Stairways are Heaven
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One Side Blocked

3/29/2013

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Can't stay away from Lands End very long. It was time to check out the newest steps and picnic area at the summit below the VA Hospital to see how the new plantings were doing. But first, of course, had to do a few other stairways to work my way up and over to it. This is a highly recommended park for lovers of outdoor Stairmasters and vast oceanviews. Do. Not. Miss. 

If you have out-of-town guests, do check out the Lands End Lookout gift shop and coffee shop, then off to the various viewplaces, especially when you have a warm, sunny day like today's. Well, it was sunny when I first started out, but a couple hours later when circling back to my starting point, the fog had come in over the water and Marin Headlands and the views had disappeared. 

Closest to the Lookout is the Lower Parking Lot Overlook stairway (127 steps, first two pix) that I take to access the even longer Sutro Baths Upper Trail (about 141 steps). This westernmost beginning of the Coastal Trail atop the Sutro Baths Ruins cave got its steps extended in 2009. Pics 3, 4, 5. 

At the top of these, had a choice of various trails and stairways, including the park's longest, the Mile Rock Beach (270 or so) that you can take back up again all the way, or climb up the steepish trail to the clifftop viewspot and Labyrinth. If you're on the lower Coastal Trail (main Lands End Trail), there's no avoiding the "Painted Rock" (my name for it) stairway (slightly to the east from the top of the Mile Rock Beach steps) with the two stone benches along its length (138 steps; about 116 more down the east side). 

However, today bypassed the rest of the Lands End Trail for upper trails. From the top of the Sutro Baths Upper Trail, there's a curving paved walk that will take you around to the main Coastal Trail for the first of two overlooks on this trail. 

Directly across from this popular overlook is a steep stairway up to the Upper Parking Lot Overlook (59 or so steps). Here's how it used to look during three different incarnations. First, 2006 (sixth pic); second, 2008 (seventh pic); third, currently (eighth pic) now with the upper overlook. This overlook has some good benches to sit and have lunch or just gaze out at the water. At the overlook's east end starts the El Camino del Mar Trail. 

The El Camino upper trail will take you past a curving wood connector stairway down, over a short wooden footbridge, and to the foot of a higher flight of stairs (about 48 steps) that will take you to the west edge of the Lincoln Park Golf Course and west end of the parking lot for the Legion of  Honor Museum. 


Just past the top of the steps, rising from the parking lot, there's a short stairway and paved path (23 steps in all) that is the Battle of the Bulge Trail. Might be hard to see the foot of the steps as this is a parking lot and you may have to squeeze between cars, as I did today. The trail ends at the north side of the VA Hospital at the edge of another parking lot, but there's a lawn here and some picnic tables. 

You can see the newer picnic area from here: a short walk. There's a retaining wall with railing and walkway so you can view it from above. So is there an "official" name for this picnic spot?

There are about 142 wood steps in all if you do it both up and down (main north and south stairways). However, today found the south stairway blocked with one of those yellow plastic caution tapes across it, apparently due to unsafe conditions. Looking across, though, noticed that the north stairway was open and beckoning me down.

The aforementioned newer plantings are doing very well, thanks very much. They are noticeably larger and healthy looking, evenly spaced atop a background of wood chips: down the slopes next to the two longer stairways and alongside the picnic tables, benches, rocks, and walking paths. Charming! This area has turned out really well and I'm sure the south stairway will again be walkable soon. Pix 9, 10, 11, 12.

From up here, past the orange windsock, continuing along the edge of the VA Hospital's parking lot and onto a favorite very old "hidden" stairway (19, upper, 22 lower steps) down past the Fort Miley ruins, through the forest and back into the main part of the park.

These secluded woodsy steps across from one of the Fort Miley buildings might just be left unmolested and not "improved" (crossing fingers) since they are a part of the old Fort's ruins. There's a regular walkers' trail down to the Fort Miley picnic area from the west side of the VA parking lot. Just next to this is where to find the old stairways (and a wildish trail I like). 

I strongly suspect that the Blair Witch resides in the ancient Octagon building (last pic) deep in the woods here (formerly the Point Lobos Marine Exchange Lookout Station) and that she's in the habit of feasting upon unsuspecting skateboarders who do Fort Miley, as today. Detouring slightly on my way downhill through the forest to say hi to the Octagon House, a ranger's car was parked here, but regular vehicles are not allowed in the Fort Miley area.


So this is between the VA Hospital above to the east and El Camino del Mar (the street that dead-ends for vehicles at the Upper Parking Lot Overlook below). It's not open to the public. What this was all about back then:

http://outsidelands.org/octagon-house.php

From El Camino del Mar there are two newer wood stairways down to a main paved trail. Further on is a shorter stairway with overlook benches near Seal Rock and Point Lobos at the park's south entrance that will take you to the lower parking lot. 

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1. Stairway to Lower Parking Lot Overlook
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2. Stairway to Lower Parking Lot Overlook
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3. West trailhead for the Coastal Trail: Sutro Baths Upper Trail
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4. Sutro Baths Upper Trail climbs from the cavetop viewplace
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5. Top of Sutro Baths Upper Trail
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6. THEN: 2006. Steps down to main Lands End/Coastal Trail
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7. THEN: 2008. Another design for the stairway
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8. NOW: Same stairway. Upper Parking Lot Overlook to main Lands End (Coastal) Trail
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9. Picnic area below VA Hospital parking lot, north stairway
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10. Picnic place below VA Hospital parking lot
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11. Picnic spot below VA Hospital parking lot
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12. Picnic area below VA Hospital parking lot
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13. Octagon House in the Woods near Fort Miley
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Exhibit and Drizzlehike

3/27/2013

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The "Welcome to the Presidio" exhibit visited today is at the Presidio Trust Headquarters, 103 Montgomery, next door to the Disney Museum. Hours are 11 to 5, Wednesdays through Sundays, through 2013. This is over on the northwest side of the Main Post. One of the old stairways up from Crissy Field to the Main Post is still here but blocked off by a fence due to construction below.

The exhibit features some excellent color Then and Now pix. Here are a couple of mine of the Public Health Service District buildings that were rehabilitated in 2010. First is before the renovation of the homes on Wyman, 2008, as seen from Mountain Lake Park. Second is a NOW pic of one of the Wyman Ave. houses. 

Found this online:

http://www.presidio.gov/about/Pages/welcome-to-the-presidio-exhibit.aspx

If you go to see the exhibit, there are a couple of papers to pick up with lots of info about San Francisco's largest park, including maps and history timelines. A few "by the numbers" quoted from one of these: 1,491 total acres … 433 historic buildings … 60 bee species … 30 butterfly species … 24 miles of trails … 18 years as a national park site … 8 scenic overlooks + vistas … 1 tidal marsh … 1 freshwater lake … 3,000 residents and 21 neighborhoods.

The Trust building is near the east side of the National Cemetery so up I went. To one side of the Post Chapel is a steepish dirt trail I've long loved that winds through the forest to the Cemetery Overlook (2009). Down the west side from the Overlook is another forested trail, this time a wood stairway, down to the Park Trail.

At the foot of this, crossed Park to a short trail that leads out to Wright Loop where a sign instructs hikers to descend to the next street. After briefly visiting the Fort Scott Community Garden off Wisser, up a favorite short trail to the east edge of Rob Hill Campground and across the street to Immigrant Point Overlook where the Connector Trail stairs descend to Lincoln. 


However, it was now raining, with visibility nearly nonexistent and my glasses badly in need of windshield wipers, so decided to cut the hike short. Continued down the south side of Rob Hill on Battery Caulfield, past the dunes. 

There's one spot on the west side of Battery Caulfield that could use a sidewalk, so to avoid too-close traffic, I like to detour into the Presidio Forest. You can take an upper trail that will get you off the street and still come out at Lobos Valley Overlook. You could also keep going through the forest down to the Lobos Creek Boardwalk Trail.

So what these brochures don't tell you is that the park also has the city's longest stairway, the Batteries to Bluffs Trail: 470-ish steps, third pic.

… and some other long ones that are must-treks for hikers and lovers of public stairways: 

The Sand Ladder (over 250 steps), Lincoln down to Baker Beach (pics 4, 5);

Connector Trail (208 steps), Immigrant Point Overlook down to Lincoln (pics 6, 7, 8);

National Cemetery Overlook steps down to Park Trail (about 98 steps, 9th pic);

Mountain Lake Trail up to Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook (and out to Battery Caulfield Road), about 103 steps (counting the stepped boardwalk), 10th pic; 

Battery East Trail steps (about 152), west end of Crissy Field Beach/Warming Hut up to the Battery East Trail (Golden Gate Bridge viewspots), pix 11, 12.


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1. THEN: Neglected former Public Health Service District homes on Wyman as seen from Mountain Lake, 2008
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2. NOW: Renovated former Public Health Service District home on Wyman
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3. Batteries to Bluffs Trail
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4. Sand Ladder to Baker Beach
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5. Sand Ladder's foot
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6. Connector Trail, Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook
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7. Connector Trail. Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook/Rob Hill Campground
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8. Connector Trail steps to Immigrant Point Overlook/Rob Hill Campground
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9. Cemetery Overlook down to Park Trail
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10. Marine Cemetery Overlook steps and boardwalk
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11. Battery East Trail stairway up from Crissy Field
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12. Battery East Trail stairway down to Crissy Field/Warming Hut
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McLaren E W Again

3/23/2013

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Second day in a row hiking McLaren, this time had in mind a certain openspace trail that descends to Lake McNab and Louis Sutter Playground. This is a delightfully switchbacked, hardpacked dirt trail I accessed after again descending from the east (Portola) side of the park near University and Mansell. A highly recommended trail, my favorite of the day (first four pics), at the foot of which is Lake McNab (fifth pic). Treated to even more bees and butterflies today than yesterday. 

Around to the northwest side of the lake and up again, but on a slightly lower trail this time (sixth pic), coming out at a regular street sign for 500 John F. Shelley at Cambridge (still just above the Portola 'hood) with another of those new park trailsigns seen (seventh pic). Crossed and continued trailing west just above Wayland. 

Soon reached a picnic area and headed up the glorious forest trail here, just slightly more to the north than yesterday's hike, again taking me up to the east side of the reservoir. There was this gorgeous white egret (eighth pic) near the fence but a barking dog made it nervous and off it flew.

Uphill to the south (ninth pic) a short distance took me to a trail I was on yesterday, above the north side of Mansell (10th pic). Finally descended to the #29 bus stop at Brazil and Mansell, west (Excelsior) edge of the park, gazing over at San Bruno Mountain's north face with all the still-green slopes between the residential streets up there (11th pic). 


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1. Bernal Heights from McLaren's east side
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2. Downhill openspace trail
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3. Switchbacked trail down to Lake McNab
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4. Down to Lake McNab
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5. Lake McNab
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6. One of the park's rustic footbridges
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7. One of the park infosigns
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8. Upper Reservoir
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9. Westside trails. Excelsior 'hood below.
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10. Bench on a forest trail near Brazil, above Mansell
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11. San Bruno Mountain from Brazil & Mansell
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McLaren E W

3/23/2013

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Off the bus at Visitacion and Mansell, headed northwest on a trail near University Ave. (Portola 'hood). Passed two etched images-and-words granite musing stations (first two pix) right away, then down 48 or so widely spaced steps to a rustic footbridge not visited in a while. 

Heading west, past Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, soon reached the upper reservoir (third pic), with the usual wet dogs, taking the inner trail next to the water partway round: ducks in residence. A short stairway at the reservoir's north end took me to a third musing station (this a map, fourth and fifth pix) and a Philosopher's Way plaque near the parking area and trail up to the blue water tower (sixth pic). 

The westside water tower is encircled by a paved walkway with big rocks to sit on and to-die-for views. Here I came to my fourth, and favorite, artstation of the day (seventh pic), part of which says: "The highest part of the park looks out over a neighborhood of immigrants." Besides the cityviews, you can also look down into  backyards in the upper Excelsior neighborhood (eighth pic). 

Circling for a while on some isolated middle and southwest-ish openspace and forested trails (pics 9 through 13): Wildflowers, including yellow mustard and California poppies … tall grasses, bees and butterflies … various kinds of beautiful trees. So many inviting trails in this park it's difficult to choose which to take. 

On a forested trail just above Mansell near Brazil came upon a fifth mounted infotablet: a 1929 photo of Visitacion Valley residents at "Sandy Beach" … "A collection of moments … " 

Have I now seen them all? More about the art stations:

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Art-nature-converge-at-Philosopher-s-Way-4074553.php

Near the bus stop at John F. Shelley and 1700 Mansell is now another of those colorful new park infosigns (last pic: an old bench here). 


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1. One of the musing stations
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2. Another musing station
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3. The Upper Reservoir
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4. Musing Station map near the Water Tower
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5. Musing Station map near trail to Water Tower
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6. Philosopher's Way Plaque near trail to Water Tower
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7. Clifftop Trail near Water Tower
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8. Clifftop Water Tower Trail overlooks upper Excelsior 'hood backyards
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9. Midpark Trails
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10. Midpark Trails
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11. Midpark Trails
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12. Midpark Trails
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13. California Poppies on a Rocky Trail
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14. Old bench at John F. Shelley near Mansell
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Steps Temporarily Closed

3/15/2013

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Inspired by a recent Hidden Garden Steps blog, paid a visit to see if anything new had been added since last time. Found the to-be-tiled 16th Ave. Kirkham-to-Lawton stairway in the Golden Gate Heights 'hood to be temporarily closed and impassable now at the top, due to reopen in April. First pic: mural and bench at the foot (149 or so steps).

The next stairway over, 15th Avenue, is even longer with around 193 steps, and an excellent tile-job candidate as well. Ascended this one to Lawton/Lomita at 15th Avenue, next four pics.

Sixth pic: Mount Sutro's Forest Knolls up ahead from 15th Ave. and Lawton. 

Continuing east, climbed Funston to divided Noriega. Seventh pic: Mount Sutro's Forest Knolls again from divided Noriega. 

Eighth pic: Selma stairway's foot (153 steps, near 12th Ave.) is the dark spot in the upper left corner of Noriega. Pics 9, 10, and 11 are of the Selma stairway up to Ortega. 

Passed Oriole stairway (90-something steps) on the way downhill from Golden Gate Heights to the Forest Hill neighborhood to catch the Forest Hill Metro (Laguna Honda/Seventh Ave.) Oriole's foot (pix 12 and 13) is at Pacheco near 2000 10th Avenue. 


At Ninth Ave. are a couple of posts indicating that you're now entering the Forest Hill 'hood with its winding streets and uniquely beautiful homes. Last pic is the foot of the steps at Castenada at Magellan. Google Maps says this stairway is called "Forest Hill Path."

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1. Hidden Garden Steps mural and bench, 16th Ave. & Kirkham
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2. Long way up: 15th Avenue steps, Kirkham to Lawton and Lomita
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3. 15th Avenue stairway
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4. 15th Avenue stairway
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5. 15th Avenue stairway partway up
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6. View of Mount Sutro's Forest Knolls from 15th Ave. & Lawton
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7. A view of Mount Sutro's Forest Knolls from Noriega in Golden Gate Heights
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8. Divided Noriega. Selma stairway's foot at upper left part of pic
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9. A Selma stairway landing. Golden Gate Park in distance
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10. Selma steps: Noriega to Ortega
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11. Top of Selma stairway at Ortega, Golden Gate Heights
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12. Oriole stairway's foot at Pacheco near 2000 10th Ave.
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13. Oriole stairway's foot at Pacheco near 2000 10th Ave.
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14. Castenada at Magellan at Forest Hill Path
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Magical McLaren

3/15/2013

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McLaren Park is such a treasure that mere words do not do it justice; neither do pix. Go wander the trails, check out the public art stations, and do not rush: take your time. 

I've always been especially enthralled with the trails south of divided Mansell (runs E-W through the park) with Visitacion Valley below and big sis San Bruno Mountain across. The steep, now velvety-green, slopes are crossed with multiple trails and wildflowers all over the place: First pic: One of my favorites. Can anyone tell me what flower this is? The trails are on the wild side and there aren't as many people over here as compared to other areas of this big park (318 or so acres).

While I haven't yet done the complete 2.7-mile Philosopher's Way loop around the park, did appreciate several delightful art stations on southside trails this time. 

This is a public art project throughout SF's third largest park (after the Presidio and Golden Gate Park). I'd like to see all our larger parks follow this example. These "musing stations" are attractive granite markers about two feet high made from old city curbstones. The tablets atop the stands are beautifully etched with info, old maps, and photos relevant to the immediate area and are supposed to "encourage personal thought and contemplation." Took the nice clear cardboard map I got at the SF History Expo but didn't use it, preferring just to meander along and discover on my own. 

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Art-nature-converge-at-Philosopher-s-Way-4074553.php#ixzz2NSpk7gkQ

Off the #29 at Brazil, a short distance into the park's west side from the top of the Excelsior 'hood, and over the guardrail to descend from Mansell for one of the unmarked skinny-dirt trails, passing alongside the foot of the green tanks. Second pic: multiple forested trails.

The first of the musing stations seen was a photo of Martin Luther King's appearance at the Cow Palace (1961). 

http://www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection/pubart-press-releases/2012/12/26/dedication-philosophers-way-a-new-public-artwork-in-mclaren-park

Quoting all of the entire second infoplaque admired: 
"
The city is a kind of sea, with hilltop islands of wild space. The native grasses that survive in these harsh conditions are hundreds of years old, older than most of the trees in San Francisco. During the rainy season months the tops grow tall and in the summer they dry back to a little tuft. The roots, nearly 16 inches deep, don't die, they pull back and deposit a little organic material into the ground so over thousands of years they have built the rich topsoil." (Contributed by Kirra Swenerton, Natural Resources Manager, San Francisco Recreation & Park). 

A colorful new trailmap (third pic) has been erected at Mansell and the Wilde Overlook parking spot at the top of Visitacion Ave. Coming into the parking area from the sunny openspace trail I was on is a larger Philosopher's Way infosculpture I hadn't seen before either. Fourth pic: Center, near top.  

The third artstation passed provided info on the soaproot herb, a member of the onion family, for which the Ohlones had many uses, including brushes, soap, medicine, glue and food. Fifth pic. 

Naturally when I reached Visitacion Ave. had to do the long (195 steps: pics 6, 7, 8) stairway I highly recommend to everyone who'll listen that starts up from the west dead-end of Campbell in Vis Valley and comes out at Visitacion Ave. in the park. 

This time as I was heading back up the stairs veered off onto a supersteep unmarked dirt trail that's, to use a descriptive term from the new map, "challenging," to say the least: ninth pic.  When I finally made it to the top of this, in the pleasing company of butterflies, bees 'n bumblebees, was greeted by a main trail with benches and a few more infoplaques to view: Pics 10, 11.

… "Valley from McLaren Park, 1910" by Frank Taylor, Visitacion Valley resident: "I was born in the Valley…" 

… "Visitacion Valley 1900" (Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace), 12th pic, and 

… "When Visitacion Valley was settled … Here at the top of the hill was the reservoir that fed the Spring Valley pumping station below on Leland Avenue …" (Betty Parshall, Visitacion Valley resident). 

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/VISITACION-VALLEY-Neighbors-preserve-lore-and-2724252.php

 Just past these is the top of the second southside stairway. This doesn't have as many steps (about 57) because the lower part, up from Ervine in Vis Valley, is a winding trail:13th pic.

Further along to the east were older, rustic benches, several picnic tables, and a critter sighting: a little lizard, last pic. This is near the old observation tower near the east edge of the park near University Ave. and the top of the Portola 'hood. (South of Mansell starts the upper Visitacion Valley neighborhood). 


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1. What is this flower called?
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2. South of Mansell, west side of park
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3. Park Map at Wilde Overlook, Visitacion & Mansell
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4. Mansell left. Wilde Overlook Parking with new "Philosopher's Way" plaque upper, center.
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5. Art station (Soaproot herb) along Philosopher's Way
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6. Top of stairway left, off Visitacion Ave.
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7. 195 steps from Campbell to Visitacion Ave.
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8. Long stairway from Visitacion Ave. down to Campbell in Vis Valley
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9. Steep trail up from stairway to a main trail
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10. Top of steep trail at a main trail
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11. Top of steep trail at a main trail
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12. Another musing station on Philosopher's Way trail
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13. Shorter stairway and trail down to Vis Valley 'hood
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14. Benchlizard
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    I like meandering around on San Francisco's park trails and public stairways, sometimes taking photos, and enjoying nature and the outdoors.

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