pic 6) and the westernmost edge of the Coastal Trail, here AKA Sutro Baths Upper Trail: 142 steps: 7 thru 15.

Continuing east on the main trail (16, 17), passing the foot of the upper parking lot overlook steps (about 57); the foot of the connector steps (pic 21, about 89) that ascend to the El Camino del Mar Trail; then the top of the Mile Rock Beach stairs (262 or so steps down to the beach: 19, 20, 21).

About halfway along: the 138-step "Painted Rock" stairs up the west side, pix 22 thru 26; then 119-ish more steps down the east slope: 27 thru 33.

Continuing out on the east side, last pic.

This time detoured from my usual route at the east end of the main trail as Lincoln Park's 52 wide steps are in the process of being transformed into San Francisco's fourth tiled stairway. This is gonna be so gorgeous.

1. Sutro Baths Ruins below

2. A view to the north from the steps

3. 127 steps down to a trail

4. Cavetop viewspot in distance to right from the stairway

5. Turn right at the foot for the cavetop trail

6. Curve around to the westernmost trailhead for the Coastal Trail

7. AKA Sutro Baths Upper Trail

8. 142 steps

9. Climbing and winding around

10. Excellent workout with a vast oceanview

11. Partway up

12. Continuing on the Sutro Baths Upper Trail

13. Turning, climbing

14. Nearing the top

15. Trailhead for Sutro Baths Upper Trail

16. Continuing east on the main Lands End/Coastal Trail

17. A few steps here

18. 89 connector steps up to El Camino del Mar Trail

19. Top of the Mile Rock Beach steps

20. For Labyrinth and clifftop viewspot, straight ahead. Left for the beach.

21. About 262 steps to the rocky beach

22. 138 steps up the west side

23. This is part of the main Land's End/Coastal Trail

24. One of two benches along the "Painted Rock" steps

25. Nearing the top

26. Top of the "Painted Rock" steps up the west side

27. Top of the east stairway

28. Down the east side

29. Trail to right will take you up to the golf course

30. About 119 steps

31. Continuing east on the main Coastal Trail/Land's End Trail

32. Eastside view

33. Foot of the east steps

34. Eastside trail continues out to Eagle's Point Overlook

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Vista Lane and Tower Trail

1/23/2015

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36 steps to start at the Clayton/Corbett Garden, then 211 for the Pemberton stairway up to Crown Terrace (first pic). Construction’s still going on at the end of Crown where the steppingstones used to be. But there’s a pathway for walkers to one side of a chainlink fence out to Crown Court, then Raccoon up to Twin Peaks Blvd. (pic 2: Mountain Spring is across).

Uphill (left turn) on Twin Peaks Blvd to the “airplane hangar” house (pic 3), and another left on Burnett for a few blocks to the first of two Vista Lane stairways, this one directly across the street from the top of Hopkins. Pic 4 is at about 67 Gardenside Dr. on Google Maps.

The two highest blocks of Vista Lane (251 steps, counting only one of the starter stairways at Burnett) now have street signs. First is at the top of the steps at Parkridge, newly added (not seen on the current Google Maps): 5, 6, 7, 8. Not only the Vista Lane street sign but now a green sign below it with an arrow: “Steps to Twin Peaks.”

The last two Vista flights (a short, pic 9, and a long, pic 10) also have painted on “Twin Peaks Stairway” signs on the steps themselves near the foot.

At the top of Vista (pic 11) at the 74 Crestline stop, signage painted on the street itself (pic 12) directs one across the street to the older wood steps that climb into the park from Crestline (93 steps), trailhead signs at the foot and top of this one.

This trail (13 thru 17) curves along the side of the road; round to the north this time to the main viewplace.

Over to the west side of the park and down the Marview Trail (step over the guardrail). Here's a different view of Twin Peaks Reservoir; water was being pumped into it: pic 18.

The trail encircling Sutro Tower starts at Marview: 19 thru 25.

Didn’t have to step to the side for any mountain bikers this time but one flew by me just as I’d stepped off the trail onto La Avanzada.

Crossing Clarendon, uphill into Mount Sutro’s Aldea housing area and onto the guardrailed pedestrian trail (views of lower trails appreciated from here: 26 thru 30), curving round to descend the Medical Center Way stairway (138 steps: 31 thru 41). Down to the back of the hospital buildings; out to Parnassus to wait for the #43.

1. The older Pemberton steps

2. Raccoon out to Twin Peaks Blvd.

3. Turn left on Burnett

4. Vista Lane at Gardenside

5. Vista Lane at Parkridge

6. Two new signs at Parkridge

7. Vista & Parkridge

8. New signage for upper Vista Lane

9. This way up: a shorter Vista flight

10. Vista's last block, ascending to Crestline

11. Street sign for Vista Lane stairway now at Crestline also

12. Street signage points to the trailhead across the street

13. At top of steps that climb from Crestline into the park

14. Eureka Peak left

15. Trail alongside Twin Peaks Blvd.

16. Curving round with the city below

17. Around to the popular viewspot

18. A nearly empty Twin Peaks Reservoir

19. Trailhead up from Marview in Midtown Terrace neighborhood

20. This part's out in the open

21. Into the forest

22. Look up!

23. Narrow trail curving around

24. Another view from the trail

25. Look out for mountain bikers!

26. Mount Sutro Forest from Medical Center Way

27. North Ridge trailhead to summit left. Fairy Gates trailhead to right.

28. Fairy Gates Trail descends to right

29. Lower Historic Trail from Medical Center Way

30. Looking down from Medical Center Way's pedestrian walkway

31. Wood stairway winds down from the parking lot

32. 138 steps

33. "Hidden" steps behind the Parnassus medical buildings

34. UCSF medical buildings below

35. Short flight of older wood steps up to trail behind Edgewood Ave. homes, right

36. Lower Medical Center Way below

37. Green beauty on both sides

38. Nearing the foot

39. An attractive and useful stairway

40. Foot of the stairs at (lower) Medical Center Way

41. Looking back up from the foot of the stairs

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Part of Pacheco a Dirt Road

1/8/2015

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Up the short stairway behind the Forest Hill Metro Station (first pic), winding round a few blocks in the lower Forest Hill neighborhood, soon finding myself near the foot of the “grand” Pacheco stairway, pix 2, 3.

Crossing Dewey over to the Edgehill Heights side for this short hike.

27 wide steps-with-walk for Pacheco in the Edgehill neighborhood: 4, 5, 6, 7.

The stairs end at Vasquez and across the street there’s still that greenspace between two homes. So a part of Pacheco is one of the few remaining SF “dirt roads” if this short distance is indeed supposed to be a continuation of the street. Here’s one found from 2005 of Pacheco, pic 8. Current: 9, 10, 11.

At the top of this short trail, between the trail and lower Garcia, is a wide grassy spot between homes: 12, 13.

Garcia’s a divided street. Counted three short stairways between its lower and upper parts: 14 thru 17.

Up one of these and up this tall, narrow hill’s main street, Edgehill Way. Around to the right for the narrow west trailhead to Edgehill Mountain Openspace. Small, steep, unique, woodsy, pic 18.

Stopped at one of the three old benches (19, 20, 21) for some trailfood and out the other side of the little park, last pic. Still think they could use a stairway here. This leads to the top of Knockash Hill, a private road, downhill to Ulloa.

1. Steps behind the Forest Hill Metro Station

2. The longer Pacheco stairway up into the Forest Hill 'hood

3. Forest Hill's Pacheco center, distance, across Dewey

4. Long bench near the Edgehill Pacheco steps

5. Foot of the Edgehill Pacheco stairs

6. 27 wide Pacheco steps

7. View back to the much longer Pacheco stairway in Forest Hill

8. THEN, 2005: Cross Vasquez and Pacheco continues up as a dirt trail

9. NOW: Starting up the trail between Vasquez & Garcia on Pacheco

10. "Dirt road" block-long stretch of Pacheco

11. ... And I hope it stays this way.

12. Then a wide space between homes out to Garcia

13. At Garcia, looking back

14. Divided Garcia

15. Short stairways from lower to upper Garcia

16. Homes on Garcia

17. Up these steps on Garcia, then up Edgehill Way

18. This is the west trailhead into Edgehill Mountain Park

19. Love this old bench

20. Looking down onto rooftops

21. A peaceful forest on the south side

22. Edgehill Mountain Openspace east trailhead

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Canyon New Year Trek

1/6/2015

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Having heard there’s to be a “Creek to Peaks” trail completed early this year that’ll take one from the depths of Glen Canyon up to big sis Twin Peaks, I keep looking for evidence of this. Hoping for a pedestrian skyway over Portola as opposed to a mere crosswalk. And of course keeping fingers crossed for no more treefelling and that the existing treelimbs across the trails will be left as they are.

Didn’t see all that much difference from my last hike. Except there were now even more of those orange plastic barrier-fences and a lot of loose straw all over, including on both sides of the entire length of one of the newer stairways. These steps curve up to the older trail that runs just below Christopher Park. Pic 1.

At “my” northernmost trailhead, the black-graffitied fencing is now gone and a few new steps have been added at this trailhead, pix 2, 3.

Due to the opening up of this tangly north trail, noticed more people exploring this part of the Canyon than in the past. Probably some were seeing this area for the first time. The school’s playing field gate was open today. Didn’t look like they’ve gotten to this area all that much, though I did see more felled trees and clearings of brush this time. So is this the route they want to clear out to Portola?

Would like to see some online artist's renderings of the changes planned for the park.

Some of the main trail is now more tamped down, lined with small rocks, pic 4.

Starting out down a stairway from Bosworth to the southernmost playing field (37 steps), pic 5; continuing on the west side to see what’s new: 6, 7.

The Glenridge Cooperative Nursery wasn’t open this day, so up the widely spaced old wood steps behind the building. Just 29 but steep, pic 8. Any plans for a way down the west slope?

Staying on the west side until it merged into the main east trail at the steps on the north side of the climbing rocks (68 steps, pix 9, 10, 11). That black fencing along the south stairway’s still there. The present greenness of the park is gorgeous but flawed by all the construction stuff; stairways and trails on this east (Diamond Heights) side are still not completed (pic 12).

Found some THEN pix (2005-06) of the trail down to the bench and the main east steps down from Christopher Park in Diamond Heights: 13 thru 17.

It’s now easier to get to the two main northernmost trails: pic 18.

Below Diamond Heights stilthouses (19, 20) there was a felled tree across the trail: last two pix.

1. Why the fencing all along this newer stairway?

2. Addition of a few new steps for the north trailhead

3. New steps and boardwalk for the north trailhead crossing the creek

4. Main east trail

5. Steps down from Bosworth to south playing field

6. Starting out at the south end

7. A new addition on the west side

8. Westside steps behind and above Glenridge Cooperative Nursery

9. Steps on the north side of the climbing rocks

10. Up the east slope for some upper trails

11. Steps down to the main trail from the rocks

12. Flexi-fences all along the eastside trails

13. THEN, 2005: The trail down to the bench from Christopher Park

14. THEN, 2006: The trail down to the bench from Christopher Park in Diamond Heights

15. THEN, 2006: Eastside steps down from Diamond Heights

16. THEN, 2006: Eastside steps down from Diamond Heights

17. THEN, 2006: Eastside steps down from Diamond Heights

18. Now easier access to the lower trails

19. A trail down, left

20. Stairs ahead to right will take you up into the Diamond Heights 'hood

21. Under an uprooted tree

22. Uprooted tree across the trail

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McLaren New Year Hike

1/5/2015

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Exited the crosstown #29 at John F. Shelly & Mansell for trails on the south side of Mansell (first six pix), thru the small parking vu-spot, passing a couple of Philosopher’s Way musing stations.

This is my favorite area of the park: the whole south side with the forested slope down, view of San Bruno Mountain across the valley, and this stairway: 195 steps from the west dead-end of Campbell in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood up to curvy Visitacion Ave. in the park, pix 7 thru 12. Especially now when the whole park is blanketed in green after the rains.

At the foot of this, the park’s longest stairway, at Campbell, headed east a couple blox to Delta St. Up Delta (eight steps to start) for this roughly paved narrow walk in Visitacion Valley: 13 thru 16.

At the top of this pedestrian-only trail, continued up and hung a left to access another trail into the park from Wilde & Ervine. The trail’s paved; the stairs (57) are not visible until you’ve climbed a little, as it curves around. Exhilarating and highly recommended! Pix 17 thru 27.

At the top of this openspace trail you’ll find benches (28 thru 31) and more musing stations. Including a couple of brief explanations as to what Philosopher’s Way is all about, but go check this out for yourself, please:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher%27s_Way,_San_Francisco

and

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/california/philosophers-way

I do wish writers, etc. would stop, after all these years, calling McLaren “San Francisco’s second largest park.” Since 1994 the Presidio has been the largest park within the city limits. SECOND in acreage now is Golden Gate Park, with McLaren THIRD. The Presidio is within San Francisco’s city limits and its acreage does now surpass that of Golden Gate Park. People have not been making a distinction as to whether the park is a GGNRA/national park or a city park when they say this, but have been talking about actual acreage.

Crossing divided Mansell, it was imperative that I do a favorite trail down the northeast slope (Portola neighborhood side). This switchbacks a few times out in the open with a delicious view to the north, including the south side of Bernal Heights: 32 thru 37. At the foot is Lake McNab with its playground, picnic tables, ducks and other birds.

1. Trails south of Mansell

2. Openspace trails south of Mansell

3. Musing Station re the soapwort herb

4. Moving east with divided Mansell to left

5. Small parking area and benches in distance

6. Looking back; Mansell to right

7. The park's longest stairway descends from Visitacion Ave.

8. 195 steps

9. As seen from the stairway, this is one steep trail!

10. Visitacion Ave. in the park down to Campbell in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood

11. Park infosign alongside the stairway

12. Up from Campbell in Vis Valley into the park

13. This part of Delta St. is walkers-only up from Tucker

14. Delta St. up to Tioga

15. Watch your step here

16. Top of the walkway near Tioga. Continue up.

17. Paved trail up from Wilde & Ervine

18. Looking back

19. Visitacion Valley neighborhood below, up from Wilde & Ervine

20. Stairs ahead

21. 57 steps

22. Up to musing stations and benches

23. Picnic area ahead

24. San Bruno Mountain to right across the valley

25. Visitacion Valley below

26. Bayview Hill in distance

27. Top of the trail/steps

28. Another musing station in foreground

29. Top of the hill near the benches

30. Several here near the benches

31. Viewbenches

32. In another park of the park

33. An eastside trail

34. This trail descends to Lake McNab

35. Moving west now

36. Switchbackin' on the way down

37. Heading back up

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Ziggy Bradford

1/4/2015

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Off to visit the 78 Bradford zigzag steps, one of the newer Bernal stairways, constructed several years ago. Starting from the east-cliffside dead-end of Jarboe to descend the now-green slope partway to Tompkins, pix 1 thru 10.

Good to see the cow’s still there: pic 11.

At the end of the zigs, there are 34 more steps as a sidewalk stairway on the east side (12 thru 15). Very steep here; should’ve continued 'em all the way down to Tompkins.

On the way back up from the Alemany Farmers Market there used to be a steep dirt trail (pic 16, a THEN from 2005) that I’d take up the slope to Jarboe.

There was no retaining wall on Jarboe as there is now (pic 17) and it was delightfully garden-y at the top back then. I’ve got several more old pix of this top-garden area somewhere, but here’s one of them (pic 18, 2005).

I’d think that now with the easy stairway access there’d be even more gardening, as in the whole slope on either side of the stairs a community garden … with some perennial flowers, roses, dwarf fruit trees. I’d wanna do this if I lived there.

Here also are a few THENs from 2005 of houses between Tompkins and the foot of the openspace: 19 thru 23. Note the replacement residence in pic 24.

Someone’s container gardening near the current sidewalk steps; love this: pic 25.

At the end of steep Bradford at Tompkins, on to the Tompkins steps. This area saw some improvements several years ago from its rather rundown state. 66 Tompkins stairs from Putnam up to Nevada: 26, 27.

On the way passed Bronte, pic 28, a dead-end for vehicles with a few steps at the top.

Started this hike on the other side of the hill at Folsom & Ripley; the #67 bus encountered a couple of fire trucks on its way up the north slope, couldn’t get by on the narrow street and was obliged to pull over to the side and wait. So disembarked to walk the rest of the way instead of getting off at Nevada & Cortland as planned. Pic 29 is a home just below the park on the north side (3418 Folsom: Google Maps).

Up around the east edge of Bernal Heights Park, pic 30, passing the foot of the Chapman/Rosenkranz stairway at Bernal Heights Blvd. (pic 31) as I continued down. Then up again from Cortland, passing the familiar “Nevada Sun” mural on Nevada just below Jarboe, last two pix.