Stairways are Heaven
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Starting from Stanyan

8/31/2014

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Disembarked the crosstown #43 at Stanyan and Parnassus to hoof it several blocks uphill to the Stanyan Trailhead and into the Interior Greenbelt part of Mount Sutro. Last time started up from the trailhead just above this one, the unmarked steepish beauty that climbs to the Aldea residences and Fairy Gates Trailhead. 

Stanyan trailhead, pix 1 thru 5. 

Lower Historic Trail: 6 thru 11.

This rough, unmarked trail leads from the lower Historic to the uppermost Interior Greenbelt trail mentioned above that winds from the west dead-end of Belgrave, pic 12.

From the lower Historic, now up to the road (west trailhead for the Fairy Gates Trail here), pix 13, 14.

Onto the East Ridge Trail (pic 15), then the Mystery Trail (16, 17, 18), to the summit (pic 19). 

North Ridge Trail back down: 20, 21, 22. 

From the foot of the North Ridge, along Medical Center Way’s pedestrian walkway next to the guardrail, enjoying the view down to the lower Historic and Edgewood Trails, pic 23.

Onto a shortcut stairway long used by yours truly that curves around a building (pic 24). Down to the parking lot where a long stairway descends to behind UCSF buildings and out to Parnassus (25 and 26: top and near the foot).  

There’s also a short trail behind homes on Edgewood (27, 28, 29) that'll take you out to Edgewood Ave. and onto Farnsworth Lane. 

Farnsworth Lane, 149 steps, down to Willard and just up from Parnassus: 30 thru 35. 

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1. Infosign at the Stanyan trailhead
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2. Short stairway between homes to forest trails
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3. The forest awaits
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4. Up from Stanyan
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5. Lower Historic Trail
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6. Lower Historic Trail
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7. House in distance is on Edgewood Ave.
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8. Lower Historic Trail
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9. Curving around
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10. Lower Historic Trail
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11. Too many felled trees around here
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12. Rough trail to uppermost Interior Greenbelt Trail that starts at Belgrave's dead-end
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13. Fairy Gates Trailhead at Medical Center Way
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14. Pedestrian walkway on Medical Center Way
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15. Trailhead for East Ridge Trail
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16. Mystery Trail
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17. Mystery Trail
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18. Mystery Trail
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19. Summit-time
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20. North Ridge Trail switchback
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21. North Ridge Trail, Medical Center Way below
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22. Ishi's shrine near the foot of the North Ridge Trail
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23. Lower Historic Trail from Medical Center Way
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24. Shortcut to parking lot alongside a building
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25. Top of stairway that descends to behind UCSF medical buildings
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26. Near foot of steps from parking lot to lower Medical Center Way near Parnassus
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27. Trail from parking lot behind homes on Edgewood Ave.
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28. Looking back at parking lot trailhead for short trail behind Edgewood homes
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29. Trailhead at Edgewood Ave. near Farnsworth Lane steps
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30. Top of Farnsworth stairs at Edgewood Ave.
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31. 149 steps down from redbricked Edgewood Ave.
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32. Farnsworth Lane, Edgewood to Willard
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33. Down to Willard
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34. Foot of the Farnsworth Lane stairway
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35. Foot of Farnsworth at Willard
1 Comment

184 Crags to Canyon Floor

8/30/2014

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This fun exploratory hike was to check out more of Glen Canyon’s newest meandering, curvaceous wood stairways, starting with the one that descends from the edge of Christopher Park in Diamond Heights. Appreciate the way the stairs now start from the very edge instead of a little way down as before: first three pix.

New steps invite one to the north and south of the viewbench. South used to be a skinny trail. Glad the bench is still here. Pic 4.

Down 48 steps to the north, pic 5. However, this part still hadn’t been completed; a rocky-slippery trail below as descended last time. Back up to check out the new stairs (44) to the south: 6 thru 13.  

Ahead noticed a separate stairway descending from Crags Court Community Garden in the Diamond Heights 'hood, replacing the older steps. Pix 14, 15. Up the stairs to stop in at the garden briefly. As always when I’ve visited, the gates were unlocked; someone was working inside. 

This delightful new trail continues curvingly all the way down to the Canyon’s main trail. There are short stretches of narrow dirt trail in between the 184 winding wood steps: 16 thru 21. 

The Canyon floor canopy trail on the east side usually taken was blocked off due to construction. Detoured to the trail on the west side of the rustic wood fence.  

Very nice little trail here, pic 22. At its end, back around to the east trail at the foot of the north “climbing rock steps” where there was another temporary blockoff at that end, pic 23.

Continued north, pix 24, 25, 26, then up again to the slightly higher trail just below the long-legged houses. Back down again (now an easier grade) to do “my” northernmost trail where this new footbridge over Islais Creek beckoned to me, pix 27, 28. No more old tire and tree limbs for stepping over the creek.

There’s been a lot of hacking at blackberry bushes and other plants to widen this trail (pix 29, 30), but so far it hasn’t been extended past the end of the school playing field’s chainlink fence. 

On the way back, took the 68 or so wood steps (pic 31) up where there was another trail closure for the still-black-stuff-lined stairs on the south side of the climbing rocks. Ongoing construction in various parts of the park; will keep checking back. 

Continued up to do another newer stairway (79 steps), mentioned in a previous hike, that curves round to the uppermost trail just below Christopher Park, last two pix.

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1. Starting down from Christopher Park
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2. Down from Christopher Park to the bench
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3. Down from the edge of Christopher Park in Diamond Heights
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4. Viewbench, stairs north and south
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5. Down to the north
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6. New steps to the south
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7. South steps
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8. South from the bench
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9. High-up stairs to the south
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10. Mount Davidson upper left corner
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11. A stretch of dirt trail
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12. More steps continue south
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13. Looking back
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14. Replacement steps start down from Crags Court Community Garden
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15. Down from the garden, replacing the old steps
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16. Curving down and around
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17. Winding
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18. Short stretches of dirt trail included
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19. Under some trees
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20. Another short stretch of trail
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21. Down to the foot at the main trail
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22. Trail to west of the rustic fence
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23. Back to the east trail, turning left (north)
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24. East trail, heading north
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25. Step over
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26. And under
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27. Creek crossing
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28. Continuing north
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29. North trail
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30. Offtrail to the right
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31. Up from the canyon floor
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32. Up to the trail just below Christopher Park
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33. Uppermost Canyon trail just below Christopher Park
1 Comment

Sausalito Up n Down

8/3/2014

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From Bridgeway up to Josephine is 120 steps. No street sign for the stairway so I just call her “Josephine.” First two pix. There’s a walkway partway up, then the stairs start again. At the 50th step is a built-in concrete bench.

Lower Cable Roadway’s shady (pix 3, 4), homes on both sides, 196 steps. It starts at Central and climbs to Crescent. From the top, a few yards to the right, Crescent meets Sausalito Blvd. and the stairway continues, 93 steps for the upper part. At the top is a steep block-long vehicle street that climbs to Prospect. So for Cable Roadway 289 steps total.

At Prospect, turn left (pic 5). The foot of the Prospect stairs is a short distance from here: 204 steps (pic 6) up to the freeway, Wolfback Ridge Road (overpass to a private street), and the top of Cloudview (pic 7).

45 more steps descend to Spencer (pic 8). If you want to climb into the GGNRA parklands from here, stay on Monte Mar just past the parking lot and bus shelter. There’s an underpass and parking lot here (pic 9). The beautifully forested Morning Sun Trail is part steps, part narrow trail, about 216 steps.  

This time chose the long (185 or so steps) stairway from Spencer to Santa Rosa (10, 11, 12). From the top of Spencer at Monte Mar, there are several blocks before these stairs start down, however. Spencer is narrow, winding, and trafficky with vehicles down from and up to the freeway. 

West Court, a favorite, 103 steps (13 thru 16). 

Southview Park is close by. A nice place to stop for lunch, pic 17. 

The Second Street double stairway; this is the east one, pic 18.

Passing the foot of Oak Lane (94 steps) on the way to Valley. At 400-ish Valley a ridged driveway starts up. Wouldn’t have suspected this was through at all if I hadn’t seen it drawn as a trail on Google Maps. Started up, only to come to a house and garage; but off to the side were a very few old wood steps. A-ha, sez I, and continued up. However, there was just this very steep dirt trail. Glad to be ascending instead of descending this. At the top was a sign for Edwards and Sausalito Blvd. Could really use a good stairway here, but at least it did run thru. Pix 19, 20, 21.

Sausalito Blvd. curves around for a while: 22 thru 25. Love the cow, admired as I was plucking blackberries along the roadside, pic 26.

47 steps for the end-of-Sunshine stairs, pic 27, at the foot of which Cooper Lane stairway (about 120, pic 28) starts up from San Carlos.

A bench off Harrison, pic 29.

Bulkley Ave.: pic 30.

Excelsior Lane has 180-ish steps and is three blocks long. It’s part stairway and part walkway, which is why it doesn’t have even more steps than this. Miller down to Bridgeway: 31, 32, 33.

El Monte has 120 steps, Bulkley down to Bridgeway. This one is also part stairs, part walk: last three pix. 


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1. Bridgeway up to Josephine
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2. Bridgeway to Josephine steps
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3. Lower Cable Roadway starts up from Central
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4. Central up to Crescent
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5. Prospect on the way to the stairway
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6. Prospect stairs near the top
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7. Top of Prospect steps, Wolfback Ridge Road, freeway below, Cloudview to right
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8. Stairs down to Spencer and Monte Mar
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9. GGNRA parklands above
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10. Santa Rosa steps down from Spencer
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11. Spencer down to Santa Rosa
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12. Around 185 steps
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13. West Court stairway
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14. 103 steps for West Court
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15. West Court
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16. Foot of West Court steps
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17. Southview Park
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18. Second Street double stairway
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19. Trail up from Valley to Edwards/Sausalito Blvd.
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20. Trail up to Edwards/Sausalito Blvd.
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21. Edwards & Sausalito Blvd. top of steep trail up from Valley
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22. Sausalito Blvd.
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23. Sausalito Blvd.
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24. A view from Sausalito Blvd.
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25. Sausalito Blvd.
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26. Sausalito Blvd.
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27. Sunshine steps
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28. Cooper Lane, 120 steps
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29. A bench off Harrison
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30. Bulkley Ave.
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31. Excelsior Lane
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32. Excelsior Lane at Harrison
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33. Excelsior Lane at Bulkley
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34. El Monte down from Bulkley
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35. El Monte Lane
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36. El Monte down to Bridgeway
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Sutro Ruins Trail Closure

8/2/2014

2 Comments

 
Started down the 128 steps that descend from the lower parking lot overlook near the Lands End Lookout building (first pic). At the foot started over to the cavetop viewplace to ascend the Coastal Trail from its westernmost trailhead (141 steps), but was told the trail was closed; noticed construction equipment partway up.

This is the westernmost beginning of the Coastal Trail. It got a facelift in 2009 when the existing steps at the cavetop were extended up the slope.

Climbed back up and tried it again at the east trailhead. Able to go partway down where I came upon one of those plastic fences blocking the trail with a notice on it re the “Sutro Ruins Trail.” Pix 2, 3.

They’re in the process of removing 170 feet of a former underground fuel pipeline and associated contaminated soil. The time stated for this project is between July 21 and August 31.

Heading east, came to the place on the curving paved trail where I had been in a habit of taking a shortcut by stepping over the short barrier and up a dirt trail, then back onto the paved part.This time noticed my shortcut has now been widened to a regular fenced (still dirt) trail, pic 4. 

Up the stairway at the first overlook on the main Lands End Trail. It’s steep, 59 steps, leading to the upper parking lot overlook at the east edge of which you can access the El Camino del Mar Trail. In two previous incarnations for this stairway, it was winding; now straight up. Wish they’d kept one of the curvy styles. Pix 5, 6.


Between the first and second main Lands End Trail overlooks, pic 7.

The second main Lands End Trail overlook as seen from the El Camino del Mar Trail, pic 8.

90 steps for the curvy connector between the El Camino and the main Lands End Trail, pix 9, 10. 

Up the steps to the west end of the Legion of Honor Parking Lot (46 steps), continuing to the VA Hospital parking lot via the short Battle of the Bulge Trail and over to the picnic area below the parking lot. 78 or so steps for the south stairway (pix 11, 12) and 72 back up the other side: 13, 14, 15.


From the main Lands End trail/Coastal Trail, a long (around 262 steps) stairway descends to Mile Rock Beach, pix 16 thru 22.  It's an up 'n back stairway. However, partway down is an openspace trail (pic 23) that climbs to the clifftop viewplace where the Labyrinth lives: 24 thru 27. You can climb back from here on another skinny trail that will take you to partway up the stairs: 28 through 31.

Up the main Lands End Trail stairway I call the “Painted Rock,” 138 steps, pic 32, then down the east side,120 steps, pic 33.


Last pic: Out the east side of the park on the main Lands End/Coastal Trail.

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1. Steps down from lower parking lot overlook near Lands End Lookout
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2, Temporary trail closure is further down
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3. "Sutro Ruins Trail" supposed to reopen August 31
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4. Former shortcut trail now opened up
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5. Upper parking lot overlook down to Coastal Trail
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6. Upper parking lot overlook/El Camino del Mar Trail down to Coastal Trail
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7. Coastal Trail between first and second overlooks
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8. Second Lands End Trail overlook as seen from El Camino del Mar Trail
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9. Connector steps between Coastal Trail and El Camino del Mar Trail
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10. Top of connector steps at El Camino del Mar Trail
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11. Down to the picnic area via the south stairway
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12. South stairway, below VA Hospital parking lot
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13. North stairway
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14. Up the north stairway to VA Hospital parking lot
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15. What are these flowers alongside the north stairs?
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16. Mile Rock Beach stairway descends from Coastal/Lands End Trail
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17. Around 262 steps
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18. An up-and-back stairway down to Mile Rock Beach
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19. Partway down, the steps turn
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20. Steps continue, right. For upper trail continue straight ahead.
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21. Down the shady part
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22. Under the tree
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23. Lower left corner: the trail to the Labyrinth. Steps continue down, center.
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24. The Labyrinth
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25. Clifftop viewspot
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26. Above Mile Rock Beach
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27. A couple of trails lead to the Labyrinth, created 2004
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28. Heading back to the stairway on the east trail
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29. Above Mile Rock Beach
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30. Back to the stairs from the viewspot
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31. Narrow trail, high up
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32. Back on the main Lands End Trail, the "Painted Rock" steps
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33. Top of the eastside stairs
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34. Wild radishes along the Lands End/Coastal Trail near the east trailhead/Eagle's Point
2 Comments

Tower Trail Blocked

8/1/2014

1 Comment

 
I’m in the habit of starting my tower trail treks from the foot of Twin Peaks Park (at Crestline), accessed via the #37 Corbett/Twin Peaks bus. Up the 93 old wood steps (pix 1 thru 4) to Twin Peaks Blvd. in the park. Eureka Peakpeople, pic 5.

Across the Blvd. to the west side of the park (6, 7, 8), stepping over the guardrail for the old trail down alongside Twin Peaks reservoir to Marview in the Midtown Terrace neighborhood: 9, 10. 

There’s a trail encircling Sutro Tower that climbs up from Marview. It starts out in the open, Midtown Terrace homes below. However, had just begun when I came to a fence blocking the trail (pic 11). It went all the way down to the street so had to turn back; probably just temporary.

Curious, decided to check out its other trailhead to see just how much was closed off. Stayed on Palo Alto to its dead-end for vehicles, pic 12. Behind the fence is La Avanzada, the curvy road to Sutro Tower (pic 13); continued downhill.  

The trail is mostly forested as it winds under 977-foot Sutro Tower. Have to keep an eye out for mountain bikers; sometimes not a lot of space to move to the side to let 'em pass. This time had the whole trail to myself. 

Did nearly the entire trail twice, an up ’n back. Started up from the La Avanzada trailhead, muddy and puddly, pic 14. Kept going until I reached the edge of the forest where there was another fence. So this closure affected only part of the openspace area ... for whatever reason. 

The tower trail (no trailmarkers) that starts up from La Avanzada, its lower trailhead just above Dellbrook in the Midtown Terrace neighborhood: 15 thru 21.

Descended to Clarendon; could use a pedestrian skyway in this area to make it easier for hikers to cross over from Midtown Terrace to Mount Sutro Forest. There are “islands” in the middle of Clarendon but no light or crosswalk.

Once across the street, about a block down is the main entrance to the Aldea residences. This time chose the North Ridge Trail (pic 22) that ascends from curving Medical Center Way. The trailhead's directly across from the Fairy Gates trailhead that descends from the road. Too many trees have been cut down on the North Ridge...

Sutro’s Summit: 23, 24.

Down from the summit on the South Ridge, then the Historic Trail (pic 25) to the West Ridge Trail: 26 thru 29. Instead of felling so many trees, how ‘bout a few helpful steps on this steep trail that climbs into the forest, especially at the Crestmont trailhead. Surely they could add some steps here and at the Christopher trailhead without harming any trees; simply curve them around the plants. 

Now in the Forest Knolls neighborhood, round the curve for the top of the green Oakhurst stairway.


Oakhurst descends from Crestmont, 355 steps, pix 30 thru 37, at the foot of which is Warren (pic 38), steep and winding, down to Seventh Ave. (last pic, a view of Mount Sutro's west side from the bus stop). 

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1. Goin' up: Twin Peaks Crestline trailhead
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2. Crestline up to Twin Peaks Blvd. in the park
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3. 93 old wood steps
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4. Up to Twin Peaks Blvd.
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5. Eureka Peak
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6. A view from the west side of the park: Midtown Terrace below, Sutro Tower, Mount Sutro beyond
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7. Midtown Terrace below; Mount Davidson upper left
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8. Towerview from Twin Peaks Park
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9. Alongside Twin Peaks Reservoir
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10. Midtown Terrace homes to left
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11. Trail blocked
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12. Dead-end for vehicles at Palo Alto. La Avanzada behind the fence.
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13. La Avanzada, the winding road to Sutro Tower
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14. Trailhead for tower trail starting up from La Avanzada
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15. Tower Trail
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16. Tower Trail
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17. Tower Trail
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18. Tower Trail
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19. Tower Trail
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20. Sutro Tower above
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21. La Avanzada at Dellbrook
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22. North Ridge Trailhead center, across Medical Center Way
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23. Mount Sutro's summit
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24. Summit benches
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25. Historic Trail
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26. At Historic Trail, West Ridge Trail starts down, center, left
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27. West Ridge Trail
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28. View from West Ridge Trail: center trees are Golden Gate Park. above that Presidio.
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29. West Ridge Trail up from Crestmont in Forest Knolls
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30. Top of Oakhurst stairway, Forest Knolls neighborhood
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31. Top of Oakhurst Lane at Crestmont
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32. Oakhurst Lane starts down from Crestmont
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33. Sutro Forest above
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34. Mount Sutro Forest above Crestmont
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35. Partway down Oakhurst Lane steps
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36. Around 355 steps, Crestmont to Warren
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37. Foot of Oakhurst Lane stairway from Warren
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38. Warren with Sutro Forest above
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39. Mount Sutro's westside from 7th Ave.
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    Author

    I like meandering around on San Francisco's park trails and public stairways, sometimes taking photos, and enjoying nature and the outdoors.

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