Blog Archives

All the Way Up

2/21/2013

Had planned to do the Detroit stairway (185 steps), then over a few blocks for Sunnyside Park and some other streets I like in this 'hood, but ended up hiking all the way up to Mount Davidson Park's main south trailhead from the Glen Park BART station.

From the BART station, headed west several blocks to Hearst in the Sunnyside neighborhood and up the Detroit stairway, Mount Davidson's longest. Unlike Twin Peaks and Mount Sutro, Mount D's streets tend to wind round and round with too few connector stairways for walkers, so hikers can end up going out of their way as I did today, just wandering.

There are 70 steps for the first block of the Detroit stairway, Hearst to Monterey. There's a crosswalk here at busy Monterey for continuing to the top of the steps at Joost (first two pics). West on Joost a few blocks to Foerster, then north, the sign for Sunnyside Park ahead (third pic: upper steps in the park).

Directly across the street on Foerster from the main park entrance, Melrose here is not a through street. Continuing north a little way, however, it will take you up alongside concrete walls (fourth pic) where there's a little viewspace between homes.

Continued uphill from this viewspot to where Melrose meets Stanford Heights. Stanford Heights to Los Palmos … to Burlwood and back to Los Palmos … At Los Palmos and Hazelwood is a short connector called Globe Alley (fifth pic: 26 steps and a walkway) out to Cresta Vista (here checking out the view south between homes as I meandered again to the east: sixth pic). On Cresta Vista there are no street signs for a short distance until this curvy street meets Coventry, at the dead-end of which is a short walkway enclosed by backyard fences (pix 7 and 8).

Coventry comes out at Hillcrest … and Sherwood … and Lansdale … and Dalewood … and Myra. All these streets end here at the main south trailhead for Mount Davidson Park (last four pics: the main trail up and the openspace). There's a bus shelter here for the #36 Teresita.

1. Detroit stairway, Hearst to Joost

2. Top of Detroit stairway at Joost, Sunnyside

3. Sunnyside Park's upper steps

4. Melrose & Foerster

5. Globe Alley, Los Palmos to Cresta Vista

6. A view down from Cresta Vista

7. Coventry Lane up to Hillcrest

8. Coventry Lane

9. Trail into Mount Davidson Park from south main entrance

10. Trail up to Mount Davidson Park's Openspace

11. Diamond Heights and Glen Canyon center; Miraloma Park 'hood below

12. Mount Sutro center; Twin Peaks right, from Mount Davidson Park's summit openspace

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Bengal Blocked at Top

2/15/2013

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The top of the Bengal Alley steps (Lansdale down to Miraloma) on Mount Davidson was blocked today, but you can ascend from Miraloma, at the foot of the renovated stairway-minipark. Upon reaching the attractive wood gate, found it to be blocked with a large-containered plant and I couldn't descend the rough stone stairs (first pic).

Could it be it got closed off due to a safety issue with this first part down?

Curious as to whether it was still accessible from the foot. But had to continue south a few blocks (on Casitas now) as there was no way down until I got to where Hazelwood meets Yerba Buena. So walked back up on Yerba Buena, then Miraloma, to the Bengal sign.

Improvements to Bengal's lower part have been made since my last visit. Goodlooking new wood railings have been added and an attractive solid wood fence constructed alongside the newer wood-and-concrete stairs. The old chainlink fence is still there but you can still easily walk around it; about 52 steps to the bench and 64 to where the stone steps begin. Last time I did the whole thing I counted about 107.

Plopped down on the bench for a few minutes before descending to the #43 bus stop. This stairway really does serve a purpose for those who take the bus; the stop is right in front of it. Otherwise, as done today, one has to walk a few blocks over to get to Yerba Buena to a bus stop.

From the main south trailhead into Mount Davidson Park (from the #36 Teresita stop here) headed up the steepish trail to the openspace (second pic), then up one of the two openspace stairways (third pic), and on to the forest. The cross (fourth pic) is 103 feet tall. Down 24 old log steps (pics 5, 6) from the monument, then more steps, stone this time (pics 7, 8: 51 steps) to a main trail.

Decided on a couple of lower, more secluded trails not hiked in a while (trailheads out to La Bica and Chaves: ninth pic) before climbing again to a main trail and out a west park trailhead to steep Dalewood (10th pic), then over to Lansdale (11th pic) to check out Bengal.

Last one's from a few years ago, taken from Diamond Heights across Glen Canyon.

Top of Bengal Alley steps

Main south trailhead into Mount Davidson Park

Mount Davidson Park openspace

The Summit Cross

Down to a Trail from the Cross

Down from the Cross; more steps to left.

Continuing to a main trail

Stone steps in the Forest

Out of the Park to Chaves

Out the West Side to Dalewood

Lansdale with Dalewood to left

Mount Davidson Park in distance, Glen Canyon center, Diamond Heights

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Marietta Jawdropper

2/13/2013

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There's an old song by Creedence Clearwater Revival which first two lines make me think of certain favorite hiking destinations. The lyrics that start "Up Around the Bend":

"There's a place up ahead and I'm goin'
Just as fast as my feet can fly"

Marietta Drive is one of these places: a charming divided street in the Miraloma Park 'hood of east Mount Davidson, way up there.

After a short distance along Marietta, there's an opening between homes with access to a steep, rocky, green cliffside openspace. Curvy O'Shaughnessy, far below, divides the east edge of the mountain from the west side of Glen Canyon with Diamond Heights stacked up across the canyon, as in oh-whatta-view. First six pics, the last showing the foot of Onique stairway (about 346 steps: Berkeley to Topaz in Diamond Heights) from afar.

Various short dirt trails will lead you to rocks where you can sit or stand to contemplate the vast view (but watch out for dog poop). A delight to behold is the swing hanging from the lone tree just off Marietta. This place is one of those magical spots where I could just perch on a rock for a while and not wanna get up, especially on a warm, sunny day.

Also enjoy (understatement…) the route I took today (though not direct and quite steep) so much that I headed back down to Glen Park exactly the same way. I have multiple favorite houses around here on Mangels, Nordhoff, Baden, and Melrose. The hole in the ground is still there where a little house collapsed several years ago at the top of the Joost-Baden Minipark at Mangels & Nordhoff (benches here).

From Mangels, turned on Congo, then Stillings, curling round to Teresita and finally Marietta. Again, steep, winding and uphill all the way. Hillwalkers take note.

At 100 Stillings/600 Congo at Malta and Stillings you can see the openspace off in the distance but there are still several blocks to curve around before you get there. How cool would it be if a long stairway climbed up the slope from the dead-end of Valletta Ct. below (at the end of Malta).

The top of Detroit is near Vista Verde & Stillings. Passed near the top of the long Detroit stairway on my way up (185 steps, seventh pic). Vista Verde's downhill and not through. Continue on Stillings and turn right for curvaceous Teresita and a gorgeous view of Mount Davidson Park's east side.

On Teresita, you'll pass Los Palmos and Foerster, then the end of Molimo. (If you were to continue on Molimo you could eventually access one of the trails up to Mount Davidson Park's openspace, but this is some distance away.) The #36 Teresita bus that passed me as I climbed ever higher goes up to the park, then swoops down to the Forest Hill Metro station.

At Teresita and Molimo are right-turn and 20 mph signs where Marietta begins. Marietta here has various plants along its center divide and some very short stairways (each with just a few steps) from lower to upper. I love this time of year when yellow oxalis, one of my favorite wildflowers, decorates front yards and green hillsides.

From my beginning, the Glen Park BART station, turned west on Bosworth in the Glen Park neighborhood and up the Hamerton stairway (eighth pic, 67 steps). Hamerton has benches off the stairs in two places.

At the top of Hamerton (ninth pic: love the trees here) is the east end of the Sunnyside-to-Westwood-Highlands street Mangels (Mangels 000/Hamerton End). This is a favorite viewspot of mine: all along the ridge here that sorta divides the east Sunnyside 'hood from Glen Park's west edge, with a tasty view of Glen Park/Diamond Heights to the north (next pic: from Burnside's last block, not through down to Bosworth from here).

My route took me around the south side of Dorothy W. Erskine Park (off Baden & Martha, 11th pic). The north side of this little park rises above Bosworth in Glen Park: 12th pic. This way I stayed on the highside (and there was no crossing O'Shaughnessy).

Pics can give one a good idea of how all this looks, but best to see it for yourself. (No, I'm not recommending climbing up the rocks from O'Shaughnessy, but have seen others do this while I watched from a Canyon trail).

Oh to live up here ... or anywhere along this route… Mangels is roller-coaster-like further west near Sunnyside Park: last pic.

Canyon trees below, Diamond Heights across

O'Shaughnessy below

Diamond Heights across the Canyon

Glen Canyon below, Diamond Heights across

Twin Peaks center, top in distance

Foot of Onique stairway, Diamond Heights, right

Top of Detroit street/stairway center, top

Hamerton stairway, Bosworth to Mangels

Top of Hamerton stairway. View of Glen Park and Diamond Heights to north

Burnside & Mangels. Glen Park/Diamond Heights to north

West side of Dorothy W. Erskine Park

Dorothy W. Erskine Park above Bosworth in Glen Park

Mangels with Sunnyside Park to the left

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Lands End Trail

2/6/2013

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Today's have-to-get-out-and-move hike started off at the trailhead descending from Louis' Restaurant (first pic), passing the "Merrie Way" steps that lead up to the lower parking lot overlook (127 steps, second pic).

Continued to the cavetop viewspot (third pic: steps shown here no longer in use) to the westernmost trailhead for the Coastal/Lands End Trail. These steps were extended in 2009 and have about 141 total steps (pix 4, 5). Here they're called the Sutro Baths Upper Trail (sixth pic: at the top).

One can also climb to the VA Hospital picnic area steps and the connectors for the El Camino del Mar Trail and uppermost stairs to the west end of the Legion of Honor Museum's parking lot. However, today for a change just stayed on the main trail, passing the steps to the upper parking lot overlook, then the top of the long Mile Rock Beach stairway.

The second main Lands End Trail stairway was what I call the "Painted Rock" steps. From the top of these (with the two stone benches alongside: pics 7 and 8, about 138 steps), the third stairway descends (next two pics: about 116 steps).

Continued to the trail's east end (next pic), then down the Lincoln Park steps (52: last pic) that are still tiled only at the top benches.

Louis' Restaurant left, Cliff House behind it

Foot of steps to Lower Parking Lot Overlook

Cavetop Viewspot. Steps here unsafe; not in use

West trailhead for Coastal Trail/Lands End Trail

Upper Sutro Baths Trail up from Cavetop

Top of Upper Sutro Baths Trail

"Painted Rock" steps

"Painted Rock" stairway

Steps down the east side

East side

Top of Lincoln Park steps, end of California St.

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Stow Lake Steps

2/4/2013

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Crossing the 1893 Roman Bridge (first pic) over Golden Gate Park's Stow Lake to a lower Strawberry Hill trail on the south slope, continued up a few old stone steps onto a short, steepish trail (second pic). Passed a few log steps descending to the Chinese/Golden Gate Pavilion on my way to the top of the stairs alongside Huntington Falls.

The green-railed main stairway starts down near the reservoir: 110 steps (next four pics). At the foot are benches, a picnic table, the Pavilion, the steppingstones over the water at the foot of the falls (seventh pic), and the shorter south stairway on the other side of the falls.

The south steps don't go all the way up. You'll merge with the northside stairs after 38 steps, crossing the falls (eighth pic) on one of the short wood footbridges. The total is about 125 if you ascend from the south side.

Sixty-one mostly old wood steps (next four pics), widely spaced, some steep, will take you down the north side to the newer footbridge and either across to the boathouse or to trails around the island.

On an unoccupied picnic table near the boathouse were eight or so used books someone had left; helped myself to four paperback thrillers and circled round the lake to my starting place.

This part of GG park is especially popular with families and bird lovers, especially if you like ducks, geese (last pic), and other waterbirds or want to rent one of the boats.