Glen Canyon's longest stairway (86 steps, a favorite, pix 1, 2, 3) drops precipitously from the west edge of Christopher Park near the Diamond Heights Shopping Center.
At the end of the steps onto a regular trail, this beauty turns and continues down (fourth pic). When partway along, however, noticed that an older, shorter stairway had been extended up one side of the rocks here that are often occupied by rock climbers (as today). There are now 61 steps (pics 5, 6).
From the top of the stairway extension (seventh pic), looking down the other side of the rock before descending, discovered a brand new wooden stairway (68 steps, pix 8, 9, 10, 11).
After you've crossed the footbridge over Islais Creek, you can't miss these two stairways with the rocks above centered between them.
Continued north on the lower trail to where it ends and climbs into the open, noticing some flexi-plastic barriers and stacked tree limbs near the creek, hoping the trail down again wouldn't be blocked. It wasn't. Was able to step across the creek as usual but this time with a view of more of the creek than ever before. Lots of brush-clearing around here lately, with new planting-flags alongside the creek … a hummingbird, bees, plenty of damselflies.
Easily found the "hidden" trailhead to what I call the "North Trail" or "Treelimb Trail," the latter appellation because to start, one has to climb over a few treelimbs that stretch across the trail (12th pic). I love this kinda thing and fervently hope they leave the trail this way. Moving north, blackberry bushes have been trimmed back, making the trail easier to traverse than before, this all the way to the school playing field's locked gate. But then, between the gate and the end of the fence, it was the same rough tangle as when last visited, where I'm obliged to crawl under a branch at one point or get attacked by brambles.
Back up again on a skinny high-trail above the two new stairways (pix 13, 14), picking my way around and down a roughish, rocky wild-radishy trail (pics 15, 16) next to a big round "mat" of green to a wider trail below, then back up the same trail I came down (last pic).
Turned left to take the short trail that's just below Christopher Park, coming out at Amber and Turquoise. From here turned right, uphill, to the top of Duncan, strolling appreciatively through the Police Academy's Little Red Hen Community Garden, out to Diamond Heights Blvd. and my starting point in front of the shopping center.
At the end of the steps onto a regular trail, this beauty turns and continues down (fourth pic). When partway along, however, noticed that an older, shorter stairway had been extended up one side of the rocks here that are often occupied by rock climbers (as today). There are now 61 steps (pics 5, 6).
From the top of the stairway extension (seventh pic), looking down the other side of the rock before descending, discovered a brand new wooden stairway (68 steps, pix 8, 9, 10, 11).
After you've crossed the footbridge over Islais Creek, you can't miss these two stairways with the rocks above centered between them.
Continued north on the lower trail to where it ends and climbs into the open, noticing some flexi-plastic barriers and stacked tree limbs near the creek, hoping the trail down again wouldn't be blocked. It wasn't. Was able to step across the creek as usual but this time with a view of more of the creek than ever before. Lots of brush-clearing around here lately, with new planting-flags alongside the creek … a hummingbird, bees, plenty of damselflies.
Easily found the "hidden" trailhead to what I call the "North Trail" or "Treelimb Trail," the latter appellation because to start, one has to climb over a few treelimbs that stretch across the trail (12th pic). I love this kinda thing and fervently hope they leave the trail this way. Moving north, blackberry bushes have been trimmed back, making the trail easier to traverse than before, this all the way to the school playing field's locked gate. But then, between the gate and the end of the fence, it was the same rough tangle as when last visited, where I'm obliged to crawl under a branch at one point or get attacked by brambles.
Back up again on a skinny high-trail above the two new stairways (pix 13, 14), picking my way around and down a roughish, rocky wild-radishy trail (pics 15, 16) next to a big round "mat" of green to a wider trail below, then back up the same trail I came down (last pic).
Turned left to take the short trail that's just below Christopher Park, coming out at Amber and Turquoise. From here turned right, uphill, to the top of Duncan, strolling appreciatively through the Police Academy's Little Red Hen Community Garden, out to Diamond Heights Blvd. and my starting point in front of the shopping center.
1. Viewbench down from west edge of Christopher Park
2. Long Canyon stairway/trail
3. Continuing down
4. Midtrail
5. Extended stairway down
6. Trail extension up from Canyon depths
7. Stairways now on each side of these rocks
8. Top of new stairway
9. Foot of the new stairway
10. Foot of the new stairway
11. Up the new stairway
12. Treelimby north trail
13. Top of new stairway from a higher trail
14. Top of new stairway from a higher trail
15. An upper Canyon trail on the east side
16. Rocky, steep and narrow
17. Back up to the west edge of Christopher Park
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