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Lands End is a Berrygood Hike

7/23/2015

Off again to Lands End for a good hike 'n berryhunt, starting up the Lincoln Park/California St. steps, first pic. Continuing north a couple of blocks on the trail just below the golf course.

Into the park from its east trailhead: 2, 3, 4, 5.

Up the first long main-trail stairway from the eastside: 6 thru 10. This part of the trail is apparently 60% grade, so good thing there’re stairs.

Off the east steps for this trail that ascends to the golf course, 11, 12, 13. This is a longtime favorite berryspot. To me, of course, blackberries are a healthy food, and not an “invasive” to be constantly hacked back so that they get increasingly more difficult to find. I consider wild edible “weeds” as forage-able “gifts” to be grateful for and worth the time and effort to gather.

Back on the eastside steps continuing to the top: 120 steps: 14, 15.

Now down the west side on what I call the "Painted Rock" stairs with its two stone benches alongside: 138 steps: 16, 17, 18.

Up the connector between the Lands End Trail and the El Camino del Mar Trail: 89 steps to the El Camino del Mar Trail, pix 19, 20.

From the El Camino del Mar Trail, a view down to the second Land’s End Trail overlook: 22, 23.

Continuing on this upper trail to the upper parking lot overlook: around 59 steps down to the first Coastal Trail overlook, last pic.

1. 52 superwides

2. Main Lands End/Coastal Trail, moving west

3. Lands End Trail on the eastside

4. East Land's End

5. Approaching the first long stairway on the Land's End Trail

6. Various kinds of steps

7. About 120 steps for this side

8. Old wood steps now

9. To the left, a recommended sitting-log

10. Outstanding view from up here

11. Detouring for a favorite berrytrail

12. Steep and narrow here

13. Beautiful area just below the golf course

14. Back on the east stairway again, continuing up

15. Top of the eastside stairs

16. Top of the westside steps

17. 138 steps for this side

18. A No Bicycles sign at the foot of the westside steps

19. Connector steps start up from the main trail

20. Connecting the Land's End Trail with the El Camino del Mar Trail

21. Just off the trail, frequently occupied

22. Second Coastal Trail overlook as seen from the El Camino del Mar Trail

23. Upper parking lot overlook down to first Coastal Trail overlook

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Up One Down the Other

7/21/2015

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On my way to Telegraph Hill's long Greenwich and Filbert stairways, both of which ascend to Coit Tower.

About 40 Stockton Tunnel steps, Nob Hill down to Chinatown, first two pics. Stairs on both sides.

Waverly Place colors, Chinatown: 3, 4.

Up the Greenwich steps first this time from the foot at Sansome.

Breaking it down: 98 up to where the garden walkway begins between steps: 5, 6, 7, 8.

Alongside the garden and up to Montgomery (210 steps so far): 9 thru 15.

Now climbing Greenwich's brick part up from Montgomery to the Coit Tower parking lot, 387 steps total: 16 thru 22.

One of the main-floor murals inside Coit Tower: 23

There are several shorter stairways in Pioneer Park: 24, 25.

Back down now, this time on Filbert, around 383 steps from the top of the east Filbert stairs to Sansome.

So that’s about 120 from upper Filbert to lower Montgomery. Montgomery’s a divided street here: 26, 27.

161 to Darrell Place (used to live here). Darrell is a short walkway just below Montgomery and, like Napier Lane, an offshoot of the wood Filbert steps: 28, 29.

Darrell isn’t named as a street on Google Maps, but a name search will take you to it. It just shows an unnamed dead-end "street" between the Filbert and Greenwich steps.

(Darrell and Napier don’t connect with Greenwich.)

253 steps down to Napier Lane: 30, 31, 32.

Napier Lane, the short wood boardwalk with the pre-1906 homes (all but one, that is): 33, 34, 35.

Down to Sansome from Napier: 36, 37, 38, 39.

Peter Macchiarini sidewalk steps up from Broadway. Kearny's not thru for cars here; it's blocked off at the top at Vallejo except for pedestrians: 40, 41.

North Beach now. Off Broadway, Rowland has now been renamed Dirk Dirksen, but can’t find the newer name on Google Maps. Look for “Rowland”: 42, 43.

Off Kearny, below Broadway, dead-end Nottingham: 44, 45, 46.

Between Columbus and Grant, Jack Kerouac Alley: pic 47.

Joice, Nob Hill, about 67 steps, California down to Pine. The longtime altar is still there: last two pix.

1. Stockton Tunnel steps

2. Down to Stockton St. in Chinatown

3. Waverly Pl. in Chinatown

4. Waverly Place, Chinatown

5. Greenwich steps start up from Sansome

6. Between Sansome and the gardenwalk

7. Looking back down

8. Up to the walkway

9. Gardenspot on the right, homes on the left

10. Short walk between stairs

11. Off the main walk, paths and wood bench behind the gardenglobe

12. Left turn for ascending to Montgomery

13. The Lady in White on the Greenwich steps

14. 210 steps up to Montgomery

15. Sign (center) pointing the way down at Montgomery

16. Approaching the brick part of Greenwich at Montgomery

17. This last block climbs to the Coit Tower parking lot

18. Left turn

19. Straight ahead now

20. Homes alongside

21. L:ove this one!

22. 387 steps up to east side of Coit Tower parking lot

23. Part of one of the Coit Tower murals

24. One of several stairways in Pioneer Park

25. Pioneer Park steps down to Telegraph Hill Blvd. and Filbert E & W steps

26. Upper Filbert descends to Montgomery

27. Stairway from upper to lower Montgomery

28. Below Montgomery starts the wood part of the Filbert steps

29. Darrell's a narrow offshoot from the top of the wood Filbert steps

30. Wood Filbert below Montgomery

31. Grace Marchant gardens, Filbert steps

32. Beautiful gardenspot

33. #10 Napier, possibly oldest cottage on the lane

34. #15 Napier

35. Napier Lane

36. Filbert steps continue below Napier Lane

37. End of the wood steps

38. Filbert descends to Sansome

39. About 383 steps

40. Peter Macchiarini sidewalk steps

41. Peter Macchiarini steps, Broadway to Vallejo

42. Dirk Dirksen (Rowland)

43. Dirk Dirksen (Rowland), North Beach

44. Nottingham, North Beach

45. Nottingham is below Broadway, off Kearny

46. Dead-end Nottingham Pl.

47. Jack Kerouac Alley between Columbus & Grant

48. Joice down to Pine, Nob Hill

49. The altar on the Joice steps

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Amatista and Harry

7/20/2015

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Up Diamond in the Glen Park neighborhood (first pic), climbing past Poppy Lane (its east part dead-ends and is not through to Bemis), to where Moffitt sharp-turns to the right with a few sidewalk steps.

Moffitt (pic 2) east to Bemis a few blocks, continuing on the elevated sidewalk (14 steps; LOVE this, pix 3 thru 8) to the foot of Amatista Lane.

Amatista (no street sign, 92 steps) ascends from Bemis alongside Fairmont Plaza, a small wooded park, now with one of those ubiquitous green park-rules signs: 9 thru 12.

At the top of the stairs is Everson St. Pic 13.

Uphill on Everson a short distance until you see the sign for Beacon/Everson. Turn right on Beacon, continuing past the top of Miguel. You’ll see Twin Peaks seen in the distance.

Harry stairway (237 steps) starts down here, a street sign at the top and bottom. It’s mostly all wood with wood railings; the lower part's concrete, sans rails.

Harry plunges to Laidley. Love the way the top of this old wood stairway can barely be seen from the street/sidewalk and the way it looks from the top as you stand ready to descend — waaaaay down. Handsome Harry, top to foot: 14 thru 24.

Harry’s foot is near where Laidley turns into a divided street that comes out at 30th in Noe Valley near the foot of Billy Goat Hill Park. It’s also just across from the south end of Noe, a steepish stretch with interesting homes.

Noe down to 30th in Noe Valley: last four pix.

1. Uphill on Diamond, Glen Park neighborhood

2. A right turn on Moffitt

3. 14 steps

4. North side of Bemis

5. Bemis elevated walkway

6. Bemis elevated sidewalk

7. Slightly up from the street

8. Amatista's foot at Bemis

9. 92 steps

10. Partway up Amatista, looking south

11. Fairmont Plaza Park to right

12. Near top of Amatista alongside the little park

13. Everson St. Top of steps at side of home, center

14. Street sign at top of Harry helps you find it

15. Down from Beacon

16. Beacon down to Laidley

17. 237 steps

18. Harry's mostly wood with wood railings

19. Garden-y with beautiful old trees

20. This is 30 Harry. Find the resident giraffe in this pic.

21. Another front yard artwork at 30 Harry

22. To the right of the steps as you continue down

23. Here the wood steps turn to concrete, no railings

24. Harry's foot at Laidley, center

25. Top of Noe at Laidley

26. South end of Noe near Laidley

27. Between Laidley & 30th on Noe

28. Noe & 30th, Noe Valley

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Up Oakhurst down Farnsworth

7/19/2015

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Actually this Mount Sutro Forest hike started at Warren and 7th Avenue from the crosstown #43’s Lawton stop. Warren’s a good uphill trek by itself in the Forest Knolls 'hood.

Partway up curvy Warren you’ll see the foot of the set-back green Oakhurst stairs to your left: 354 steps, first two pix.

Oakhurst ascends past Oak Park’s dead-end. Keep going to the top at Crestmont, a couple blocks’ worth of stairs: 3 thru 8.

At Crestmont, turn left and curve round to where the unmarked West Ridge Trail starts steeply up from the street. There are a couple of old wood steps at the foot. You can see this trailhead on Google Maps (Maps). The West Ridge continues to the Historic Trail where there’s a trailmarker: 9, 10, 11.

This time instead of meandering round on the Historic to the summit, continued my steepish up-scramble on the West Ridge above the Historic that leads directly to the summit. Pic 12.

Love where on the upper West Ridge you climb up alongside an old log and between rocks (13, 14). No one has messed with it and I’m truly grateful it hasn’t been “improved.” Continuing up: 15, 16, 17.

Summit-time: The benches, pic 18.

All the mountain’s trails and stairways are very well marked on Google Maps.

From the summit, down the North Ridge: 19 thru 24.

Medical Center Way winds around: 25.

Crossing the road, step over the guardrail where the marker says Fairy Gates Trail. The beautiful Fairy Gates continues to the east; this time descended to where the Edgewood begins.

Edgewood Trail out to Edgewood Avenue (26, 27) at the south end of the redbricked street, then north a few blocks to the top of the Farnsworth stairs (149 steps, last pic) that descend to Willard, just above Parnassus. There’s a #43 stop at Parnassus and Willard too.

… And also a stop at Parnassus and Stanyan if you don’t mind uphilling a few on Stanyan to the trailhead for the lower Historic, yet another delightful way into the forest.

1. Warren at Oakhurst

2. Starting up the Oakhurst Lane steps from Warren

3. Oak Park Dr. to left. Grandview Park in distance, center

4. Oak Park's dead-end to right. Continue up.

5. Sutro Forest at the top

6. Looking back down

7. Up to Crestmont, Forest Knolls

8. Looking down from Crestmont: 354 steps

9. Up the West Ridge to the Historic

10. Historic Trail up ahead

11. Trailmarker at the Historic Trail

12. Now continuing on the upper West Ridge with tree roots for steps.

13. Alongside a mossy log

14. Up past these rocks

15. A few stepovers

16. And out to the summit on the West Ridge

17. It's summit-time

18. Summit benches

19. Starting down the North Ridge Trail

20. Touchable trees as I continue on the North Ridge

21. North Ridge Trail

22. Medical Center Way curves around below

23. Treehugger Heaven

24. Nearing the foot of the North Ridge

25. Fairy Gates Trail below to right

26. The switchbacky Edgewood Trail

27. A new resident, the Edgewood Bear

28. Farnsworth's Foot up to Edgewood Ave. from Willard

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Rustic Fence Added

7/5/2015

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Back again in Glen Canyon after a stop-in at the Safeway. This time descending from the edge of Diamond Heights’ Christopher Park to where the 92 replacement steps merge into the same narrow trail I’ve long known ’n loved. Pix 1 thru 12.

This favorite trail leads, same as it always did, down to the rock-climbing area where there’s a stairway on each side of the rocks. Descending the south one this time, 68 steps curving to the canyon floor, now happily without that black flexi-fencing alongside. Some new rustic-y fencing has been added at the top: 13 thru 21.

At the foot, continuing north (pic 22), briefly up (pic 23), then back down to the Islais Creek Trail (24, 25).

Still no steps added to help one up the steepish section that climbs out to Portola (pic 26).

Back again (27, 28, 29) after scanning for ripe berries. Up the stairs on the north side of the aforementioned climbing rocks this time, around 68 for these too: 30 thru 34.

Upper trails: 35, 36.

Up some newer stairs (replaced an older, shorter stairway) that ascend to the north-south trail immediately below Christopher Park: 79 steps winding round: 37, 38, 39.

Plunging down into Noe Valley, 69 for the main Valley steps descending from Diamond, then continuing on the steps alongside homes from the upper median = 52 more, Pic 40; 121 total for the Valley stairs.

Just before the second flight of Valley stairs, this older home still stands after a teardown of the house next door several years ago with two new homes built in its place: last pic.

1. Steps start down at the edge of Christopher Park in the Diamond Heights neighborhood

2. Mount Davidson's Miraloma Park 'hood upper left corner

3. O'Shaughnessy Blvd. west side near center

4. Diamond Heights homes in distance

5. 92 replacement steps for this old trail

6. Down to the viewbench

7. The viewbench is to the left below

8. Turn right or left

9. Looking back up

10. Straw wattles are for erosion control

11. Steps merge into this narrow trail

12. Nice!

13. On each side of these rocks is a stairway

14. There's a trail to the left also

15. New fence section added

16. Top of the south stairs

17. I think this looks good here!

18. Starting down the south stairway

19. Curvy wood replacement steps

20. Winding round to the canyon floor

21. 68 steps

22. Longlegged Diamond Heights homes above

23. Briefly up to a higher trail

24. Back down again just before Turquoise Way

25. Islais Creek Trail

26. You still have to scramble up to get out to Portola

27. Heading back on this northernmost trail

28. Stepovers on the Islais Creek Trail

29. Sometimes people use this as a seat

30. Foot of the stairs on the north side of the rocks

31. Up from the main bottom trail

32. Goin' up

33. Around 68 steps for this side also

34. Nearing the top

35. Trails continue at the top of the stairs

36. Islais Creek trailhead curves to the right

37. Foot of replacement steps up to trail just below Christopher Park

38. Curving around

39. 79 steps for this one

40. Foot of lower flight of Valley stairs

41. Newer homes to the right but this older one's still alive 'n well

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Trail Not Found

7/4/2015

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Uphilling from Noe Valley, 98 steps ascend from Noe at 27th to divided 27th (first two pix).

Staying on the upper part, passing the old wood steps that lead past homes partway to the Douglass/Castro Openspace (pic 3).

38 steps down (4, 5) to continue on 27th steeply west and uphill (pic 6) a few blocks to the foot of the Upper Douglass Dog Park (7, 8) in upper Noe Valley, the top of it in Diamond Heights.

This was a long overdue visit to a short stairway that several years ago I'd descend from Diamond Heights Blvd.

Circled the dogpark looking for trails up or down but found only a locked gate on the north side with inviting woods below.

Out again at the main gate and up the remembered stairs. Safira Lane has 34 steps with a railed walk in the middle, the dog play area ascending alongside: 9 thru 13.

The pooch playfield does have an attractive upper trail but this is fenced in: pic 14.

Around to the north on Diamond Heights Blvd. to the dead-end of curvy Carnelian Way with its view across to Twin Peaks. Hadn’t done this in years. A view towards Twin Peaks from Carnelian: pic 15.

Delighted to discover a “hidden” wood stairway at the end of Carnelian with 11 railed wood steps (not shown on Google Maps), pic 16.

Once up here noticed a trail that appeared to ascend back to Diamond Heights Blvd. alongside a residence.

Started down another trail where again I encountered that locked gate into the dogpark on the upper north side. They should unlock it for the convenience of hikers and people who live in Diamond Heights who’d like to walk their dogs in the designated play area without having to go all the way down to the main entrance on Douglass. Why keep it locked? Poor planning by park people.

The steep, narrow trail was surrounded by chainlink fences on both sides; partway down appeared to be an impenetrable tangle to the east. To the north towards the lower park, noticed a narrow opening between fences. Couldn’t tell if the trail was thru from where I was; looked steep.

So just sayin’ — why not connect the dog park that’s higher up with the lower playground since this is supposed to be one park. Give people a meandering, winding hike beneath the trees, with some steps for steep parts.

Walked all round the lower park also (tennis courts, flat lawn area, playground and clubhouse, pic 17). But though starting up a couple times, they seemed like false leads so inched back down again. Couldn’t see well enough to tell if one of the trails continued up, past rocks. Rather it looked like something more suited for rock climbers.

Why not create some switchbacking trails that aren’t overly steep — like the outstanding ones on Mount Davidson and Mount Sutro.

If you trek straight up the regular sidewalk on Douglass north to south alongside the park’s stone wall, it’s supersteep from the lower park to the dogpark area. It’d be so much more inviting to climb up by way of forested trails INSIDE the park that curve around more gradually. And so you don’t need climbing equipment to ascend.

Clipper divides the Diamond Heights and Twin Peaks 'hoods. Descending on trafficky Clipper, the community garden was directly across (at High Street) on the Twin Peaks side. There should be a skyway here on upper Clipper so pedestrians can easily cross over. Further down, glad to see the Clipper rainbow house is still here. Hadn’t seen this in several years either: last two pix.