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Joy and Other Bernal Easts

2/17/2014

More pix from a couple of recent hikes in east Bernal Heights…

Just before reaching the top of the Joy stairway down from Brewster, passed Costa and Faith. Faith includes a short stairway (first pic). Both streets descend to Holladay.

Joy has around 150 steps, Brewster to Holladay, pix 2 through 9. The openspace next to the stairway's looking green now and the bench is still there.

A few THENs and NOWs for a couple of mid-Joy houses. The THENs are from 2004 or thereabouts: pics 10 and 11; 12, 13 and 14; 15.

Joy continues to Holladay: 16 through 21.

Esmeralda's south stairway climbs to Franconia from Brewster. Pic 22, 105 or so steps.

There's a long northside stairway for Esmeralda as well, including a couple of minipark slides, that climbs into Bernal Heights Park from its beginning at Coleridge, around 260 total steps. This is called the "Esmeralda Corridor" after it passes Elsie.

Mayflower: 65 steps from Holladay up to Franconia (pics 23 through 27). Check out 485 Franconia on Google Maps for the top of this one.

Last pic: Houses at the south end of Franconia at Powhattan near Peralta.

1. Faith: Brewster to Holladay

2. Top of Joy stairway at Brewster

3. Top of Joy steps

4. Bench of Joy

5. Brewster to Holladay

6. House near top

7. Joy stairway

8. 18 Joy

9. Mid-Joy

THEN: 2004

11. NOW: Feb. 2014

12. THEN: 2004

13. THEN: 2004

14. NOW: Feb. 2014

15. Mid-Joy

16. Openspace to right

17. Joy continues down

18. Lower Joy

19. Down to Holladay

20. Joy's foot

21. Joy's foot

22. Top of Esmeralda's south stairway

23. Foot of Mayflower stairway at Holladay

24. Holladay to Franconia: Mayflower steps

25. Mid-Mayflower

26. Mayflower near top

27. Top of Mayflower stairway at Franconia

28. Franconia & Powhattan near Peralta

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Bernal East

2/16/2014

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Seeing a couple of Then/Now fotos on Facebook not long ago courtesy of Lost San Francisco …

https://www.facebook.com/LostSanFrancisco

… prompted me to climb the Holladay steps to Bernal Heights' eastside; it'd been a while.

Long ago when BART was new, I'd disembark at the 24th/Mission station on the way home from work and walk up the Holladay stairway. Lived on Bernal's west side then but liked the east side more; still do. Over wide, busy Cesar Chavez at Hampshire in the Mission 'hood is a pedestrian skyway that descends on the south side near the foot of the stairs. Should be more of these skyways.

Up and away from the freeway tangle (149 or so steps, first seven pix) into this beautifully unique neighborhood, the top at Peralta and Holladay. Here Holladay curves round for the foot of the Rutledge stairway.

The Rutledge and Joy stairways ascend to Brewster from Holladay.

For Rutledge, about 106 steps (pix 8 thru 12) will take you up to the south vehicle dead-end of Mullen. Across Mullen, Rutledge continues to Brewster (pix 13 thru 18). Around 171 total steps.

Up from Brewster are more stairs into the Miller Memorial Garden (pic 19). Sign at the top of the garden (pic 20) on Franconia with steps down (21, 22, 23). Didn't do the Franconia stairway (about 103 steps) this time but 'tis a beauty, extended and gardened in 2004, a short distance to the north from the Nice Neighborhood Garden sign.

Pic 24: Peralta steps to Rutledge. Across Rutledge, more steps continue to Samoset near the top of steep Ripley (around 103 total).

Powhattan/Nevada/Bernal Heights Blvd. up to Chapman, pic 25.

Last pic: Prentiss sidewalk steps (27 or so), Powhattan to Chapman.

1. Foot of the Joy stairway off Cesar Chavez

2. Up the Holladay steps

3. Up to Peralta Ave.

4. High above the freeway

5. Higher still

6. Approaching Peralta Ave.

7. Holladay & Peralta

8. Rutledge's lower part, Holladay to Mullen

9. Lower part of Rutledge stairway

10. Rutledge up from Holladay

11. Rutledge stairway

12. Rutledge steps

13. Rutledge continues up from Mullen's dead-end

14. Rutledge's upper stairway from Mullen to Brewster

15. Mullen to Brewster

16. Top of Rutledge stairway at Brewster

17. Rutledge stairway at Brewster

18. Top of Rutledge steps

19. From Brewster into Miller Memorial Garden

20. Top of the garden steps at Franconia

21. Garden steps down from Franconia

22. Miller Memorial Garden

23. Garden steps, Franconia to Brewster

24. Peralta stairway to Rutledge. Beyond Rutledge steps continue to Samoset.

25. Nevada/Powhattan/Bernal Heights Blvd. up to Chapman

26. Prentiss sidewalk steps up from Powhattan

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Mountain Lake

2/15/2014

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The Presidio's new walkway along Arguello's east side is now open (first two pix, upper Ecology Trail below), though at the time of my visit construction was still going on at Inspiration Point Overlook.

The dredging and remediation of Mountain Lake has finally been completed and it looks like a regular lake again. Pics 3, 4, 5.

Mountain Lake Trail is fully walkable but one offtrail area's still being worked on, just below the golf course. I'd actually posted something fairly recently about this short trail that I was able to squeeze through a gate to explore. Work commenced here right after that and is still ongoing. Headed west on the paved trail from the golf course parking lot to try to see what's going on.

Parts of infosigns: "…Tree removal and site preparation work, Mountain Lake East Arm wetland enhancement" and "…New rearing habitat for long-absent animals." Through the chainlink fence noticed water and an openspace; looks beautiful down there.

There also used to be a peaceful lakeview area just off Mountain Lake Trail with three benches, THEN: 6, 7, 8. A wait-and-see…

Another spot was offtrail just below the golf course's west edge where there were concrete slabs/steps from some old building and blackberry bushes, a favorite foraging place (THEN: 9, 10, 11).

This former wildspot's trail is okay to walk and the construction stuff's gone. The slope above has been stripped of all its old greenery and now covered with straw wattles and netting. Another wait-and-see. Part of an old structure is visible that was previously hidden by plants: pic 12. Trees do still block the view of the golf course. This is where the south-north part of Mountain Lake Trail turns to run east-west with the Veterans Blvd. underpass just ahead.

My lake-circling completed, up the 103 steps to the Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook. Pics 13, 14:

Crossed Battery Caulfield Rd. to hike around in the forest on and offtrail. These sandy trails are lined with branches; lots of pine cones. You can head north out to the residences, cross over to the last buildings on the east side of the neighborhood (above Lincoln), and onto a short trail that connects this 'hood with the Connector Trail. Then you can either climb the stairs to Immigrant Point Overlook or down the rest of the Connector to Lincoln Blvd.

From the next day's trek, accompanied by heavy fog: Starting off up the 37 or so steps to the Golden Gate Overlook and crossing to the short trail that leads to the up-n-down Batteries to Bluffs Trail (pix 15 through 22, around 473 steps).

From the BTB's west trailhead at Battery Crosby, up the trail to Lincoln and across the street to the aforementioned forested Connector Trail (208 steps), pix 23 thru 28.

1. Inspiration Point Overlook upper right from new Arguello walkway

2. Upper Ecology Trail with El Polin Spring beyond from new walkers' trail alongside Arguello

3. Mountain Lake from a southside bench

4. One of two short stairways down to Mountain Lake

5. Mountain Lake's beach

6. THEN: Benches at Mountain Lake Trail

7. THEN: Benches on the lake's east side

8. THEN: Mountain Lake's eastside benches

9. THEN: Off Mountain Lake Trail

10. THEN: Off Mountain Lake Trail

11. THEN: Off Mountain Lake Trail

12. NOW (as of mid-Feb. 2014): Same place off Mountain Lake Trail

13. Steps to Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook

14. Marine Cemetery Vista boardwalk

15. Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead with fog

16. Batteries to Bluffs Trail eastside

17. Batteries to Bluffs east

18. Just off View Point Overlook (no view this time due to fog)

19. Batteries to Bluffs down from View Point

20. Batteries to Bluffs westside

21. Foggy westside Batteries to Bluffs Trail

22. Near top of Batteries to Bluffs at Battery Crosby

23. Connector Trail's footbridge

24. Connector Trail: Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook

25. Connector Trail curves around

26. Connector Trail to Immigrant Point Overlook and Rob Hill Campground

27. Connector Trail up to the overlook

28. Top of the Connector Trail at Immigrant Point Overlook

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Sausalito Stairmasters

2/4/2014

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Climbing up from the touristy shops on Bridgeway are three stairways a very short distance apart:

… Excelsior Lane's foot (179 steps), pics 1, 2.

… Up from Bridgeway on El Monte, pic 3: 119 steps.

The third, Reade Lane, includes about 55 steps and will take you to the next street up, Bulkley.

… 98 steps on an unsigned stairway up from around 66-70 Atwood enjoyed again, called Noble Lane according to Google Maps. The top is near 44 San Carlos. Pix 4 and 5.

… A house on Central, pic 6.

… West Ct. (103 steps), a favorite, pix 7, 8.

… House on Second, pic 9.

Up Alexander where bicyclists swoop down the hill from the highway through the GGNRA into residential Sausalito. No access to trails that I could see. One street I would've explored leading off the main highway was closed due to construction. Back down and up steep Edwards (pic 10, a view from Edwards) for a long curve-around on Sausalito Blvd. Pix 11, 12.

Up some steps passed before to explore this time: Attractive wood with gravel stretches in between (38 steps, pix 13, 14). This is between entrances to homes and didn't look private when first starting up. However, it's a dead-end and not through to the next street up.

Descending:

45 steps down Sacramento Way, pics 15, 16;

22 steps down Harrison to Bulkley, pic 17;

14 steps to a short walkway below Bulkley, pic 18;

36 steps and a walkers' path down to Princess, pix 19 through 22.

1. Excelsior Lane starts up at Bridgeway

2. Excelsior Lane's foot at Bridgeway

3. El Monte climbs up from Bridgeway

4. Noble Lane up from Atwood

5. Noble Lane

6. House on Central Ave.

7. West Court

8. West Court down from Central/North

9. Second Street

10. A view from Edwards

11. Sausalito Blvd.

12. Sausalito Blvd. curves around

13. Dead-end steps

14. Dead-end steps

15. Sacramento Way

16. Sacramento Way

17. Harrison to Bulkley

18. Walkway below Bulkley

19. Bulkley to Princess

20. Bulkley to Princess

21. Bulkley to Princess

22. Walkway below Bulkley down to Princess

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Botanical Garden

2/1/2014

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Hadn't visited Golden Gate Park's Botanical Garden in several years. Someone stopped me after I'd walked past one of the entrance booths, asking if I was a resident. Had to show I.D. to keep from paying seven bucks admission. Had heard something a while back about nonresidents possibly having to pay admission, but unsure if it'd been actually implemented. So that was a relief since I had no money on me.

Some attractions in this park, like the Academy of Sciences and Japanese Tea Garden, charge admission to everyone.

My long overdue visit was a pleasant one and all the same sections remembered are still there. On the way out at the main gate, picked up a free newsletter, "Leaflet," that says they plan to replace the old nursery facilities built over 45 years ago with a new teaching nursery called "The Nursery Center for Sustainable Gardening." It's to be near the Children's Garden (first pic). A park map says the current nursery is closed; I used to stroll through it.

As I was sitting on one of the many benches: pic 2.

The whole 55-acre gardensite is fenced but I used to sometimes exit at the west end of the garden, beyond the John Muir pond and Children's Garden. This is an area that's wilder than the rest of the garden, including piles of concrete, logs, and wood chips. Noticed an opening in the chainlink fence back there this time; one would have to lie flat and wiggle under without much room.

There aren't any really long stairways. Longest counted this time was 42 wood ones (3, 4). There are around 33 up to some benches (pic 5); 30 down to the Moon Viewing Garden (pix 6, 7); 19 wood up nearby (8, 9), and 17 in the Succulent Garden (pic 10, 11).

Various garden themes, like the Ancient Plant Garden with its boardwalk (pics 12, 13), Garden of Fragrance (pic 14), Redwood Grove, Australia, Cloud Forest, etc. show that San Francisco's climate can grow many different kinds of world plants.

A small bookstore at the main entrance has seed packets and books to browse out in front, plus a plant sale was going on. If you love plants, pay a visit:

www.SFBotanicalGarden.org

They have a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoBotanicalGarden

It's just off Ninth Ave. and Lincoln, barely into the park. I take the N-Judah Metro and walk downhill a couple of blocks.

Pic 15: Waterfowl Pond. Last pic: Exhibition Garden planters near the main entrance.