Blog Archives

Two Presidio Overlooks

1/21/2019

Starting this one at Mountain Lake Park: 1 thru 12

Under the highway: 13

Stairs to the Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook (about 103 counting the boardwalk): 14 thru 27

The boardwalk: 28 thru 38

Offtrail: 39, 40, 41

The Overlook (Home is the sailor, home from the sea): 42 thru 47

Below are residences (Open House in 2010), including the former Public Health Hospital: 48, 49

Downhill on Battery Caulfield Road to another overlook, the Lobos Valley: 50 thru 60

Winding round to the 15th Ave. “Gate.” Just before exiting the park is a new mural on some kind of utility box: 61 thru 73

9 Left for the trail around the lake

11 Will they ever open this trail below the golf course on the west side of the lake?

13 Under the highway

26 Residences to right

49 Landmark residences below

58 Lobos Creek boardwalk below

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Historic

1/20/2019

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Beginning a vigorous Mount Sutro circle-hike at Willard, just up from Parnassus, 149 Farnsworth Lane steps to Edgewood Ave.: 1 thru 7

Straight ahead (west) from the top of the stairs is a trail behind homes on Edgewood, leading up to the permits-only UCSF parking lot: 8 thru 11

Uphilling south along the road to Johnstone: 12, 13, 14

Passing the trailhead for the East Ridge Trail, now steeply up Johnstone for the Quarry Road Trail: 15 thru 19

Quarry Road Trail to the trailhead for the Historic. You’ll also see a trail to the summit here: 20 thru 30

All along the Historic were many yellow planting flags. Difficult to take pix without them showing up. A lot of clearing and thinning since last visit: 31 thru 65

Five mountain bikers today; four last time.

Pic 66 is from a 2007 group hike to introduce the public to the upper Historic. It’s not currently used as part of the trail now: 67

Back down to the road: 68, 69

Down to the parking lot for the top of the 136 steps “hidden” behind UCSF medical buildings: 70 thru 73

From Medical Center Way out to Parnassus and the #43 bus: 74

1 Up from Willard

2 149 steps

7 The swing has been up here for many years

8 Trail behind Edgewood Ave. homes

12 North trailhead for the upper Historic

15 On Johnstone, passing trailhead for East Ridge Trail

17 To the nursery

20 Trailhead for Quarry Road Trail

21 Nasturtiums!

22 Left turn leads down to Clarendon Ave.

28 What's with all the fencing at trail to summit?

32 Historic Trail

38 West Ridge from Historic to the summit. Roots as steps to start.

39 West Ridge from Historic to Crestmont in the Forest Knolls neighborhood

40 West Ridge Trail

41 This is a steep one

52 It used to be one would see just a glimpse of the road below

66 THEN - 2007 group hike. Introducing the upper Historic.

67 NOW - no longer used as part of trail

69 Current trailhead for the Historic

70 Used by UCSF and hikers - down from the parking lot

71 136 steps

74 From Medical Center Way out to Parnassus

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Replacement

1/20/2019

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During a recent Presidio hike noticed the 45 old winding wood steps down from Inspiration Point Overlook to the Ecology Trail were about to be replaced with those standard square steps like one sees a lot of these days (a good example is in Glen Canyon).

Stacks of the newer box-style were at the foot and top of the old stairway. So next time I do this trail\ there will no doubt be new steps here to replace the unique older ones. So what’s wrong with the old steps?

Starting off this hike at Lover’s Lane, winding down to El Polin Spring: 1 thru 20

Up the 69 steps across from the picnic tables to start the Ecology Trail: 21 thru 30

Ecology Trail to the Overlook: 31 thru 49

Inspiration Point Overlook: 50, 51, 52

Out of the park at Arguello: 53

1 Starting down Lover's Lane

7 Paul Goode Field and public restrooms

8 Trail to El Polin Spring

21 Up to Ecology Trail

22 69 steps

39 The old stairway

40 45 steps

50 Inspiration Point Overlook

53 Out of the park at Arguello

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Winter Canyon

1/13/2019

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Entering Glen Canyon at its Bosworth trailhead heading north on the west side: 1 thru 4

Courtesy of Glenridge Cooperative Nursery kids: 5

Continuing north: 6, 7, 8

Islais Creek: 9, 10, 11

Over to the east side: 12, 13, 14

Up to the rocks on this south stairway: 15 thru 23

Climbing east: 24 thru 31

Stairs up to the trail just below Christopher Park: 32 thru 37

Upper trail to Christopher Park: 38, 39, 40

12 A trail up the east side

40 Up to Christopher Park

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Eastside and Wood Line

1/11/2019

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Past the top of the Baker and Lyon stairs in Pacific Heights to the Presidio’s Broadway entrance: 1, 2

Down thru the first forest section to the fence and the Simonds Loop neighborhood: 3 thru 12

62 steps to Lower Simonds Loop: 13 thru 19

Wood Line by Andy Goldsworthy south to north: 20 thru 47

West a little way and back up to Lover's Lane: 48 thru 56

1 Top of Baker stairway

2 Top of Lyon steps

3 Thru the Broadway Gate into the forest

13 Upper to Lower Simonds Loop stairs

14 62 steps

18 Down to the road

19 Crossing to another section of forest

20 Just off Lover's Lane

21 Perfect spot for lunch

25 Wood Line south to north

55 A favorite tree

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Stanyan Route

1/6/2019

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A Mount Sutro Forest lower Historic Trail hike with its east trailhead on upper Stanyan, starting up between homes: 1 thru 7

Continuing, winding round: 8 thru 37

Turn right for the Edgewood Trail out to Edgewood Avenue, done last time: 38

But this time up to the road: 39 thru 45

East trailhead for the North Ridge Trail: 46, 47

Along the road: 48, 49

From the Aldea ComMunity Center: 50, 51, 52

East again, downhilling along the road with views down to whereI just came from: 53 thru 68

Down alongside a building on my way to the permits-only parking lot: 69

Parking lot view: 70

Down the 136 steps to the foot of Medical Center Way, the curvy road: 71 thru 82