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East Moraga and Grandview

8/31/2015

This, a climb up the east Moraga steps thru Grandview Park in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Heights neighborhood, started at 12th Ave. and Judah, a steepish ascent. Saw another one of those neighborhood book exchanges on 12th while trudging up: first pic.

At Funston looms the foot of the east Moraga steps: 2, 3.

These east steps (197 steps total from Funston to the top of the stairs in the park) cross a couple of curvy streets on the way to Grandview Park, the city’s tallest dune. Mount Sutro is photogenically across to the east: 4, 5, 6, up the first part.

A divided-street stairway (14th Avenue) on the way up, counted as continuing: 7 thru 11.

Up the east side of the hilltop park: 12 thru 20. Google Maps tells us this stairway is called Encinal Walk.

At the summit are seven more steps if you go round the south side: 21, 22, 23.

Starting down the west side now: 144 zigzaggy steps with a couple of built-in benches: 24 thru 35.

At the foot of the park is another divided-street stairway (15th Avenue), this one now with added railings. Counted it separately from the park’s ziggy-stairs (28 steps down): 36, 37.

— Posting the rest of the pix from this hike into a part 2 as I continue downhill on the west Moraga tiled steps, then down the Hidden Garden Steps a couple of blocks away. Upcoming —

1. A neighborhood book exchange on 12th Avenue

2. Looming ahead at Moraga and Funston

3. It sez "Moraga St. Golden Gate Heights"

4. Starting up the first part

5. The first part of the east Moraga steps

6. Top of the first part, Moraga east

7. Divided street on the way up: 14th Ave.

8. Mount Sutro's Forest Knolls neighborhood in distance

9. Dividing 14th Avenue, Moraga east

10. Upper and lower 14th Ave.

11. Mount Sutro eye candy from 14th Ave.

12. Foot of Grand View Park at 14th Ave.

13. "Encinal Walk" on Google Maps

14. 14th Ave. below

15. Continuing up the east Moraga steps

16. Top of the stairs

17. Golden Gate Park, left

18. Grand View Park on the east side

19. A few wood steps at the top

20. Looking own and across before moving on

21. Amazing views from up here

22. There are north and south trails that circle around

23. Seven more steps round the south side

24. Top of westside steps ahead

25. Top of the zigzag steps

26. Starting down the west side

27. The top bench and trail around to the north

28. Difficult to get up from this viewspot and continue on

29. The trail circles to the north

30. 144 steps

31. Looking back up

32. Down to 15th Ave.

33. Second bench

34. Below the park and these steps the Moraga/16th tiled stairway starts down

35. Park trees from the foot

36. 15th Avenue upper and lower

37. Railings now

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Howya Dune

8/30/2015

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Part of Fort Funston’s main trail was undergoing construction during a recent hike, being widened and lined with rocks. Detoured thru sand and over iceplant. First four pix.

My own first choice would be to add some additional steps from the cliff edge (steepish here) near the hang glider landing area down to where the present steps begin, like they did with Glen Canyon down from Christopher Park. And then extend the present steps from the end so the stairs go all the way down to the beach. I’d leave the log steps as they presently are though.

And remove that fencing (pic 5) that one has to duck under if coming into the park from the north side. Why not acknowledge these perfectly walkable and well-worn duney-trails? The GGNRA and I have different priorities. Up to the main part of the park: 6 thru 10.

The bus and L-Taraval Metro stop at the front of the zoo, leaving a (seemingly) mile or so south I must walk (just above Ocean Beach) to get to the main part of Fort Funston. Why didn’t MUNI think to provide a bus stop at the park’s front entrance (east side, foot) where a little way up starts the other stairway (partially covered with sand, leading to the fountain with the doggy water dishes): 11, 12.

The hang gliding deck has been improved upon since my last visit. New wood deck and fencing with several new wood benches: 13 thru 17.

One guy was up when I was there, the windsock being sometimes straight out and sometimes just a tad below (18 thru 21). But when heading back to the Metro stop, the wind came up, stinging my face and neck with fine sand.

Now for the log stairway partway down to the beach: 160 steps. You may get a different staircount each time as, like the Presidio’s Sand Ladder (around 250), sand will be covering most or part of the steep, uneven log steps: 22 thru 39, down and back up again.

Back to the Metro stop again at Wawona & 46th Avenue, last five.

1. Main trail closure

2. Temporary detour

3. What hazardous conditions? I never noticed any.

4. Supposed to reopen late September

5. Fence I duck under

6. Starting up from the north side

7. Human and dog tracks

8. Lake Merced in distance

9. Safe from traffic up here

10. Bits of old wood fencing

11. Sand-covered steps on the east side

12. Mount Davidson center, top

13. New benches and deck

14. More new benches

15. Hang glider launch area

16. A view down

17. Hangin' on the hang glider deck

18. Waiting to fly

19. Hang glider parking only

20. The windsock

21. Good place for lunch

22. At first there are no steps

23. Top of the stairs

24. About 160 steps

25. Gorgeous view

26. Popular with dogs and their humans

27. Looking back up

28. An excellent workout

29. The steps don't extend all the way down to the beach

30. Curvy and steep

31. Lone glider as seen from the stairway

32. Foot of the stairs

33. Foot of the stairs

34. Starting back up again

35. This isn't the only trail you can take - just the only stairway

36. Steps are similar to the Presidio's Sand Ladder

37. Steeply back up to the top

38. One of the best views ever

39. To the right is the hang glider landing area

40. Heading back now

41. Natural beauty

42. Love this old bench

43. Looking back to Lake Merced

44. North thru the thick sand

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Magical Mount Davidson

8/15/2015

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Up from the main (south) Dalewood park entrance, climbing the trail to the openspace: first 8 pix.

The openspace: 9 thru 16.

In the forest, various trails: 17 thru 25.

Descending from the park's Juanita trailhead's brick steps; continuing down Marne to wait for the #43 to come round the curve: last three.

1. Up the trail from the #36 Teresita's Dalewood stop

2. Excellent exercise

3. Continuing to the openspace, now with a view

4. Still climbing

5. Looking back down

6. Curving round

7. A view to the south

8. A closer look at the trail

9. The openspace, looking south

10. The forest from the openspace

11. Downtown SF center

12. Mount Sutro and Sutro Rower center

13. One of two openspace stairways

14. The east openspace steps

15. East openspace stairs

16. Looking down from the north steps; Twin Peaks center

17. This gorgeous icon is 103 feet tall

18. Starting down a forest trail

19. Into the forest

20. Looking back up

21. One of the stone stairways

22. Trailblooms

23. Out at the La Bica trailhead

24. Back into the forest, climbing up again

25. Homes on steep Dalewood

26. Out of the park now, descending on Marne

27. View of Edgehill Heights/Edgehill Mountain Park from Marne near Miraloma

28. The forest from Miraloma & Marne

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Westside Trail New Fencing

8/12/2015

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Hoofing it over to Glen Canyon thru the Glen Park neighborhood, crossed Bosworth via the skyway at Lippard, pic 1. Wish more busy streets had these safe-crossers.

This ramp down from Bosworth is called Chilton, pic 2.

Passing the Burnside steps from Bosworth down to Paradise, pix 3, 4.

Hamerton stairway up from Bosworth is a favorite way to get from the Glen Park ‘hood over to Mount Davidson’s Sunnyside neighborhood. At the top of Hamerton is the east end of Mangels. Pic 5.

Passing the steps down into Glen Park Rec. Center to the playing field from Bosworth, pic 6.

This time entering Glen Canyon at its south/westernmost end off Bosworth alongside the cool-looking old homes here. Hadn’t used this trailhead in some time so this was the first time seeing it with new rustic fence sections. Moving along the westside trail noticed more of the same: 7 thru 16.

West trail under the trees: 17

End of the west trail where it merges into the main east trail: pic 18.

More hackbacks on the canyon floor trail - as in widening even more than last time I was there: 19, 20

Out briefly to the slightly higher trail then down again for foraging on the Islais Creek Trail: 21, 22.

Stepping over piles of branches to get to some easier to reach berries slightly off the main trail. Amazing how much punishment these poor bushes take, yet they continue to bear yummy fruit. Saw no one else on this trail the whole time I was there, Just butterflies and spiders. Sorry for inadvertently running into your webs, guys.

The spot at Sussex/Elk and Diamond Heights where 38 steps descend into the canyon needs both a crosswalk and speed bumps. This is one of the entrances into the park and cars zoom up and down this hilly, curvy street way too fast, pic 23.

At the up-scramble part that climbs out to Portola, looked like they’d raked the foot of it more since my last visit but no steps yet. Didn’t go all the way up this time though.

Heading south now just past the footbridge on the main trail, some steps connect with the longest (184 steps) stairway that winds all the way up to Crags Court/Garden in Diamond Heights, last pic.

1. Skyway over Bosworth at Lippard, Glen Park

2. Chilton down from Bosworth

3. Burnside steps

4. Bosworth down to Paradise

5. Up into the Sunnyside 'hood, Hamerton steps climb from Bosworth

6. Down into the Glen Park Rec. Center from Bosworth

7. Entering the park

8. Glen Park Rec. Center below

9. New fence sections and trailmap

10. More new fencing

11. West to east

12. Moving north along the west trail

13. A new look for this old trail

14. Sturdy new fencing

15. So what's this supposed to be?

16. Near Glenridge Cooperative Nursery

17. Still on the west trail, now under the canopy

18. End of the west trail out to the east

19. More trailwork/widening

20. Moving north

21. Islais Creek Trail

22. Near the playing field gate

23. Steps down at Elk/Sussex/Diamond Hts. Blvd.

24. At end of boardwalk connecting with the longest stairway up to Crags Court

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Old Fallon Steps Replaced

8/9/2015

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Russian Hill's Broadway sidewalk stairs with built-in benches at the top, a dead-end for vehicles: first four pix.

Ascending from the top of the Broadway steps, Florence has around 54 steps. The short street comes out at Vallejo: 5, 6

20 steps for the unique old double stairway down to Jones from Vallejo: 7, 8

Jones sidewalk steps down from Green: pic 9

Entering Michelangelo Playground at its entrance below Greenwich, between Jones and Leavenworth: 10, 11

Foot of the Greenwich steps/walkway up from Leavenworth: pic 12

Next, Havens off Leavenworth. It doesn’t run thru to Hyde. 74 for the steps under the tree to the walkway. 75 down again from the upper walk: 13 thru 19

41 steps for Macondray Lane if you count about seven widely spaced ones on the rough brick walkway just before the wood steps on the east side down to Taylor: 20 thru 25

Climbing up steep Taylor where at the top, Ina Coolbrith Park is across from the Vallejo stairway: 26, 27

Next to the park Fallon Place descends.

Noticed some of the original steps (old pink concrete) have been replaced with newer concrete ones. Posted before re a book written before all the boring-looking newer condos turned this stairway into a dead-end. Below is from a former post, this from a hike in January 2013:

“I remember Fallon before it got condo-ized. … library book with a title something like "The San Francisco Street of 80 Steps." Not sure of the exact title; the last time I checked it out was several years ago. Googling it didn't get me any results; don't know the author or when it was published. Probably out of print. It's a short, nostalgic personal history of life on this stairway written by a woman who lived there before the present buildings were constructed. I think at least some of the original steps are still there though.”

Counted 78 steps this time. So this paperback has apparently disappeared - like the old Sausalito stairways book I’d like to find.

One old home is still here. This one got saved. For the stairway when it was being torn up back in the 1970s my Facebook album for Russian Hill shows the old wood walk and the section of old pink steps that have now been replaced with newer ones. Five old pix here; if only I’d taken a lot more.

Fallon down from Taylor: 28, 29, 30, 31

An old wood-railed stairway on Nob Hill up from Washington, Priest. Cable cars run along Washington here. Long ago residents had a view east: pic 32.

Nob Hill: Taylor & Sacramento, last pic

1. Broadway up from Taylor

2. The north sidewalk steps

3. Broadway from Taylor partway to Jones

4. Dead-end for cars and benches for walkers

5. Florence up from Broadway

6. Vallejo here has elevated walkways on both sides

7. Double stairway from Vallejo down to Jones

8. Unique double stairway, center

9. Sidewalk steps on one side of Jones down from Green

10. Michelangelo Playground is below Greenwich

11. Garden and playground

12. Greenwich up from Leavenworth

13. Foot of Havens at Leavenworth

14. Starting up

15. Between Leavenwotth & Hyde

16. Sit for a while

17. Not thru to Hyde

18. Gardenspot where no cars can go

19. Back down to Leavenworth

20. Macondray Lane

21. Another peaceful gsrdenwalk

22. View from Macondray above Taylor

23. Down to Taylor

24. Foot of Macondray steps

25. Climbing up Taylor

26. View east from Ina Coolbrith Park

27. Telegraph Hill in distance

28. Replacement steps on Fallon

29. This old home is still here

30. Back up again

31. Top of Fallon at Taylor

32. Priest stairway, Nob Hill

33. Taylor near Sacramento, Nob Hill

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Tunnels Below

8/8/2015

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Pix from a few recent Presidio hikes...

El Polin Spring steps (69) up to Ecology Trail: 1, 2

Ecology Trail up to Inspiration Point Overlook: pic 3

Mountain Lake benches: pic 4

Marine Cemetery Vista steps (around 103): pic 5

Connector Trail up from Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook (208 steps): 6, 7, 8, 9

Batteries to Bluffs Trail (about 473 steps): 10 thru 17.

The Battery East Trail area will be getting a new overlook; some parts around here were fenced off. But the main paved trail is open as is the old stairway down to Crissy Field (153 steps): 18 thru 23

Park Trail up to the Cemetery Overlook (99 steps): 24, 25, 26

Cemetery Overlook: 27, 28, 29

Something different for the most recent walk. Curiosity had me circling round the Main Post area.

Took the #43 to its second stop inside the park and stopped in at the new Officers’ Club, just my second time since the renovation. It’s an attractive place but way too large for me. Used to like the coziness of the room just inside the front door — and ditto for the little gift shop that was there where one could browse and pick up free maps and info.

Headed north as far as I could go where years ago there were a couple of short stairways that descended to Crissy Field. I liked them. Was already familiar with the new tunnels because the #28 passes thru them on its way to the bridge area. Usually disembark at the second stop that takes me closer to the east trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail.

Now there’s super-sturdy fencing blocking off most of this upper north area. One place had flimsier fencing and in one spot someone could walk right out to the top of a tunnel; assume for construction purposes. I wasn’t the only one peering down at the highway and tunnels.

Looks like this project has a way to go yet. So thought I'd stop in for info regarding this at the visitors center that used to be near the Disney Museum. This time couldn't find it. Heard something about it moving but forgot when and where to. Guess I should’ve done more reading at the Presidio’s Webpage before visiting the area. But still cool to look down at the tunnels from above for a change.

Circling back, a familiar few steps down and short walkway led from the Main Post buildings onto the Ecology Trail, its east trailhead immediately behind the Inn at the Presidio’s back patio: 30 thru 35.