Blog Archives

Delta Improved

2/26/2016

Mansell, the divided street that’s part of Mclaren Parek, is getting a huge facelift to make it more pedestrian and bike friendly. The upper part is closed off and the #29 has to detour a tad when it gets to the top of Persia in the Excelsior neighborhood. But it still goes to the park.

Disembarked at Visitacion Ave. and downhilled to the top of the park’s longest stairway (195 steps), Visitacion to Campbell, to experience its green-and-yellow beauty: 1 thru 14.

At the foot, started back up again on Delta in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood for the second openspace stairway/trail back into the park.

Last time wen trudging up Delta, this steep walkers’ path had potholes that needed filling and eight very old concrete steps at the foot.

Now there are 10 new wood-and-concrete steps with wood railings on both sides when you first start up. The walkway has been repaved and it’s now a smooth climb: 15 thru 22

Had to check out the greenness of this second Vis Valley trailHead that starts at Ervine and Wilde.

At first you don’t see any stairs. After winding steeply around a bit, 57 steps lead to the picnic area just off Mansell/Visiitacion:23 thru 32

Downhill now for another favorite steepish trail that descends to Lake McNab with six switchbacks, then back up again:33 thru 42

1 Down Visitacion to the stairs

2 Top of the park's longest stairway

3 That;s a s school to the right

4 Looking back up

5 Especially beautiful now with yellow oxalis on the green slopes

6 A view from the steps

7 195 steps

8 To top of Campbell in Vis Calley

9 To west dead-end of Campbell

10 Park signs near the foot

11 Down to Visitacuon Vallry neighborhood

12 Park trails map

13 View north

14 Foot ar Campbell

15 Alberta St.

16 Delta surprise

17 Now 10 steps

18 Wide wood railings now

19 Looking up

20 This used to have potholes

21 Steepish walkers only path

22 At the top continue uphill

23 Wilde & Ervine

23 Main trail starts up

24 .Stairs begin

25 Vis Valley with Bayview Hill beyond

26 Looking down from first section

27 Up to the top

8 View east

29 Top of the second openspace steps

30 View east

31 Starting zigzag trail to Lake McNab

32 Switchback 2

33 Zigging to the north

34 Curving around

5 Now out to Lake McNab

36 McNab Lake

37 McNab Lake

38 Back up

39 Winding back up to Mansell

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Sandy Stairs

2/14/2016

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I’m an enthusiastic advocate for safe skyways like I posted about recently that cross over the Bernal Cut above San Jose Ave.

When I next get the urge to hike the GGNRA's Fort Funston, It’s so treacherous crossing Great Highway to the Ocean Beach side that I’m thinking of going out of my way to connect with a certain bus I’ve seen parked on the beachside. At the light here, cars are allowed to turn every which way and the wait time to cross is far too long.

Here and at Lands End (at the 38R Geary’s last stop) I keep waiting and waiting to cross, wondering if the light is even working, and thinking I don’t have all day to just stand there. So have ended up darting across when I think I’ve got time to do so sans light during a slight pause in the steadily moving traffic.

Skyways would be great for safe foot traffic across busy highways. These are major parks and too much attention was given to car access and parking lots instead of pedestrian safety.

Last year when I last hiked Fort Funston they were making improvements to the main trail (approximately from the doggy water dishes at the top of the east stairway south to the hang gliding deck), so guessed it’d been long enough now that this would bet completed.

It’s a hassle for me to get to FF as no buses stop at the main east entrance nor anywhere near the park. The best I can do is take the L-Taraval Metro to its last stop, the zoo, cross Great Highway to the Ocean Beach side and hoof it maybe a mile (?) to get to the main part of the park: first three pix.

Along the Horse Trail this time to the foot of the east stairs, about108 sand-covered steps: 4 thru 17

At the top, checking out the main trail that’s been newly paved, lined with rocks on both sides, and three panic tables added: 18 thru 22

The hang gliding deck. No show this time; limp windsock: 23, 24, 25

Down then back up the west log-and-sand stairway, about 142 steps: 26 thru 34

Heading back again (north): 35, 36, 37

1. Walking above Ocean Beach

2. Climbing up

3. Lake Merced in distance, center

4. Horse Trail. Lake Merced across

5. Horse Trail

6. Horse Trail

7. Horse Trail

8. Horse Trail

9. Horse Trail

10 Eastside steps

11 About 108 steps

12. Up to the main trail

13. Starts a little way up from foot/highway

14. Stairciunt may vary

15. East stairs

16. Lake Merced across, a natural lake

17. Water fountain and doggy water dishes at top

18. Battery Davis

19. 2 of 3 new picnic tables added

20. Old trail repaved

21. Rock-lined

22. Facelift for the rein trail

23. Limp windsock means no show

24. A few of the launchdeck benches

25. To overlook/hang glider launching area

26. Landing area to right at top of stairs

27. Starting down the west stairway

28. Staircount may vary here too

29. About 142 steps

30. Does not descend all way to beach

31. Foot of this "samd ladder"

32. Back up again

33. Uneven logs

34. This one will warm you up on a chilly day

35. Starting back

36. Ducking under this fence

37. Down to the north

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Circling

2/8/2016

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The old sign for Twin Peaks Park with the hiker logo at the Crestlline trailhead has been removed and replaced with one of those ubiquitous green park rules signs (first pic). But the old sign is still at the top of the stairs at the Twin Peaks Blvd. wall (second pic). Raining during the entire hike with visibility nearly zero so no Twin Peaks vu-pix this day.

Off the bus at the top of the long Vista Lane stairway, then up the old, uneven 93 wood steps to the low wall with the trail on one side and Twin Peaks Blvd. on the other.

Read something about a possible trail being constructed around Sutro Tower and down to Clarendon. There alrealdy IS a perfectly serviceable trail like ttis in the area.

The trail I take starts when you step over the guardrail on the west side of Twin Peaks Blvd. just alongside the reservoir. There is a narrow trail here that descends to Marview in the Midtown Terrace neighborhood.

Just across the street is the trailhead for the Tower trail. At first it’s out in the open (pic 3).

The trail climbs with Midtown Terrace homes below, and becomes beautifully forested.

There’s a wire fence on the Midtown Terrace side of the trail, trees below nd above. I wouldn’t advise this trail when it’s raining or has recently rained as parts can be super-slippery. Go slowly if you do, especially downhill, to keep from sinking into the mire.

As I ws carefully making my way down one of those slick parts in the rain, however, two joggers sped effortlessly by going up. Mountain bikers like this trail too; just Noticed tire tracks in the mud this time.

So you circle round this delightful forested area, then downhill to mid-La Avanzada and Clarendon. No trailmarkers at either end: 4 thru 13

Crossing Clarendon makes me nervous as there there is no crosswalk or light here and this is a curvy street. How about some speedbumps as are in some areas of the Presidio. Or better yet a pedestrian skyway.

I’d be less concerned if those considering this new trail weren’t so keen on destroying things of nature and instead would wind around the trees. And make the city streets in the area easier to cross.

Would be nice if they’d use some of those thosands wasted on trying to poison or destroy plants (wrecking critter habitats in the process) to install real bathrooms in some of our parks instead of none at all (Mount Davidson, Bernal Heights Parks) or porta-potties (Twin Peaks, Fort Funston).

Fort Funston now has three large ones, though, and they tend to be cleaner than some others, whereas Twin Peaks Park still has those where you have to wait a minute or so while the thing does its cleaning cycle - and which is too often out of service.

I’m all for extending trails as long as it’s environmentally friendly and they don’t get overly carried away trying to “improve” or tame wild areas that should be respected and protected. And if they'd cease and desist with the toxic herbicides already.

Across Clarendon here, continuing east a short distance to Mount Sutra’s Aldea residential neighborhood. However, there was heavy machinery around the East Ridge trailhead where they were (over)doing “tree work” here still (yeah, in the rain). Lot of woodchips at the North Ridge trailhead.

Continued on the guardrailed walkers’ trail to gaze down into the green lushness of forest and trails from winding Medical Center Way: 14 thru 20

Down this much used and well-made stairway (top at the parking lot) to the foot of Medical Center Way behind the medical buildings. 138 steps. Out to busy Parnassus for the MUNI #43 (or #6): 21 thru 34.

So sure I’d like to see new trails with some of the fenced off areas opened up (owned by the water dept. and others) to hikers as long as they don't get overenthusiastic about cutting down healthy trees to accomplish it. Say, the unused slope above Laguna Honda Reservoir and down to connect with the community garden off 7th Ave. on the west side.