Blog Archives

Sunny Sausalito Stairs

4/24/2014

I sometimes have no specific route in mind; just enjoy climbing up and around for a couple of hours enjoying the hi-trek with the views, delightful aromas, bountiful trees and other plants, and this very green city’s various stairways.

120 steps to start up the El Monte steps at Bridgeway, first two pix. Bulkley’s at the top, pic 3.

86 steps from Girard to Filbert. Love this area: 4, 5, 6.

Filbert Court, a private street, pic 7.

At the end of Marie is a bench and 25 shady wood railroad-tie steps up to Woodward.

Langendorf Park: 52 wood steps: 8, 9.

Right after the park is the foot of Laurel Lane: 299 steps from Woodward up to Toyon. Laurel Lane’s like Cable Roadway a bit to the south in that after the long stairways there's about a block’s worth of steep vehicle street at the top of each: 10 thru 16.

Toyon Ct. at the top of Laurel: 46 sidewalk steps, pics 17, 18, 19.

Curly street: Monte Mar & Currey, pic 20.

Wray & Currey, pic 21.

Currey near Wray, pic 22.

George Lane, pic 23. Love the street sign.

Currey near Glen, pic 24.

Girard & Turney, pic 25.

Lower Glen, 19 steps: last two pix.

1. El Monte up from Bridgeway

2. Bridgeway below from El Monte steps

3. A view from Bulkley

4. Steps up from Girard

5. Girard to Filbert

6. Top of Girard at Filbert

7. Filbert Ct.

8. Langendorf Park

9. Langendorf Park stairs

10. Foot of Laurel Lane at Woodward

11. Laurel Lane, longest found so far

12. Here it turns and changes style

13. Laurel Lane continues up

14. There's a bench partway up

15. Nearing the top

16. Laurel Lane's vehicle street part, about a block

17. Toyon Ct. sidewalk steps

18. Toyon Ct. sidewalk stairway

19. Toyon Ct.

20. Monte Mar at Currey

21. Wray at Currey

22. Currey near Wray

23. George Lane

24. Currey near Glen

25. Girard & Turney

26. Divided Glen

27. Upper to lower Glen

1 Comment

Springtime on the Mountain

4/20/2014

4 Comments

The Crocker-Amazon neighborhood has very few stairways. This ‘hood and adjacent Daly City could use a lot more. The #43 bus doesn’t run close enough to San Bruno Mountain Park’s Crocker trailhead, so upon disembarking this nondriver has to trudge a long way uphill.

Instead of streets-made-for-cars curving around so much in certain superhilly neighborhoods, more stairways would help a lot for more of a direct route to the park, so I could spend more time in the park itself.

There’s one short stairway regularly used when finally descending to the bus stop on the way back from the park way up above, this from Prague & Winding Way to Curtis/Munich/Naples: 36 steps, first two pics.

Once into the park:

Trailhead at Crocker Ave.: Old Guadalupe Trail, pic 3

Saddle Loop Trailhead from Old Guadalupe: pic 4

Bog Trail down from Old Guadalupe: pix 5 thru 14

The Meadow area: 15, 16, 17

Eucalyptus Loop Trail: 18 thru 25

Old Ranch Road Trail: 26, 27, 28

Looking up from South Hill Blvd. to Alta Vista in Daly City on the way back down, last pic.

1. Prague/Winding Way down to Curtis/Munich/Naples, Crocker-Amazon 'hood

2. Out to the bus stop

3. Into the park on the Old Guadalupe Trail

4. The Saddle Loop Trail starts up from the Old Guadalupe and comes out at the Meadow

5. Down to the Bog Trail from the Old Guadalupe

6. One of several Bog Trail benches

7. One of two footbridges

8. Bog Beauty

9. Bog Trail curves around

10. Circling back from the Meadow on the Bog

11. Another Bog bench

12. Bog Trail

13. Shady beautyspot

14. Old Guadalupe Trail upper left

15. The Meadow

16. To the Meadow

17. Parking lot near the Meadow

18. Eucalyptus Trail

19. Eucalyptus heading east

20. Eucalyptus Loop Trail

21. Eucalyptus Loop

22. Sittin' Logs

23. The highway in distance from the Eucalyptus Loop

24. Eucalyptus Loop

25. The velvety green mountain from the Eucalyptus Loop. Brisbane to left.

26. Trailheads: Eucalyptus Loop to right, Old Ranch Road Trail to left

27. Old Ranch Road Trail just below the highway

28. Old Ranch Road Trail and Wildflowers

29. Alta Vista above from South Hill, Daly City

4 Comments

Doggydunes

4/19/2014

1 Comment

Fort Funston (part of the GGNRA) has two long wood stairways. Last time here, nearly a year ago, some of the eastside stairs near the top were being replaced. This first one starts a little way up from the foot of the park.

This time, however, only counted 77. I’m only going to count what I can see/feel. Yet another time for this one got 173, even more than the one that descends to Ocean Beach. Wondering how many more were buried under the sand as I climbed. First two pix.

Moved on to the “Funston Beach Trail” with the stairway. On one side of the day-glo green cones with "GGNRA" marked on them is the hang gliders’ landing area. Fog was blowing in and the orange windsock’s “nose” drooping, so no show. The short woodchipped cone-trail (pic 3) leads to the cliff-edge where the stairway swoops partway down to Ocean Beach.

With sand sometimes completely covering steps, one can get a different count each time, similar to Baker Beach’s Sand Ladder (around 253-ish last time for the BB).

Last time for the Funston Beach Trail’s steps, 160 count; this time 163. Could plainly see the logs this time. Pix 4 thru 21.

Back out of the park again on a different trail than when climbing up, hands dampened by doggy kisses and a moist ball that was twice dropped at my feet to toss. Pic 22: a happy dune dog.

Other park pix: 23 thru 30.

Last pic: Ocean Beach near the zoo.

1. Eastside sand-covered steps

2. Eastside sand-covered steps

3. Hang Glider Landing Zone. Funston Beach Trail stairs down to Ocean Beach ahead.

4. Stairs start a little way down

5. Top of Fort Funston Trail steps

6. Top of the steps

7. Top of the stairway

8. Formerly known as the "Sand Ladder"

9. Partway down to Ocean Beach

10. Near the top

11. Logs closeup

12. 163 steps this time

13. Scenic cliffside

14. Watch your step

15. Off the stairs, into the iceplant

16. Midtrail

17. Partway down

18. Near the foot

19. Nearing the foot

20. This last one's a doozy

21. The old sign at the foot

22. Dunedog

23. Under this to the main trails

24. "Horse Trail"

25. Artwork along the trail

26. More dunes art

27. A welcoming old bench

28. Battery Davis

29. Lake Merced and Mount Davidson beyond

30. Back out to the highway

31. Ocean Beach near the Zoo

1 Comment

Hidden McLaren Steps

4/18/2014

6 Comments

Passing on recent pix (1 through 8) of a McLaren Park stairway that some SF stairway walkers may not be familiar with. The longest in the park with 195 steps, it starts up at the dead-end of Campbell Ave. in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. It's set back a bit from the street, thus slightly “hidden.”

It climbs past Visitacion Valley Middle School and up to Visitacion Ave. When you reach the top, continue up steep Visitacion to divided Mansell.

South of Mansell is the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. North of Mansell, to the east of the park, is the Portola ‘hood.

From the foot of the stairs, this time downhilled on Campbell a couple of streets to Delta. Left on Delta to the next street up, Tucker, and onto the skinny, steep, rough concrete walk (seven steps to start), pix 9, 10, 11.

At the top of this pathway, the next cross-street up is Tioga, then Wilde. Turn left on Wilde to Ervine for a steep curving trail into the park, the old observation tower above. You can’t see the stairs until you’re partway up (about 56, pix 12, 13, 14), at the top of which are a couple of Philosopher’s Way musing stations and viewbenches: 15, 16.

Pic 17: Seriously steep trail off the stairway, also up to the viewbenches.

Especially love the south, openspace part of McLaren with big sis San Bruno Mountain across, everything green and wildflowery now at both parks (pic 18).

What is this flower (pic 19) seen south of Mansell?

Unfortunately one of the nearby musing station plaques had been graffitied-upon; hope there are ways to remove the paint from the artwork.

Check out these daisies all over the place, just north of the tennis courts: pic 20, Bernal Hill in distance.

Pic 21: Another of the musing stations.

A favorite trail descends to Lake McNab that starts a short distance below the tennis courts, north of Mansell. It’s steep, switchbacked, hard-packed dirt: 22 thru 26.

Critters seen: a squirrel (too far away), a lizard (too fast), and this guy: last two pix.

McLaren is around 318 acres and the third largest park within SF city limits. However, since the Presidio’s a national park, some people don’t include it when talking about acreage, even though it’s larger than Golden Gate Park. So one is likely to hear city park McLaren still spoken of as being the second largest SF park.

1. Stairway starts down from Visitacion Ave. San Bruno Mountain in distance.

2. Down from Visitacion Ave.

3. Visitacion Ave. down to Campbell

4. 195 steps

5. Continuing down

6. Down into the Visitacion Valley neighborhood

7. Alongside the school and out to Campbell Ave.

8. "Hidden" stairs at dead-end of Campbell

9. Delta pathway, Tucker to Tioga

10. Rough spot

11. Up to Tioga

12. Stairs ahead. Trail up from Wilde into the park.

13. 56 steps up to benches, musing stations, and picnic tables

14. Visitacion Valley below

15. One of the musing stations with top of stairway just behind

16. Viewbenches south of Mansell

17. Steep trail up from the stairway

18. San Bruno Mountain in distance with Vis Valley below.

19. What is this flower? Seen only in McLaren.

20. Daisies on the lawn. Bernal Hill in distance.

21. Another musing station

22. Trail down to Lake McNab

23. Bernal Hill in distance, upper left corner

24. A favorite trail

25. Switchbacked trail down to Lake McNab

26. Trailsign climbing back up

27. Looking for lunch

28. Long-legged beauty

6 Comments

Steps are Gone

4/17/2014

1 Comment

Can someone please enlighten me as to what’s going on with Glen Canyon’s longest stairway down from Christopher Park?

Expected to climb the 86 usual older wood steps and trail out of the park. Gone! My thought is that they may be planning a new stairway.

This delightful trail turned and passed under some trees on its way down to the canyon floor. Hoping it will continue to do so. Now there’s this: first two pix. But where’s the actual trail?

If I was in charge would construct a new wood stairway starting down from the very edge of Christopher Park this time, following the old stairway/trail to the canyon floor beneath the trees and down to the canyon floor. A few pix of the way this stairway-trail used to look are in my Glen Canyon Facebook album.

There are still some rough ridges (pics 3, 4) now serving as steps in this upper area leading up to the wood viewbench. Fortunately the bench is still there (pic 5); hope they’ll leave that as it is. So this steepish upper trail is now slippery with loose rocks; made me glad I was climbing up this time instead of descending.

There used to be another area where there were some steps leading down from the walkway immediately below Christopher Park. Around here now I see some straw wattles down the steep slope. Pix 6, 7. But no sign yet of new stairways being constructed up here as of my last visit. A wait ’n see.

Pic 8: The part of this walkway that’s near the park entrance.

Ascending from the canyon floor via the attractive newer stairway’s 67 steps: 9 thru 14.

On the other side of the climbing rocks, the other wood stairway still has that same black fencing alongside it; was hoping the thing would have been removed by now: 15, 16.

Had entered the park this time via the newly constructed walkway at the lower end, passing the 36 steps down from Elk.

Under the tree canopy (17), onto the boardwalk (18), over the footbridge (19), and continuing north, pix 20 through 24.

Climbed up ’n back down again as usual so as to check out the northernmost trail I like; it now has this graffitied-upon fencing at its trailhead in the Islais Creek area: pic 25. Whatzis?

On past the playing field gate a little way. Some trash still here and the tangle’s still not been cleared out to Portola, if indeed it’s ever going to be. I do like that one can see down into the creek from a spot on this trail whereas before it was too tangly. Found a log to sit on here, pic 26.

Checking out the clearing where the rope swings used to be, there’s now a tire swing up (pic 27); some kids hangin’ out in the area.

Views from the east cliffedge near Christopher Park: Last three pix. Mount Davidson Park and the Miraloma Park ‘hood way up on the westside.

1. Netting-with-straw. Where's the trail?

2. Black fencing and straw

3. Rocks but no wood steps

4. What happened to the wood steps?

5. The view bench. Mount Davidson across the canyon.

6. Straw wattles down from the walkway

7. What is this?

8. Trail just below Christopher Park, this part near the park entrance

9. Newer stairway up from the canyon floor

10. Climbing up from the canyon floor

11. California poppies along the stairway

12. One of two stairways with the climbing rock between

13. Green with wildflowers

14. Nearing the top

15. Remove the black fence already!

16. Top of the two stairways with the climbing rocks between

17. Entering the canopy trail

18. The boardwalk

19. Islais Creek below

20. Pink and purple on green

21. Between the rustic fences

22. Lower canyon trail

23. Lower trail moving north

24. The muddy part

25. Fencing and graffiti at entrance to the northernmost trail

26. A view down to the creek

27. Tire swing in the clearing

28. Looking down from the edge of Christopher Park. Diamond Heights homes upper right.

29. View from the eastside. Mount Davidson's Miraloma Park 'hood upper left.

30. View from the canyon's east edge. Mount Davidson Park in distance.

1 Comment

Destination Alta Trail

4/3/2014

1 Comment

First long stairway for this hike was Noble Lane’s 98 steps that ascend from Atwood (first pic). There’s no street sign for Noble; it comes out at Noble/Central/San Carlos. Off on another stairway trek as I was, liked seeing this truck (it says “Bay Area Stairs”) when I reached the top of Noble (pic 2).

Uphill on Sunshine (pic 3: down from Sunshine, 48 steps) to Sausalito Blvd. and the wood foot of upper Cable Roadway this time at Crescent & Sausalito (pic 4).

Santa Rosa’s stairway (pix 5, 6, 7; 186 or so steps), taken on the way back down, climbs to Spencer. Monte Mar is the street at the top of Spencer where it’s a short walk to the freeway underpass and the foot of the GGNRA’s Morning Sun Trail, today’s destination.

However, lots of traffic descends onto Spencer from the freeway, and Spencer is twisty and narrow with no sidewalks. Signs state 15 MPH but some people zoom around the curves faster than this. It’s several uphill blocks on Spencer from the top of the stairs (two viewhomes on the way, pix 8, 9) to Monte Mar.

As an alternative route it’s safer to ascend the upper Cable Roadway steps from Sausalito Blvd. to the short street part of Cable Roadway (93 steps, pic 10).

At the top of CR’s vehicle street, hang a left (south) a short distance on Prospect Ave. (pic 11) to the long, shady stairway that ascends from Prospect (203 steps, pic 12). At the top, a microtrail leads to the 45 steps that descend to Spencer. Bypass the overpass street to Wolfback Ridge Rd. as this leads to private homes.

Walk north on Monte Mar past the bus shelter and the string of cars parked alongside the guardrail. Too many parked vehicles along Monte Mar. Pic 13: GGNRA above.

Cross Monte Mar to walk under the freeway (pic 14) to the parking lot where the Morning Sun trailhead awaits (pic 15).

The Morning Sun is a beautiful, forested, switchbacked climb that’s part steps (about 216) and part narrow trail (pix 16 thru 26) that continues to the GGNRA's Alta Trail, 27 thru 35, with its post-rain view of Mount Tam to the north.

Last pic: Nearing the foot of the El Monte steps back down to Bridgeway, about 119 steps.