Blog Archives

Gardenwalk

4/27/2018

Entering the park from 14th Ave., Mountain Lake can be seen across Park Presidio Blvd.: 1, 2, 3

Passing the Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook steps: 4, 5, 6

Continuing uphill: 7 thru 10

And down to visit Fort Scott’s community garden: 11 rhru 24

Garden delights: 25 thru 46

Fort Scott: 47 thru 51

Waiting for lunch? 52

Back out to the second bridge bus stop that’s near this parking lot: 53

1 Mountain Lake and Park Presidio Blvd. to right

3 Mountain Lake

4 Stairs to Marine Cemetery Overlook

7 Mountain Lake Park to right

10 Part of the golf course

23 Fort Scott neighborhood

25 To Fort Scott Community Garden

47 Fort Scott neighborhood

52 Waiting for lunch?

53 Heading for the second bridge bus stop

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Res Steps

4/26/2018

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Climbing from Bay St. and Larkin is Russian Hill Park, 75 steps to start: 1 thru 17

I count these three stairways as one long as they connect and continue from Bay nearly to Chestnut.

The second flight has 59 steps that ascend alongside the old reservoir: 18 thru 32

This area is a popular place to watch the Blue Angels.

The third and final flight rises up from Francisco St. nearly to Chestnut, 26 steps: 33 thru 40

So 75 + 59 + 26 = 160.

A right turn will take y9u to the top of the Chestnut stairway (116 steps): 41 thru 55

At the foot of the Chestnut steps, a left on Culebra Terrace: 56 thru 60

The 32 steps at its south dead-end for vehicles will take you up to Lombard: 61 thru 70

Part of an old mural on the side of a vacant grocery at Clay & Polk (starting up Nob Hill) that has now been partially painted over. So here's some of it before it's completely gone: 71 thru 74

1 Foot of Russian Hill Park t at Bay & Larkin

2 First flight is 75 steps

19 Francisco St. above

20 59 steps this flight

33 Last flight, 26 steps

41 Chestnut stairway

42 Double stairway at first

43 116 steps

56 Culebra Terrace at the foot of the Chestnut stairs

66 32 steps

70 Top at Lombard

71 Clay & Polk

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MRB Views

4/23/2018

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Passing the first overlook into Land’s End off Point Lobos & El Camino del Mar as I climb to the upper parking lot overlook: 1

Passing Fort Miley Forest: 2

Continuing to the upper parking lot overlook: 3, 4

East to the El Camino del Mar Trail: 5 thru 12

Connector steps from the El Camino del Mar Trail down to the Coastal Trail, 89 steps: 13 trhru 25

Coastal/Land's End Trail: 26

Partway own the 262 Mile Rock Beach steps: 27 thru 31

Above the steps: 32 thru 48

Down more steps with the beach below: 49 thru 69

Back up again: 70 thru 76

2 Fort Miley Forest

7 El Camino del Mar Trail with Coastal Trail below

9 Storm damage here?

13 Steps connecting the El Camino with the Coastal/Land'sEnd Trail

14 89 steps

35 Coastal Trail below

26 Coastal Trail

27 262 steps all the way down to the beach

49 Back down the stairs

57 Mile Rock Beach

59 Up this trail for the Labyrinth

61 Labyrinth trail to left

63 Ma Nature;s paintbrush

70 Back up again

76 Back on the Coastal/Land's End Trail

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Yellow Succulents

4/21/2018

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Crossing over from Land’s End at the crosswalk near Louis’ Restaurant for Sutro Heights Park: 1, 2

Trailing up: 3

21 steps up and around 35 down the south side of the Sutro Heights viewspot. 4 thru 21

The benches were gone. Looked like they were constructing new ones here and below. Probably completed by now.

Over to the east side of the main part of the park and down a treelimb-lined trail: 22 thru 27

It soon turns into a rougher trail: 28, 29

Then it’s easier going and lined with iceplant and other wildflowers on the way to the Balboa stairway (118 steps): 30 thru 33

The graffiti this hike wasn’t quite as dramatic as last visit, but you can be sure there’ll always be some wherever there's wood or another solid surface.

Down the uneven log steps to Balboa: 34 thru 74

Particularly enjoyed a certain succulent beauty with gorgeous yellow flowers all along this route.

Back up again and to the east up another trail to 48th Ave. near its south dead-end: 75 thru 82

1 Louis' Restaurant left

3 Now in Sutro Heights Park

4 North stairs to the viewplace

6 Ocean Beach

9 No benches this time

22 Below is the "wilder" part of this park

34 Top of the stairs

51 48th has side-stairs on both sides

75 Back up

79 Now east up to 48th Ave.

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El Camino Up

4/3/2018

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Downhill to the park: 1

Fort Miley forest: 2, 3, 4

The El Camino del Mar Trail tends to be less crowded than the lower Coastal/Land’s End Trail: 5 thru 16

47 steps from the east end of the El Camino up to the west edge of the Legion of Honor parking lot: 17

Steps from the parking lot to the Battle of the Bulge Trail: 18

Battle of the Bulge Trail: 19 thru 23

Sigh … The picnic area is still not walkable yet. The closed signs were placed at the tops of both stairways last rainy season, so it has now been over a year: 24, 25, 26

Viewplace with benches at the north edge of the VA Hospital: 27 thru 33

Back down again: 34 thru 38

1 Down to Land's End

2 Fort Miley woods to the right

3 Fort Miley forest

5 Onto the El Camino del Mar Trail

15 This trail connects the Coastal below with the El Camino del Mar

17 47 steps connect the El Camino to the Legion of Honor parking lot

18 From the Legion of Honor parking lot's west edge ip to the Battle of the Bulge Trail

19 Battle of the Bulge Trail

22 Up to the VA Hospital

24 This picnic area is still closed after more than a year

25 Longest trail closure I've ever seen

30 VA Hospital buildings

36 Back down to the El Camino del Mar Trail

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Spring at the Spring

4/2/2018

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Down Lover’s Lane in the Presidio for a springtime stroll: 1 thru 5

West to El Polin Spring: 6 thru 10

Some years ago the old wood stairway down from Julius Kahn Park (south side) was replaced with a zigzag ramp down the east side.

Down the accessible winding trail: 11 thru 20

The willow tree was full of kids and new growth: 21

El Polin Spring: 22 thru 26

69 steps up to the Ecology Trail. Despite tree-felling and clearing in this area last winter, the wildflowers and grass are still with us: 27 thru 35

Not all the way up toInspiration Point Overlook this time, but round the left side and into the forest near the Arguello Gate: 36 thru 44

Out at Arguello: 45, 46, 47

1 Down from Presidio & Pacific into the park

4 Lover's Lane

5 Beginning of Andy Goldsworhy's "Wood Line"

6 Oxalis, miners lettuce and chickweed

10 The new playing field and restrooms

11 Trail down to El Polin Spring

16 This accessible trail replaced the old wood stairway that was below Julius Kahn Park

19 The willow tree still watches over El Polin

27 69 steps up to Ecology Trail

32 Ecology Trail

43 Eucalyptus aromatherapy

45 Arguello Gate

47 Bees here

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Radishes Wild

4/1/2018

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South side park entrances from Bosworth just west of Elk: 1, 2

Fifteen steps cross Islais Creek near the south edge of Glen Canyon Park, west to east: 3, 4, 5

A way up: 6, 7

Main trail moving north: 8 thru 11

A connector trail: 12, 13

Continuing: 14 thru 18

The footbridge used to have two sides years ago: 19 thru 22

61 steps curve up on the south side of the rocks: 23, 24, 25

Continuing to the northside steps: 26 thru 30

68 steps to the rocks on the north side: 31 thru 43

Top, and looking down at the top of the south steps: 44 thru 54

The only bummer this hike was that the swing gleefully noted on my last hike up this way has been removed. Why am I not surprised? 55 thru 60

Continuing up the east side admiring the gorgeous profusion of wild radishes and other wildflowers: 61 thru 80

79 steps to the upper trail that’s just blow Christopher Park: 81 thru 95