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Bernal Up and Over

3/27/2012

Deliberately detoured a bit down in the Mission flatlands for a different route to Bernal Hill from the 24th and Mission BART. At 28th and San Jose is an inviting little streetside micropark/ gardenspot with "Road Closed" signs and huge silver bucket-type planters. When you're walking, you're much less likely to miss delightful little surprises like this one than when you have to pay attention to your driving.

Heading up the Fair stairway from Mission was when the real hike started (first photo). Bernal's steep up and down streets and various stairways are an excellent workout.

Have decided to revisit some streets and neighborhoods not seen in a while and to retake some NOW photos I started taking back in 2004 that I'm not happy with. As in too far away or too dark. This includes a bunch of Bernal houses.

Today mainly just wandered east: Past the row of Coso beauties; Mirabel to Shotwell; past the Aztec stairway (second pic), and continuing up to lushly green Bernal Heights Park (third and fourth pix).

At the top of the Chapman/Rosenkranz steps, one of the older stairways (fifth photo), paused to admire the view of Bernal south, the Portola, McLaren Park, and San Bruno Mountain beyond with darkening clouds looming. Barely made it home before it started pouring again.

Fair stairway up from Mission/Coleridge

Aztec stairway up from Shotwell

Bernal Heights Park.

East edge of Bernal Heights Park

Chapman/Rosenkranz stairway

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OMI Ups and Downs

3/8/2012

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Had to cross a freeway entrance to get to the first uphill street for this hike (fortunately there's a light): Tara. This is an ethnically diverse neighborhood that slopes up across from the Balboa Park BART station.

It had been a while and the climb was well worth it. Tara is on the east side of the hill. I like the neighborhood, views, and many of the older homes. Transportation is good out here too with your choice of BART, Metros, and buses.

Tara turned into Majestic and got steeper. At the top is a dead-end, even for walkers, so back down to Lakeview and a block west up to Margaret and Summit. Margaret has a few street-to-sidewalk steps and the "drawbridge" mural on the garage is still here (first pic).

At Summit and Minerva is a WOW-view cliffside openspace, including south to San Bruno Mountain (hazy today though).

Especially love the houses on the south side of Lakeview on the way up to the Orizaba-Shields Rocky Outcrop Park (a small rocky space at the top of the hill with spectacular views: second pic).

This is a dead-end for vehicles but not for hikers. Unfortunately the sides of the houses up here facing the tiny park - and one of the Significant Natural Resource signs - are covered with unsightly graffiti. I could smell and see dog poop nearby as I trailed around to the guardrail at the east end of Shields.

Probably Shields here starts the Merced Heights 'hood. The larger Brooks Park is a bit further to the west (Shields at Ramsell). I'm not sure which streets are supposed to divide the Oceanview-Merced Heights-Ingleside area up into separate neighborhoods. Third pic: view north from Faxon and Lakeview with Mount Davidson beyond.

Continuing into Brooks Park, the community garden is well-maintained, with healthy looking veggies, and extended somewhat from my last visit. Didn't see the porta-potty that used to be in the garden. Out the garden gate and into the rest of the small park, was going to sit on a favorite bench on the west edge, but this was occupied by a couple of kids. There used to be a home up here and you can still see some of its foundation in the park (fourth photo).

See:

http://www.outsidelands.org/sw23.php

Walked around the park a bit before descending on Ramsell all the way down to Ocean, taking the K-Ingleside Metro back to the Balboa Park BART station.

Fifth pic: A former earthquake shack on Montana.

Margaret near Summit

Shields-Orizaba Rocky Outcrop Park

View north to Mount Davidson from Faxon and Lakeview

Brooks Park

Former Earthquake cottage, Montana St.

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Presidio Gate to El Polin Roundtrip

3/7/2012

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From the first #43 bus stop inside the park at Presidio Blvd. and Simonds Loop, today's meandering route took me down from the backs of the Sumner Loop homes, past the Lover's Lane footbridge, and up the steps to the Main Post. Before you reach the top of the steps you'll see the new hotel, Inn at the Presidio (formerly Pershing Hall).

The 22-room hotel will be open for business on April 1. Got in to have a look around the bottom floor. OMG. I want to iive there. Especially fond of the wooden rocking chairs on the front porch. See http://www.innatthepresidio.com for pics.

Directly behind the Inn (now with an outdoor back patio) is the trailhead for the Ecology Trail (first photo). At first the trail is forested, then you're out of the forest and winding around to Inspiration Point Overlook (second pic).

Started back down from a higher point than I did last visit to the newly reopened El Polin Spring area. The trail connected with the trail I was on last time, then descended a bit more before reaching the top of the new stairway that swoops down through the forest the rest of the way into the peaceful little valley.

Third pic: an unearthed tiled basin that was used long ago to collect water.

Last two pix: A "Then" of El Polin I took in early 2009 and a "Now" showing part of the new boardwalk that has replaced the concrete road. "My" willow tree is still there, happy with new spring buds. If you like lots of birds, trees, and nature in general, go check this place out.

When I could finally force myself to leave, climbed the older stairway and continued trailing back towards the east to eventually reach the top of Lover's Lane at Presidio Blvd. (Presidio Gate) and downhill out of the park.

Archaeology walking tours of El Polin are upcoming, the first on Saturday, March 31 at 11 a.m. See www.presidio.gov/calendar for details. Walks will be offered the last Saturday of each month in spring 2012: March 31, April 28, May 26, and June 30. Space is limited so they need RSVPs: archaeology@presidiotrust.gov

Ecology Trail

Unearthed tile basin that was once used to collect water

THEN: 2009, showing paved road. Willow tree and old stairway to right.

NOW: March 2012, new boardwalk

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Edgehill and the Park

3/6/2012

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I like a certain walkers' path/stairway between Kensington and Dorchester on the west side of this hill (first photo).

Divided Garcia (second photo) merges into Edgehill Way from the east side.

Seems every time I visit the west side there's some kind of construction going on, and usually involving one of those large brown-shingled residences they've stuffed up on this narrow hill. I do have favorite houses up here but these are not among them.

Curved around past the bear (or whatever it's supposed to be) sculpture/critter wall (third pic) and totem poles on the west side of the hill to the unmarked entrance to forested little Edgehill Mountain Park. This park is steep in places, especially on the east side which could use a stairway up to the street. You'll see an old wooden sign for the park here (fourth photo).

The street here is called Knockash Hill. It leads downhill past newer residences and a church. There's a steep slope above as you descend, at the top of which is the Edgehill Way view-wall area. I've often wished for a long stairway to the wall from this area.

If you want to get up to the view-wall/back to Edgehill Way, then, retrace your steps out the west entrance.

This time continued down Knockash Hill to Ulloa. Between Waithman and Kensington on Ulloa are a number of very short stairways from the sidewalk to the street.

Near Kensington and Ulloa you can't miss the pedestrian bridge over busy Portola that will take you to Juanita & Marne on Mount Davidson where there's a #43 bus stop. There's a stairway up from Portola's south sidewalk also.

Fifth pic: Edgehill Heights as seen from the east side, taken from Panorama in the Midtown Terrace 'hood (Twin Peaks west).

Kensington to Dorchester steps and walk

Divided Garcia

Critter wall on Edgehill Way near the park entrance

Sign for Edgehill Mountain Park at the east entrance at Knockash Hill.

Edgehill Heights from Panorama in Midtown Terrace (Twin Peaks West).

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Green Mountain Slopes

3/2/2012

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After my usual Bog Trail meander in San Bruno Mountain Park (first pic), started up the Eucalyptus Loop Trail (second pic - near the trailhead), curving round to the east until it connected with the Summit Loop Trail.

Just before the Summit towers, where the Summit Loop connects with the Ridge Trail (third pic), continued on the Ridge for a short distance (fourth photo), then back to the Summit Loop to descend. The Summit Loop connects with the Diary Ravine and Eucalyptus Loop Trails partway down. So today did at least some of all the trails except the Saddle and Old Ranch Road.

Continuing down the Summit Loop (fifth pic) there was this bicyclist heading up. Second time I've seen a bicyclist up here (despite the no-bikes-on-trails icons on the trail markers). How they can navigate a bike on these narrow, rocky trails is beyond me.

Twice on the Summit Loop and twice again further down on the Eucalyptus Loop, a small furry mammal darted across the trail a few yards ahead. The first two on the Summit Loop were kind of a light gray, The little critter on on the Eucalyptus Loop a darker gray, and the fourth a sort of brownish hue. They weren't cats. I'm thinking wild rabbits/hares, especially the split-second glance at the second one. They were all too quick and too far ahead to be sure.

'Twas a superclear day with one of the sharper views of the whole world I've seen in a while. Beautiful spring buds 'n blooms along the Bog Trail were reminiscent of my Glen Canyon hike the other day. Neither time on the Bog did I encounter my buddy the Attack Pheasant.

Bog Trail

East Trailhead for Eucalyptus Loop Trail

Summit Loop North meets Ridge Trail

Ridge Trail

Summit Loop North

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Bernal Up and Over

OMI Ups and Downs

Presidio Gate to El Polin Roundtrip

Edgehill and the Park

Green Mountain Slopes

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