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Mount Davidson Southside Crosstrek

2/29/2012

Took the J-Church Metro for a change to the Glen Park BART/Metro station at the south end of Diamond/east end of Monterey. Into the Sunnyside neighborhood: Monterey, Joost, past the south end of Dorothy Erskine Park, Congo, Mangels.

Next to the hole in the ground on Mangels where the little house collapsed a few years ago is the top of the Joost-Baden Minipark (first photo).

Up Congo to Melrose to appreciate the Melrose/Detroit Botanical Garden, a gorgeous little park with benches and views (second photo).

Back to Mangels to Teresita at the top of Sunnyside Park (a 36 Teresita bus stop here), third pic. Down the park's stairways out to Foerster and back up Mangels again (fourth pic: steep here).

Stayed on Mangels over to Plymouth in the Westwood Highlands neighborhood. Up Casitas and into the Sherwood Forest 'hood, found myself on Lansdale at the top of the beautifully renovated Bengal Alley steps (last pic). Noticed more plantings since my last exploration of the new Bengal, including one still wearing its tag: a loquat tree.

Upcoming this weekend: Second Annual San Francisco History Expo 2012

"Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4
11 to 4
The Old Mint
88 Fifth Street at Mission
Free
(donations welcome)

Visit sfhistoryexpo.org for more information, including a list of participating organizations and the schedule of presentations and films."

Joost-Baden Minipark down from Mangels

Melrose/Detroit Botanical Garden

View from Teresita & Mangels. Mount Davidson Park upper right corner.

Mangels near Foerster. Sunnyside Park upper left.

The new Bengal Alley as of 2/2012

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Spring Beauty and Trail Extension

2/28/2012

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From the Glen Park BART station (or J-Church Metro), it’s six or so blocks to Glen Canyon Park. I typically head west on Chenery. Glen Park is another of those garden neighborhoods with narrow, winding, steep streets and a house style for everyone’s taste (sigh...)

With bright yellow mustard and oxalis blooms on the slopes above and all those new little buds and leaves in varying shades of green, this is an especially beautiful time to visit the Canyon.

Just past the boardwalk, the footbridge over Islais Creek still has only one side (first pic).

After scrambling over the obligatory trail treelimbs, it was easier to spot my favorite northside trail and follow it along than it was last time.

The trail used to end at a locked gate at the south end of a school playing field. Now it continues on to the north edge of this gate, and here to greet me was a lone sunflower! So it's still an up-and-back, but there’s been plenty of trailwork since my last visit.

Returning, detoured to the small clearing where there are a couple of rope swings and a rock with a peace sign painted on it.

Two of my favorite places where you can climb to the top on the east side and exit the park without running into a dead-end at someone’s Diamond Heights backyard fence:

The trail that will take you up to Christopher Park and the Diamond Heights Safeway, with the viewbench at the top (next three pics – Mount Davidson’s Miraloma Park ‘hood across the Canyon; O’Shaughnessy is the visible street)

and

The steps up to the Crags Court garden (fifth pic).

Climbed the 35 steps to exit the park at the west end of Sussex where Elk turns into Diamond Heights Blvd.

The footbridge over Islais Creek

Down from Christopher Park in Diamond Heights

Mount Davidson's Miraloma Park across.

Trail up to Christopher Park

Steps from the Canyon to Crags Court and the Crags Court Garden

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El Polin Spring

2/23/2012

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The El Polin Spring area is open again after many months of landfill removal and restoration work.

Started down from Presidio Blvd. at the Lover’s Lane south trailhead for a view of the valley below from the east side. Numerous straw wattles and plantings on the hillsides are in evidence (first pic).

Continuing around to the west side, was delighted to discover a new wood stairway with 69 steps (second foto) that descends to the picnic area.

The old south stairway down to the willow tree that I used to take (below Julius Kahn Playground) is still there (third photo - showing new trail and boardwalk) with a trailsign now at its foot.

Tennessee Hollow, 270 acres, is the park’s largest watershed. Three hundred feet of creek that had long ago been buried underground in pipes has been “daylighted.” Water is flowing out in the open down the restored cobblestone creek channel and there are also four ponds in the area.

The old paved road has been transformed into a boardwalk and trail with picnic tables and rustic wood benches. There’s parking at the south end of the residential area.

You’ll notice attractive interpretive signage in both English and Spanish (fourth pic – new stairway behind). The location of an adobe house lived in more than 200 years ago by the Miramontes and Briones families is marked and you’ll also see a terra-cotta tile basin artifact displayed that was unearthed by workers.

A new restroom building replaces the old porta-potty, but the doors were locked. I’m thinking maybe they intend to unlock the doors only for special occasions, like at Rob Hill Campground.

Climbed back up the new stairway to the Ecology Trail, continuing through a short section of forest, curving round and up the 45 wood steps (fifth pic) to the parking area at Inspiration Point Overlook. Back down again so as to take another, more secluded, trail out to the Arguello Gate instead of walking along Arguello.

El Polin Spring below

New "Connector Trail" stairway from El Polin Spring to Ecology Trail

Old south stairway showing curve of new trail and boardwalk below.

New interpretive signage with foot of new stairway behind.

Trailhead for Ecology Trail down from Inspiration Point Overlook

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BTB Footbridge Steps Fixed

2/20/2012

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This is a recommended/suggested Presidio stairway trek for visitors as well as locals. It includes three long ones: the Dunes Boardwalk Trail, one of the Connector Trails, and our longest (472 steps counted today), the Batteries to Bluffs -- with an optional detour to the Fort Scott neighborhood’s “hidden” community garden.

I take public transportation, so from the Park Presidio & California bus stop headed up 14th Ave. into the park. This trail will take you above busy Park Presidio with a view of Mountain Lake directly across.

You’ll see the first stairway up ahead to your left, which I call the Dunes Boardwalk stairway. It has 90 regular steps up from the paved trail (first pic), but the boardwalk at the top includes some built-in steps which brings the total to 104 over to the twin benches.

Continue out to the trail’s west side and uphill on Battery Caulfield Road. At the top, Battery Caulfield merges with E-W Washington.

Washington curves a short distance alongside an auto barrier to Immigrant Point Overlook.

If you’d like to detour over to Fort Scott’s secluded organic garden from Battery Caulfield and Washington, Just walk up the trail from the Compton street sign. You’ll pass an Anza Trail marker and soon see the Rob Hill Campground buildings. Continue around to the campground’s east side and enter the forest on one of the short, unmarked trails that will take you to the Fort Scott neighborhood. Here on Central Magazine can be seen a yellow fire hydrant at the trailhead for the trail I use most. This will take you past a tire swing and down to the backs of the homes and a few narrow neighborhood streets. The garden is off Wisser Ct.

Return the same way, then north to where Central Magazine meets Harrison and Washington. Immigrant Point Overlook is just to the left where you can't miss the trailhead sign for the Connector Trail (208 steps).

The Connector descends to Lincoln where there’s a crosswalk. Here you have your choice of The Sand Ladder down to Baker Beach (second photo) or a sandy trail to Battery Crosby (third pic).

Atop Battery Crosby is the west trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail, descending steeply (last two pics). Upon reaching the little footbridge on the west side, noticed the gap here has been fixed so that the steps continue down normally and are now easier to navigate.

Out at the east trailhead of this up-and-down stairway trail, I’d planned to continue on the Coastal Trail to the bridge area. When I got to the top of the last battery along this part of the trail, with its concrete-and-wood stairway, trail detour signs were in place. No idea when this section will reopen, but soon there'll be two new Overlooks, one near the Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead and the other at the bridge area.

Down from the dunes boardwalk.

The Sand Ladder down to Baker Beach from Lincoln

Trail down from Lincoln to Battery Crosby and the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead

Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead atop Battery Crosby

Descending from View Point Overlook on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

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Dogs and Hang Gliders

2/12/2012

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Yesterday the orange windsock at the hang gliding launchdeck in Fort Funston Park was blowing straight out, so right for flight. Four gliders were up when I was there with more coming into the area.

Wish I could get better transportation to and from. It’s the same problem I have when visiting San Bruno Mountain Park: have to trek a long way to get to and from these parks. It doesn’t appear that the #18, which I took back, stops anywhere along Skyline Blvd. on Lake Merced’s west side until it gets all the way up to Sloat on Skyline, behind the Zoo. The #18 ends up at the Legion of Honor at Land’s End, traveling mostly on 46th Ave.

To get to Fort Funston took the L Taraval Metro to the Zoo (end of the line) and walked along the cliffedge above Ocean Beach to Skyline Blvd., then continued on the bike lane to the park entrance. It seems close to a mile.

As you walk a little way into the park from the main Skyline trailhead, you’ll see an old wooden stairway in the distance. I call this the “John Muir” steps since it’s near that street. Counted 173 steps today, some completely sand-covered (first pic). At the top of these steps are multiple doggie waterbowls below a drinking fountain.

This has got to be the world’s doggiest park; it’s offleash. Dozens of pooches joyfully chasing each other over the rolling dunes.

Spent some time enjoying the hang gliders since I don’t see ‘em that often (second pic).

Slightly to the south from the hang gliding area dramatically descends San Francisco’s second Sand Ladder: last three fotos. (The other Sand Ladder will take you to the Presidio’s Baker Beach.) The steps turn into a sandy trail about halfway down that continues to the beach.

Decided to hike a more secluded part of the park without so many people on the trails. Back at the top, continued to the north side, following the seemingly endless wild-dunes trail as it curved round. Would like to see a few more trails down to the highway from this end of the park though. There IS, however, another trail down to the beach from this side.

A narrow “horse trail” (so advise two trailsigns) then winds through a forest high above busy Skyline Blvd. (which wide street divides Lake Merced from Fort Funston). The trail eventually took me back out to my beginning, to the foot of the John Muir stairway.

Recreational rowboats were colorful on the lake below as I headed up to Lake Merced's north edge (the south end of Lake Merced is at the San Mateo County line). This above-the-lake route is a very popular jogging trail.

Recently discovered a Nature in the City e-letter article from Feb. 10 called “Creeks to Peaks.” Passing it on:

“On Wednesday, February 1, the Capital Committee of the Recreation & Park Commission voted to move approval of the Twin Peaks Trail concept plan to the consent calendar of the full Commission meeting to be held on February 16 at 10 a.m. at City Hall in Room 416.

This is great news, not just for Twin Peaks, but because together with the Glen Canyon Trail improvement plan approved by the Commission in August 2011 these two trails will link to create the "Creeks to Peaks" Trail. Trail users will be able to hike approximately two miles between Islais Creek within Glen Canyon Park and the top of Twin Peaks while experiencing a variety of natural features along the way and access to panoramic views of the city from the top.

You can find the proposed concept plan and community meeting materials on this site”:

http://sfrecpark.org/Twin-Peaks-Trails-Project.aspx

This really gets me goin’. Glen Canyon IS a ravine of Twin Peaks after all. Want to see a pedestrian overpass across Portola, though, instead of having to cross the street to continue up.

John Muir stairway into Fort Funston Park

Soaring over ocean and dunes

The Sand Ladder descends to Ocean Beach

Sand Ladder Trail

Sand-covered steps turn into sandy trail partway down the Sand Ladder

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Up from Leavenworth

2/9/2012

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Four stairways in a row climb from Leavenworth to Hyde on Russian Hill, three of which run through. At the top, on Hyde, runs one of the cable car lines.

Heading north, the first, and my favorite of these stairways, is Havens. This unique little staired alley doesn’t run through to Hyde, so it’s an up ‘n back down again. On the way back down on the upper part, counted 76 steps. The main stairway (first pic) merges into two stairways, upper and lower, then back again to one main walk/stairway (second pic). The lower part passes under a tree (third pic). At the end of the walk you'll see a fountain and bench.

The houses on the north side of Havens are the backs of homes on steep (31.5) Filbert with its two sidewalk stairways (fourth photo, this the south one). It’s up one and down another for stairlovers around here.

One street after Filbert is Greenwich, curving around and up: part stairs, part narrow walkers’ pathway.

Next to Greenwich is the famous Lombard Crooked Street, also with two sidewalk stairways, cars winding slowly down its bricked middle part, and lots of tourists with cameras.

After Lombard, on the opposite side of the street, corner of Chestnut, is tiny Fay Park Garden with its two white gazebos. Like Havens, there’s only one way in and out.

Here’s a story about Fay, from the Russian Hill Neighbors group, showing the gazebos:

http://www.rhn.org/pointofinterestfaypark.html

The San Francisco Art Institute is SF Landmark #85. Since I’ve always liked its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and tiled courtyard fountain (800 Chestnut, between Leavenworth and Jones),

http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf085.asp

did a quick walkthrough out to its long back stairway and down to Francisco, where to the left a short distance away is the Francisco stairway (fifth foto).

Havens at Leavenworth

Havens steps and walkway

Under and up on Havens

Filbert 's south sidewalk steps at Leavenworth

Francisco steps

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East Forest Hill Jaunt

2/3/2012

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There are no lookalike “Little Boxes” in the Forest Hill neighborhood. The whole area is a delightful gardenspot (first pic – Mesa near 9th Ave.) full of trees and squirrels. The narrow streets wind around and up, sometimes divided. From the east one looks directly across to Mount Sutro's west side (second photo: the Forest Knolls neighborhood as seen from Sola and Magellan), with Twin Peaks’ west side (Midtown Terrace) just beyond (third pic).

Today’s first stairway, after the short trail up into the neighborhood from behind the Forest Hills Metro Station, ascended from Castenada, about 77 steps (third foto). Next was Alton, about 90 steps (last pic).

Up steep Pacheco to 10th Avenue, then a meandering stroll several blox downhill on Inner Sunset streets Tenth, Ninth, and Eighth to the #43 stop at Seventh and Lawton, across the street from Garden for the Environment.

Mesa & 9th Avenue

Mount Sutro's westside (Forest Knolls) from Sola & Magellan

Twin Peaks and Midtown Terrace from Ninth Ave. Downhill into Forest Hill 'hood.

Castenada & Magellan

Alton stairway

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Westside Presidio Loop

2/1/2012

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Off the bus at 25th Avenue, curved around to the north trailhead for the Lobos Creek Dunes Boardwalk. This is a meandering trail about a half mile long, at the end of which is a short stairway into the Presidio Forest (first two photos). Even from a distance the forest looked better today than it normally does; delighted by all the improvements since my last walk-through. Chose a trail accessed for the first time that took me to the beginning of one of the upper residential sidewalks; continued out to Battery Caulfield Road past the dunes area.

Uphill on the Anza Trail from Washington to wind round the south edge of Rob Hill Campground and onto one of the short, sun-dappled trails behind the Fort Scott neighborhood near the community garden. Out at the northwest edge of Fort Scott, headed towards the east trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail (470+ steps), San Francisco’s longest stairway (third foto, showing one of the new railings on the steep west side).

The Batteries to Bluffs climbs steeply to Battery Crosby at its west trailhead where a short trail continues uphill to Lincoln. At Lincoln, crossed at the crosswalk to ascend the 208-step Connector Trail (last two photos) to Immigrant Point Overlook.

From the Overlook, it was then all the way downhill on Battery Caulfield to continue past the Lobos Valley Overlook where a lot of little birds were hopping around the native plant garden area.

Lobos Creek Trail

Lobos Creek Trail from Presidio Forest

Down the west side on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

Connector Trail to Immigrant Point Overlook up from Lincoln

Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point Overlook

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