Blog Archives

Vulcan June

6/22/2019

Off the #24 bus at 15th St. and up from Castro, past a favorite house: 1, 2, 3

Examples of Corona Heights Park rocks: 4, 5, 6

At the top of Beaver, up De Forest to Corona Heights Park. De Forest is a short stairway/walkway between two homes: 7 thru 13

East side of the park: 14 thru 25

Over to the ramp that rises from the playground: 26 thru 30

West out to Roosevelt on Museum Way: 31, 32, 33

Down from Roosevelt, curving to the tops of both States and Levant, chose Levant to take me to the top of Vulcan Stairway: 34 thru 38

Levant: 39, 40

Vulcan (219 steps for the north, main, through stairway, Levant to Ord St.): 41 thru 93

Vulcan also has a south stairway with three homes. It”s a dead-end at the top.

Ord Court’s west dead-end: 94

Ord Court out to Douglass, 10 steps: 95 thru 101

37 steps from the top of Douglass up to States, back into the CoronaHeights neighborhood: 102 thru 105

Downhill from here on States past the States entrance to Corona Heights Park and the playground area/foot of the ramp where I was earlier, continuing to Castro: 106 thru 120

Castro and 16th nearly back to my beginning: 121 thru 124

2 15th St.

4 Corona Heights Park rocks!

7 Top of Beaver St.

8 De Forest steps

13 Trail into east side of Corona Heights Park straight ahead

14 A Garden at the north end of Flint St.

15 Dead-end of Flint St.

17 Trail into the park

27 States St. entrance below

31 Museum Way looking south

34 On Roosevelt down to States

37 Roosevelt down to States/Levant

39 Levant

40 Levant near top of Vulcan

41 Starting down Vulcan from Levant

42 Looking back

44 80 Vulcan

45 74 Vulcan

61 This is to cross over to the south stairway, not through at the top

62 There are three homes on the south stairway

63 This is a second crossover to the south stairs

67 Looking back up the north stairway

68 26 Vulcan

70 26 and 22 Vulcan Stairway

71 22 Vulcan

73 Looking back

74 22 Vulcan to the left; steps to the south stairway right

75 Looking back

77 Steps connecting the north stairway with the south

78 Continuing down the main steps

81 Looking back up

84 Looking back

89 Looking back

93 Looking back

94 Ord Court here is a dead-end

95 Ord Court

96 Ord Ct. east out to the top of Douglass St.

97 Looking back

98 10 steps over to Douglass, a dead-end for vehicles

100 Top of Douglass, Eureka Valley

101 Looking back

102 37 steps from Douglass up to States in Corona Heights

103

104 Now on States St.

105

106 This house looks much the same as it sed to

107 South slope of Corona Heights Park up from States

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120 States sown to Castro

121 Castro St.

122 Castro at 16th

123 Castro & 16th

124 Castro & 16th St.

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Two Beach Ladders

6/21/2019

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Passing the Presidio's Golden Gate Overlook, west to the east edge of the Presidio’s Batteries to Bluffs Trail (475 steps), looking down from Lincoln this time: 1 thru 9

Pacific Overlook: 10 thru 16

Continuing on Lincoln, just past the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead, to the top of the Sand Ladder: 17 thru 41

Got 234 steps this time; staircount varies because of sand totally covering some of the steps at times: 42 thru 72

A short distance west to the shorter Sand Ladder and up its 44 steps to a trail above Baker Beach: 73 thru 82

Trail just above Baker Beach and the Boardwalk: 83 thru 91

Uphill to the bus stop: 92

1 Golden Gate Overlook

34 West trailhead for Batteries to Bluffs Trail

39 Trailhead for Connector Trail to Immigrant Point Overlook/Rob Hill Campground

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Historic West Summit North

6/19/2019

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This Mount Sutro circle-hike started at Willard and up the 149 Farnsworth steps to Edgewood Ave.: 1, 2, 3

Straight ahead this time instead of south. Behind the homes on Edgewood Ave. is a short trail that leads to a parking lot. Something new here — there’s now an attractive short wood fence at the west slope: 4 thru 8

At the parking lot, passing the top of the 136 steps down, uphill a short distance, across the road and onto the Historic Trail: 9, 10, 11

Winding round: 12 thru 28

Where the Historic meets the lower and upper West Ridge Trail, the upper to the summit. There’s an alternate trail where you can go around the logs and rocks, but I’ve always liked scrambling up the latter: 29 thru 46

The summit was uplifting with wildflowers and green-enclosed trails: 47 thru 61

From the summit on the North Ridge Trail to the road: 62 thru 80

Along the road downhilling back to the parking lot again, but this time descending the 136 Medical Center Way steps, the top of which is a few yards from the top of the trail behind the homes: 81 thru 111

Just before exiting Medical Center Way (behind the hospital buildings) at Parnassus to wait for the crosstown #43 bus: 112

1 Farnsworth Lane up to Edgewood Ave.

11 Historic trailhead

12 Historic Trail

28 Center distance Golden Gate Park

29 Lower West Ridge Trail down to Crestmont in Forest Knolls

31 From the Historic Trail, ascending the upper part of the West Ridge Trail to the summit

33 Rocks and old logs on the upper West Ridge

46 Out to the summit from the West Ridge Trail

81 Crossing to the guardrail side

95 To the Edgewood Trail

96 Down from the parking lot

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112 Turning onto Parnassus from Medical Center Way

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Halfway Beach

6/17/2019

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The Presidio’s Marshall’s Beach is accessed as a downhill offshoot about halfway across the .07-mile Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Twice encountered cyclists on this 475-step trail. One was carrying his bike up a steep flight. The second was riding alongside another flight, but then there were just the steps and he had to carry his bike up too.

Is this trail gonna become another trendy spot for mountain bikers? Seems way too much hassle because there are so many steps. Or maybe they just didn’t realize the trail had all those steps.

Passing the Golden Gate Overlook, starting off at the west edge of a parking lot: 1, 2, 3

The first part of the main trail, steps swooping down: 4 thru 14

130 steps along is the overlook with the bench: 15 thru 20

Continuing to the trailhead for the Marshall’s Beach Trail: 16 thru 48

The Marsahall’s Beach Trail has about 50 steps, counted separately, descending from the main BTB: 49 thru 56

Down to the beach: 57 thru 72

Up again to the main BTB: 73 thru 76

Back to where I started: 77 thru 84

Golden Gate Overlook steps on the way to the second bridge bus stop: 85, 86

1 Golden Gate Overlook

3 East Batteries to Bluffs trailhead

54 Looking back

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Upper West

6/16/2019

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Views from the lower parking lot overlook, Land's End: 1 thru 5

Descending 126 steps from the lower parking lot overlook: 6 thru 14

Cavetop overlook: 15 thru 39

Up 142 steps for the west end of the Coastal Trail/Sutro Baths Upper Trail: 40 thru 82

Around to the first lCoastal Trail overlook: 83 thru 88

59 steps to the upper parking lot overlook: 89 thru 93

Upper parking lot overlook: 94, 95, 96

Down to the road and out of the park, passing Fort Miley forest: 97, 98

East edge of Sutro Heights Park: 99, 100

97 Fort Miley woods

99 East edge of Sutro Heights Park at 48th Ave.

100

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Simonds

6/7/2019

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Another day, another favorite Presidio neighborhood, Simonds Loop.

Up Baker to Broadway in Pacific Heights, looking down the Baker stairs: 1 thru 4

Next stair-street to the west is the mighty Lyon stairway: 5, 6, 7

Just west of Lyon is the Presidio’s Broadway Gate and trail into the forest: 8, 9, 10

Downhill, through another gate, and into the Simonds Loop neighborhood: 11 thru 27

Upper to lower Simonds Loop: 28 thru 56

1 Baker north of Broadway

4 Baker north of Broadway

5 Top of Lyon

6 Lyon down

7 View of Presidio forest to the west

8 Broadway Gate

10 Down into the forest

25 Looking back

26 Upper Simonds Loop neighborhood

28 Upper to lower Simonds Loop

32 Wild radish blooms

34 Looking back

35 Looking back

38 Blackberry blossoms

45 Looking back

46 Continuing down

51 Foot of the steps at Lower Simonds Loop

53 Presidio has signs showing numbers and names for their various neighborhoods

56 Across the street from the crosstown #43 bus stop

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Short NFS

6/7/2019

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North Fort Scott is a small Presidio neighborhood just south of the bridge and one of several favorite Presidio ‘hoods. This is a short stroll through the area.

Remember more trees here years ago and would like to see the green fencing replaced by trees and other plantings. There are some plants at the east side but they don’t seem to be doing much yet: 1, 2, 3

Presidio Parkway is on the other side of the fence. I’d rather see the steady stream of traffic zipping by than it being blocked by a fence, but that's just me. Maybe the constant traffic is annoying to the residents.

Used to like the main stairway, the trees, and the view of the bridge to the north. There are sections of forest in the neighborhood (4, 5) and the old stairway is still there.

One thing I’d really appreciate, however, is a pedestrian skyway or at least a crosswalk at Lincoln so one can cross more easily to the sidewalk on the south side of the street where these homes are: 6, 7

This is a busy area, being so close to the bridge. Vehicles are turning AND going straight, but did not see a crosswalk in the immediate area.

About a block south of the first bridge bus stop (at the Visitor Center), the orange-railed sidewalk also ends: 8, 9, 10)

So once across the street, continued on Armistead to the upper level where the green fence is: 11

There's a walkway and 20 steps from the higher to lower level of the neighborhood: 12 thru 16

You can also access the neighborhood by crossing Lincoln near Crissy Field Overlook at Lendrum: 17

The park has signs indicating the names and numbers of each of their various neighborhoods.

The main stairway down to Hoffman St. from the lower part of the neighborhood has 52 steps. It starts down between two residences, at first a few steps at a time with no railings: 18 thru 28

Turned left on Hoffman for an easy walk back to the Visitor Center alongside the backyards of Lincoln homes: 29 thru 37

1 Sections of fence separate residences from busy Presidio Parkway

3 Plantings with straw wattles

6 Fronts of homes along Lincoln

8 Orange-railed sidewalk leads to the Visitor Center and bus stop

11 Right turn on Armistead to the neighborhood's upper part

12 Walkway from upper to lower level of the neighborhood

16 20 steps

17 Lendrum down to Lincoln and Crissy Field Overlook on the east side

18 Main stairway between two residences

26 52 steps

28 Foot of steps at Hoffman

29 West on Hoffman

30 Backs of Lincoln homes

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Baths

6/4/2019

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Down to Lands End Lookout: 1, 2

Continuing down 126 steps from the lower parking lot overlook: 3 thru 12

This time instead of continuing to the stairway above the cave, steeply down to the old Sutro Baths area and trailing back up: 13 thru 69

2 Lands End Lookout

54 Lands End Lookout above

56 Louis' Restaurant

59 Louis' Restaurant

63 Lands End Lookout

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China Sea

6/3/2019

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Sea Cliff neighborhood elevated sidewalk: 1

Sea Cliff neighborhood: 2 thru 5

At the north end of the Sea Cliff neighborhood at Sea Cliff Ave. is a stairway to China Beach: 6 thru 22

Bunch of kids teasing the waves and climbing all over the rocks this weekday.

The beach, the several stairways and rocks: 23 thru 65

Back up the main stairway: 66 thru 72

East on Sea Cliff Ave. to 25th Ave.: 73 thru 79

25th is a dead-end street at its north end above Sea Cliff Ave. where there’s another, shorter, stairway winding down to west Baker Beach. There’s a fence, a few parking spaces, and Presidio hills in the distance: 80 thru 90

Curving around to climb from the west Baker Beach parking lot to Bowley for the #29 bus stop: 91, 92, 93

66 Back up the main stairway

80 Sea Cliff neighborhood down to Baker Beach

89 West Baker Beach

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Beast Andrews

6/2/2019

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Presidio’s Battery East Trail, just east of the bridge: 1 thru 14

Pix sometimes don’t do this area justice, especially on a foggy day. Go see this in person.

Battery East stairway (153 steps) down to Crissy Field west, and back up again: 15 thru 39

Onto Andrews Road, a trail between two vehicle streets: 40 thru 54

Continuing south: 55

This street is now just for cyclists and pedestrians: 56, 57

Crissy Field Overlook and the way up to the North Fort Scott neighborhood: 58 thru 64

Some THENs (2009) of Doyle Dr. before it became Presidio Parkway: 65 thru 69

And Presidio Parkway today: 70 thru 81

The footbridge on the way to the stables: 82 thru 86

Hello!: 87, 88

Up to the cemetery steps: 89 thru 94

The 98 Cemetery Overlook stairs up from Park Trail: 95 thru 103

Cemetery Overlook: 104 thru 112

Out to Arguello: 113