Blog Archives

The New Corbin is Now Walkable

6/30/2011

Corbin stairway (40 steps) connects curvy Corbett with steep 17th just below Temple (Temple being just below Mars). Passed by Corbin twice earlier this year while it was still being worked on. This is a replacement of an older stairway here.

It’s now walkable as I discovered this afternoon when heading downhill on Corbett from Tank Hill after checking out the blackberries at the east foot of the little viewpark.

Corbin has street signs now at top and bottom and tiered planting spaces along its shady length.

Today’s berry haul barely covered the bottom of the tall plastic pitcher I use for this purpose. Walked around in the park briefly. Then crossed Twin Peaks Blvd. to Crown's south dead-end for vehicles so as to begin my descent to Corbett and Clayton from the top of Pemberton stairway.

Pix – first two: Tank’s west stairway down to Belgrave; third: Tank Hill (a north shoulder of Twin Peaks) as seen from Kite Hill Park.

West stairway down to Belgrave

West stairway down to Belgrave

Tank Hill as seen from Kite Hill Park

W to E Hike Across the Presidio

6/29/2011

East Trailhead for Lobos Creek Boardwalk Trail down from Presidio Forest

Part of the dunes boardwalk just before the main stairway.

Starting my hike today at Lobos Creek Trail’s north trailhead just off Lincoln / El Camino del Mar / Bowley, enjoyed damselflies, a little beetle, bumblebees, and a small lizard.

Up from Lobos Creek Boardwalk Trail into the forest (see first photo above), my usual southside trail, then an unmarked trail up to the dunes viewplace after crossing Battery Caulfied.

There’s a lot more greenery and wildflowers up here now since my last visit, making it even more of a treat. There are actually about 103 steps in all if you count the wide boardwalk steps just before the main stairway starts down (see second pic) and a few more wide steps on the regular trail.

This long hike took me along the Mountain Lake Trail nearly the whole distance, where I plucked ripe blackberries sufficient to fill a tall drinking glass.

A short distance offtrail slogged thru damp sand at times, between the residences on the north and the Presidio Wall, near Julius Kahn Park. El Polin Springs is nowhere near reopening; the area's fenced off with “Trail Closed” signs. The willow tree’s still unmolested and several other trees are still down there.

Upon reaching Lover’s Lane, nearly up to the park exit, instead headed north on this paved trail, past Andy Goldsworthy’s “Wood Line,” and up to Presidio Blvd. at Simonds Loop where there’s a bus stop.

Was particularly cheered this morning to hear that a new Trader Joe’s will be opening next year about five blocks from me when the current supermarket’s lease ends (Ralph’s/Cala). Had thought for a long time that the neighborhood could really use a TJs; groceries will then be more reasonably priced and considerably healthier.

More Imaginative Entrepreneurs Wanted ...

6/26/2011

Top of the stairway on the south side of Sutro Heights Park up to the wild dunes area.

… to offer free samples of new and innovative (and hopefully healthy) products to street fair attendees. I’d think that with the economy still struggling there’d be even more reasons for businesses to offer free samples of their wares at these events.

I’m a firm believer in free samples, especlally at large gatherings like street fairs and parades; am open to new and unique products, especially when it comes to healthy food and drink. However, this street fair season I’ve so far been to two big street fairs and the Pride celebration (two days for the latter) and scored only three samples of various drinks -- two of which were not very healthy.

Of course it always helps if the product is actually going to be available in your local store. I’ve been introduced to products several times that I went so far as to ask my local Whole Foods if they could order, but never found them anywhere again.

Offering free samples to festival-goers, especially if it’s a new product you want to introduce, is an excellent way to let people know about it, much like Whole Foods offers samples inside the stores. How better to introduce people to a new product when they’re walking around in a more or less receptive mood outdoors, checking things out. So jeez, businesses, why not take advantage of such huge and diverse crowds – as in all ages and ethnicities – to show off your new wares. Tell us where to buy it in case it turns out we like the sample enough to search it out later.

Thought gays were one of the main targets of advertisers and businesses these days (along with Hispanics) when it comes to trying to win brand loyalties and introduce certain segments of the population to new products.

There’s just such a lack of imagination out there when it comes to offering freebies at these festivals. I’d think they’d especially want to market to gays and boomers-and-older who tend to be concerned about health and fitness and who’d be receptive to healthy new eats and drinks. Instead of peddling the same old junk.

The same old stuff was also for sale along the parade route at inflated prices, of course: bottled water, soda pop, and beer. And someone offering joints for sale.

The parade itself had too much of a gap between entries during the time I was watching on Market. Too impatient to just stand around and wait several minutes between floats or whatever. And of course so many politicians show up at parades. So tell me something that will give me a good reason to vote for you … I’m not easily impressed.

In past years at the Pride celebration area there were stacks and stacks of fat, glossy, colorful free magazine-programs with interesting articles that I’d pass on to a friend after looking through my copy. This year they passed out very thin B&W newspapers as program handouts. Boring! In past years I’d also come home with a backpack full of goodies, including various magazines and free samples that I didn’t immediately consume at the fair.

At all the festival gates admission is always free to everyone, but they do request donations of $5.00 and for this you’ll get $1.00 off if you buy a drink. It used to be I’d be able to walk around with a Margarita or two in hand -- which did put me in a better mood -- but not these days at $8.00 a drink! So for the past couple of years I’ve had to go drinkless.

To see the same unimaginative offerings at the booths at outrageous prices every year is also boring. I guess going to such events for so many years has caused me to be quite jaded.

I suppose it’s different if you have lots of money to spend … or if you’re young lovers, or actively searching out a friend for the evening … or coming out for the first time … or an easily impressed tourist …

While these fairs aren’t exactly what I’d like to see, and the immediate neighborhoods not my usual hiking destinations, still get some exercise and vitamin D by going to check them out year after year. A good shirt for me to be wearing today would’ve been one I’ve seen online that says “I’d Rather be Hiking.”

The stink of tobacco fumes and the accompanying health issues is a gigantic turnoff to me also, but in a crowd like this one can’t really avoid the smokers. Saw a guy puffing away who was pushing a baby in a stroller.

To look on the positive side, however, the people-watching is always good – colorful costumes on many fairgoers and in the parade, including the always appreciated drag queens; excellent weather; and the huge crowd was, as usual, enthusiastic, polite, and well-behaved.

Will attend the two-day Fillmore Jazz Festival next weekend. This has traditionally been an interesting festival for the various music as well as some interesting shops for me to check out once a year; and this is one of the longer street fairs. If I see something I like at one of the stores I can always return later to buy it. Used to be able to get inexpensive sticks of incense at a booth here and at the Pride celebration area, but not in the last few years.

The pic is from a hike up the Sutro Heights Park stairway (approx. 117 steps) in the wild dunes part of the park on the south side with Ocean Beach to the right. The top of these steps is always colorfully graffitied.

Westside Stairway Trek: Lands End & Sutro Heights Park

6/23/2011

Merrie Way stairway, Land's End

Partway down the Sutro Heights Park stairway (south side)

Sutro Heights Park Viewplace

For today’s hike my first stairway was the 52 steps from 32nd Ave. & California up to Lincoln Park. A short distance on a trail at the edge of the golf course took me to the east trailhead for the Land’s End Trail (Coastal Trail).

Moving west, you’ll soon see steps that will take you to the top of the Painted Rock stairway. More steps have been added in the last several years to this east side stairway collection so that there are now 118 in all for this side.

The Painted Rock stairway boasts approximately 139 steps down the west side. There are two stone benches alongside: 36 steps down to the first one; 72 to the second.

As I was looking for nasturtium seeds, spied my first two ripe blackberries of the year.

At the second Coastal Trail overlook as you continue to the west, 59 steps will take you to the newer upper parking lot overlook near the USS San Francisco Memorial.

Descended 41 newer wood steps a short distance south of this newest overlook and curved around on the paved trail over to the top of the Sutro Baths Upper Trail. This trail’s approximately 140 steps lead to the cavetop viewspot above the Sutro Bath ruins -- the west trailhead for the Coastal Trail.

Downtrail from here, climbed the 128 wood steps of the Merrie Way stairway (wood steps and wood posts - see first pic) so called by me as it ascends to the lower parking lot overlook at Merrie Way, a 2008 addition to the park.

Construction has commenced for the future 1,400-square-foot visitor center at the south end.

Crossed Point Lobos to enter Sutro Heights Park via a short uphill trail leading directly to the little gazebo.

I prefer the wilder south side of this park that's not as well manicured as the main, north part. The south side’s trails (Balboa Natural Area) are steep in places with butterflies, bees, lots of wildflowers, thick dune sand, and some tree trunks to sit on: didn’t want to leave.

The Sutro Heights Stairway (see second photo) that descends to La Playa between 48th Ave. and Great Highway/Ocean Beach has 117 log steps; counted ‘em twice today: down then back up. The wood walls and steps at the duney top are still very colorfully graffitied.

Crossed over into the main part of the park again and up to the castle-like turreted viewplace on the west side (see third pic). Surrounded by the overlook's walls and benches is this plain dry-dirt circle where I'd love to see a native plant garden happen.

Up here you’ll be treated to an unobstructed view of the ocean from about 300’ elevation. Gulls, distant ships, and the view and sound of the waves hypnotized me as I sat briefly in the warm sun before descending 32 steep stone steps to the walkway below.

Batteries to Bluffs First Summer Trek

6/22/2011

East Trailhead for Batteries to Bluffs Trail

Down from the top of Battery Crosby, the west trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

To celebrate the beginning of summer … and San Francisco’s birthday party celebrations at the Presidio … and the huge Pride celebration and parade this weekend … what better way to celebrate than to hike the Batteries to Bluffs – or anywhere else in this park.

Like I need an excuse to hike the BTB. Must have more photos of this trail (favorite of all park trails within the city limits) than any other place; it’s just so photogenic with its ups and downs and the expanse of water below.

And one can easily connect with other stairway trails, like the Sand Ladder down to Baker Beach or the Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point; that is, if you still have the energy left after doing all the BTB’s steps. I did an up-and-back today – to the top of Battery Crosby, the west trailhead, and back the way I came (continuing on the Coastal Trail back to the bridgeview area); got a count of 470 steps each time. To View Point Overlook from the east trailhead is 130 steps.

The first pic was taken from the east trailhead near Langdon and Lincoln. In the center distance the steps are visible as they climb up the slope. The second was taken heading down the steps from the west trailhead atop Battery Crosby.

Started on the Coastal Trail where a trail infosign helped me roughly estimate that this hike (one way) would be approximately 1.4 mile from where I started west to the top of the Sand Ladder. Fog was obscuring the upper part of the bridge and there was a good breeze. Love the way the various wildflowers are cozily enclosing the trails now. A couple of new Overlooks are planned for this Coastal Trail area.

For more about the upcoming Pasados del Presidio, see the Presidio’s Calendar: http://www.presidio.gov/calendar/pasados.htm

Quoting briefly in explanation from this page: “The Presidio we know today has its roots in events that took place more than 230 years ago. In 1776, a group of soldiers and pioneering families completed their long trip from Mexico to the bay in Alta California. Here they built El Presidio, a fortified settlement. From this modest beginning, the City of San Francisco was born.

Each year the park hosts a series of public programs commemorating 'San Francisco’s birthday' and the founding of the Presidio. Pasados del Presidio events are open to all. There’s something for everyone!”

Los Cenzontles is the guest this year at the free evening fandango concert at the Golden Gate Club, Friday, June 24, 7 to 9 p.m. It’s being held this year at the Golden Gate Club (135 Fisher Loop) instead of the usual Officers’ Club as the latter is still undergoing improvements; I miss checking in at the little bookstore at the visitor center; hopefully there’s an even better gift shop/bookstore planned .

North Beach Street Fair ...

6/18/2011

Filbert south sidewalk steps up from Grant to Pioneer Park / Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill

Filbert south sidewalk steps continue up to Telegraph Hill Blvd. and Pioneer Park / Coit Tower.

… and a sidewalk stairway-count for Filbert, both sides, up from Grant to Pioneer Park on the west side of Telegraph Hill.

It seemed the North Beach Fair was larger this year, but then I realized this was because Washington Square wasn’t included this year. The park used to be totally encircled by booths with a live band at one end – and security checks of bags when you entered the area. This year it was just a park, albeit with more people in it than usual, with the festival’s booths along some of Columbus as well as Grant and the usual side streets.

Nothing really of interest to me – not that I could remotely afford anyway – so turned this into a stairway walk. Upon reaching Filbert and Grant started up the sidewalk steps on Filbert’s south side (see the first pic above).

The last part of the steps, now enclosed and railed, with the park on one side (see above), climbs past the vacant lot where three small residences were demolished in 1999, including the tiny “Bill Bailey House.” The lot’s still for sale, and includes a “cottage.” The top of the stairs is at Telegraph Hill Blvd. for a total of 142 steps.

Cross the street for more steps up into Pioneer Park/Coit Tower. If you want to check out the stairways and gardens on the east side of the hill, just continue a few yards to the east and start downhill on the Filbert steps.

After sitting for a few moments in the park, started back down the west side, counting 104 Filbert north sidewalk steps from the edge of the park to Grant.

The utilitarian stairways on each side of the Stockton tunnel’s north end will take you from Chinatown shops up to Nob Hill near California Street. Nob Hill’s Joice stairway’s 68 steps descend to Pine St.

Lower Historic Trail Revisit

6/16/2011

Farnsworth Lane, Willard to Edgewood, 149 steps

Trailhead at Stanyan and 17th for the newly reopened Lower Historic Trail into Sutro Forest

Originally planned to just walk Mount Sutro’s new lower Historic Trail once today – the opposite way from my first trip last week. Started up Farnsworth Lane (149 steps – first pic) and the few very pleasant blocks south on Edgewood to its dead-end and the trailhead for the gorgeous Edgewood Trail.

Connected to the new trail from the Edgewood and followed it to its Stanyan trailhead (16 steps – second pic).

Word is out about this rediscovered trail; it was being appreciated by various people today, a weekday, including adults with kids, small groups, dogwalkers, bicyclists, and another guy taking pics.

When I hit Stanyan, climbed up to its high (south) end at Belgrave (sidewalk steps both sides up here) as I hadn’t hiked this one in a while. Wondered how the higher Intrior Greenbelt Trail, steep and winding, might connect with the lower Historic.

Took the left trail near the trail fork where the residence extends down the slope -- easier this time than other times when I’d scrambled up steeply alongside one of the residences to get to the top at Johnstone and Behr.

At the corner of Johnstone and Behr, all you need do is cross the narrow street over to the next trail, the Fairy Gates -- clearly in sight -- and follow this beauty for a short distance. This trail is above the Edgewood and lower Historic and they all do easily connect.

So once again I exited the new trail out to Stanyan, this time descending all the way to Haight to do some shopping at Whole Foods. It wasn’t as far as I thought it would be. I suppose I still had that “mountain high.”

My favorite thing about passing through the packed (but well-behaved) Haight Street Fair last week was at the Stanyan end of it: the newest Whole Foods, my first time in this one. Some of these stores have stuff those in other ‘hoods do not. The Haight WF was also less crowded than my usual.

If You Love Birds and their Songs ...

6/9/2011

Old trailhead at Stanyan

Edgewood Trail

... then you gotta hike Mount Sutro’s newly uncovered lower Historic Trail from 17th and Stanyan into the Interior Greenbelt.

The trail, which originates from the late 1880s, was blocked off to the public for years and has just reopened. Counted 16 new wood steps where the old stairway was -- see above for how this old trailhead used to look. Some guys were working in the area as I headed up the steps and onto the trail.

Immediately noticed a great abundance of various birds and their songs. The trail didn’t feel like it was a half-mile long; never wanted it to end. How lucky are we to have this midcity beautyspot and how much do I envy those who live on the upper part of Stanyan and on Edgewood Ave. with this little piece of heaven as their backyards.

The trail soon connected with the familiar Edgewood Trail (see above) and I continued across Medical Center Way, onto the North Ridge Trail and up to the summit native plant garden.

Encountered a couple of bicyclists and several trail runners. All alone at the summit bench for a few moments before descending the East Ridge Trail to check out the progress of the future Aldea Community Center (end of Medical Center Way at Johnstone with the East Ridge trailhead just across from it). What a gorgeous building; not yet open though.

To find out more about Sutro Stewards and their work, check out their Website:

http://sutrostewards.org

and their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=315910737009

Highly recommended:

Sutro: the Mountain in Our Backyard, T. Booth Haley, UCSF Synapse Staff Writer

One thing I’m especially enthusiastic about is that the ultimate goal of the Stewards is to connect Mount Sutro with Twin Peaks while “maintaining minimal road crossings and exposure to the urbanization that dominates San Francisco’s landscape” (YES!) and hoping Glen Canyon can be included here also.

Down from the summit and heading back on the Edgewood Trail slowly – no rushing! – out to the dead-end of redbricked Edgewood, could see the new trail clearly directly across the canyon.

Strawberry Hill & Stow Lake

6/3/2011

The largest lake in Golden Gate Park serves as the park's main reservoir. There’s a boathouse on the north side where rowboats and paddleboats can be rented.

Strawberry Hill, the island surrounded by Stow Lake, is about 430’, according to one source, and the highest elevation in the park. Two pedestrian bridges connect the island with the mainland. The hill got its name from the wood strawberry, Fragaria vesca, that used to grow here. Huntington Falls and the Chinese Pavilion, a gift from Taipei in 1981, are on the east shore.

Various birds, ducks, turtles, squirrels, gulls, and geese. One of the geese was “speaking” to me; they’re really tame around here. Didn’t feed any of the animals myself today but lots of people do this.

If you take the stairway up from the steppingstones at the south foot of Huntington Falls, there are 125 steps to the summit. Counted 111 steps for the north stairway. Above the short wood peoplebridge that crosses the falls, the north and south green-railed stairways merge into one stairway that climbs the rest of the way to the summit, near the reservoir.

These two main stairways are concrete and wood, twisty, and steep in places. The pics are of the north stairway.

Another stairway, mostly wood, starts down from from the north side and turns. These steps are widely spaced with some steep spots (missing steps): counted 62 here.

At the summit again after climbing the second (south) stairway back up, continued on a trail past the reservoir and the ruins of the Sweeney Observatory that was up here from 1891 until 1906 when the quake destroyed it.

The trail circles the hill and took me back down to the Roman Bridge (1893) where I started. I like to view this bridge from above.

(Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and John F. Kennedy Dr. near 19th Ave.)

Strawberry Hill stairway

Strawberry Hill stairway alongside Huntington Falls

Vis-Valley ... to the Portola ... to McLaren Park

6/2/2011

McLaren Park's south side. Mansell to left; Visitacion Ave. center

Dwight stairway in the Portola, 137 steps

Hadn’t hiked the east side of Visitacion Valley in a while (get distracted by the Greenways when I go out here). So this time got off the T-Third Metro at the first stop ‘round the horn, Arleta, instead of the usual (last) stop, the Sunnydale.

Headed uphill for the Beeman Lane steps that start at the dead-end of Wabash and climb to San Bruno Ave. Google Maps couidn’t find the stairway (45 steps) by this name but did show it as a line on the map and as a visible stairway via Satellite view.

Another stairway descends from San Bruno to Bayshore: 50 steps counted from a previous visit.

Descended another stairway from Ward and Girard to San Bruno (32 steps).

Mansell is not only a divided street itself, but also divides the Visitacion Valley neighborhood (south of Mansell) from the Portola ‘hood (north of Mansell).

Now in the Portola, continued on Olmstead downhill to the top of the Goettingen stairway (63 steps) and down to Dwight. There’s a bench at the top of this stairway’s gardenslope.

From the top of the nearby Dwight stairway down to Hamilton counted 137 steps.

The old nursery ruins are still down there. Does anyone know of any plans for this area? Be nice to see a big nursery again since there aren’t any large ones on the east side.

Continued from the foot of the Dwight stairway west a short distance to University where there’s a trailhead into McLaren Park. Came to a trail marker (one of those standard stick figures with backpack and trekking pole) and started up a delightful winding viewtrail that led to the back of the public restroom building next to the tennis courts, an area with picnic tables that’s just down from Mansell and Visitacion Ave.

Over to the top of University at Mansell for the crosstown #29 bus stop.

The first pic shows Mansell’s upper part to the left of the trail in McLaren Park. Center is a parking viewspot. The downhill street to the right is Visitacion Ave.

The second photo is of the Dwight stairway in the Portola neighborhood.