Blog Archives

Above Fort Miley

6/26/2017

Passing this Lands End overlook near Point Lobos Ave., heading up into Fort Miley forest: first pic

Across and up Fort Miley forest and out to the main trail: 2, 3, 4

In the mood for an old favorite trail not hiked in a while.

First a short flight of old stairs across from the old Fort Miley buildings: 5

A second flight ascends to the west edge of the VA Hospital parking lot: 6

Turning left for a short trail above old Fort Miley: 7 thru 14

Old ziggy trail that descends to the El Camino del Mar Trail near its west end: 15, 16, 17

Trail connecting the El Camino del Mar Trail to the Coastal Trail: 18

From the east end of the El Camino Trail, across the golf course to make my way down a greatly overgrown berrytrail: 19, 20

Out to the Coastal Trail partway up the eastside stairs: 21, 22

Up the 89-step connector trail back to the El Camino: 23, 24

El Camino cel Mar Trail: 25, 26

A couple of views from the upper parking lot overlook: 27, 28

1 Overlook near Point Lobos Ave.

2 Fort Miley Forest

5 Stairs across from old Fort Miley buildings

6 Second short flight up to VA Hospital parking lot

15 Steep and sandy

17 Down to El Camino del Mar Trail

18 Connecting El Camino to Coastal Trail

19 Across the golf course along the north edge

21 Up to the east stairway

22 Coastal Trail, about 120 steps this side

23 Up the connector stairs to the El Camino del Mar Trail

25 A place to stop for lunch on the El Camino

26 Second Coastal Trail overlook from the El Camino del Mar Trail

27 Upper parking lot overlook at west end of the El Camino Trail

28 59 steps down to first Coastal Trail overlook

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Mountain Lake Playground

6/26/2017

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New look for the Presidio'sMountain Lake Playground: pix 1 thru 11

Mountain Lake: 12, 13

Why the fence here on the northeast side of the lake? Open it up again, please, especially a trail beneath the tall trees just below the golf course: 14

Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook: 15 thru 18

In another part of the park: my idea of a heavenly hike. A trail so overgrown from last time visited that the grasses were waist-high or taller and I had to make my own trail by moving along it. Like recently at a favorite Lands End berryspot.

A trail lined with sweet, ripe blackberries between a busy highway and a neighborhood street — with nobody there but me.

Feeling the cool blowing fog and listening to birdsong and foghorns (while ignoring traffic noise). Big woodsy/grassy areas always smell so good: 19 thru 22

Old church in the Fort Scott neighborhood. What was the other building used for?: 22, 23, 24

1 Mountain Lake Playground has finally reopened

12 Mountain Lake

14 This area has been fenced off for so long!

15 Up to the Marine Cemetery Vista overlook

17 "Home is the sailor ... home from the sea"

19 A wild grassy berrytrail

20 I could stay here all day...

22 What was this building used for?

23 Fort Scott neighborhood

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Woodline Walk

6/25/2017

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Above El Polin Spring, heading east: first pic

Presidio forest and Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line, just off Lovers Lane: 2 thru 16

More eastside treats: 17 thru 27

1 Above El Polin Spring

18 Lovers Lane

19 Lovers Lane's new footbridge in distance

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Portola Steps Now

6/24/2017

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Entering Glen Canyon from its south edge, off Bosworth’s west dead-end in the Glen Park neighborhood: 1 thru 5

Meandering along to the north to check for blackberries … damselflies, spiderwebs and butterflies.

Up the northernmost trail to Portola Dr. (56 steps) to see how it’s looking these days — and back down. Love overgrown, wildflowery trails! Part of the basketball court’s chainlink fence at the foot of this trail has been removed: 6 thru 21

61 steps curving up the east side: 22, 23, 24

79 more steps to the trail just below Christopher Park in the Diamond Heights neighborhood: 25, 26

1 West side

5 Diamond Heights longlegged homes above

6 Across Islais Creek for the northernmost trail

7 Part of the basketball court's fence has been removed

10 56 steps

11 Diamond Heights in distance

16 Wild mustard

18 There is a park trailmap at Portola Dr. (left)

19 Starting back down

24 61 steps (center)

25 O'Shaughnessy Blvd and Mount Davidson across

26 79 steps up to a trail just below Christopher Park in Diamond Heights

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Trail of Wild Roses

6/23/2017

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To access the Presidio’s Battery East Trail, starting down a steep, but short, slope to a bridgeview picnic area: 1, 2, 3

Under the low-overhead tunnel, about seven steps at one end and four on the other: 4, 5, 6

Onto the paved part of the Battery East, curving round: 7, 8

153 steps for this old wood beauty that winds down to the west edge of Crissy Field and the Warming Hut if you turn right, and left for Fort Point.

Back up again, wildflowers on both sides, and the sound of foghorns: 9 thru 26

Turning left at the top of the stairs for a much loved old trail that's about halfway between two vehicle streets.

Delighted to see the large amount of wild roses partway along, both sides: 27 thru 37

There’d always been some roses along the stairway, but surprised to see so many on this particular short trail — along with beautiful old eucalyptus and abundant wildflowers.

Turned to meander back along the trail, west this time Karl had shifted a bit for a better view of the bridge: 38 thru 45

The park’s newest overlook, the Battery East: 46, 47

Back to where I started (48, 49), this time along the upper road:

2 Steep but short

10 153 steps

11 Wild roses along the stairway

22 Crissy Field to left; Fort Point to right

26 Back up again

27 A right turn

43 A hugely popular viewplace during Fleet Week

46 Battery East Overlook

47 There is a parking lot next to the overlook

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Stanyan Stairs

6/22/2017

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A favorite high-up stairway (66 steps) descends from Clarendon but doesn’t go all the way down to Belgrave. The homes have a Stanyan address.

Hadn’t visited for several years; the gate at the top was half open, so down I went.

The old main stairway has some rickety wood handrails and some that had been reinforced. There are homes on either side along its length. What I wouldn’t give to live here …

This is a public “street.” A big green sign at the top reads “STANYAN 1300” with an arrow. Otherwise if not already familiar with the area, you’d assume the gate just led to a private home.

It’s an up-and-back like Russian Hill’s Fallon Place. There’s a big wood slab at the foot.

Clarendon connects Twin Peaks with Mount Sutro. It starts at Tank Hill Park on the east side, where it connects with Twin Peaks Blvd. It continues west for Mount Sutro Forest and the Forest Knolls neighborhood.

The Midtown Terrace neighborhood and Sutro Tower to the left beckon to the hiker. A beautiful area but Clarendon needs crosswalks and/or skyways here.

There’s one skyway further along at the foot of Ashwood Lane in the Forest Knolls neighborhood (over to Midtown Terrace), but one would be appreciated at the crossover from La Avanzada to Johnstone/Mount Sutro’s trails.

There is supposed to be a new trail now completed in this area but I’ve yet to see it. Where are the trailheads?

Starting out at upper Iron Alley (above the steps), connecting with Graystone and continuing west. Passing Pemberton stairway’s last, older block: first pic

Checking for blackberries at the foot of Tank Hill. Crosswalks are also needed for crossing Twin Peaks Blvd. over to Tank Hill Park. Difficult to dash over from Graystone: 2, 3

A house on Clarendon I’d like to have: 4, 5

The “hidden” Stanyan stairs up and back: 6 thru 12

Continuing up into Mount Sutro Forest, passing the top of the unmarked Belgrave trail (my own name for it). This one starts at the west dead-end of Belgrave. It’s steep, beautifully wild, and you may notice a homeless encampment or two: 13, 14

This time stayed on the road for the Fairy Gates Trail: 15, 16, 17

Back out again to do the lower Historic Trail in its entirety - out to Stanyan: 18 thru 23