Blog Archives

Doing Dolores

9/29/2014

First stairway climbed for this Dolores Heights hike was the Liberty: 86 steps, first three pix.

Continuing on Liberty, this cutie's said to be a former 1906 earthquake cottage (4, 5).

Passing the 300 Cumberland (confirmed quake shax) twins-into-one-house (corner of Sanchez), pix 6, 7; more of Cumberland east of Sanchez, pic 8.

Cumberland’s westside dead-end steps (41) descending to Noe: 9, 10.

62 steps for the main 20th Street stairway down to Sanchez, pix 11, 12, 13. Sanchez here is a divided street with short stairways down and another up the southside.

Another 20th St. stairway descends to Noe alongside an apartment building: 80 steps, pics 14, 15. View from the top with parks Corona Heights and Buena Vista in distance: 16.

Down to 19th: first on the 29 sidewalk steps that merge into Sanchez’s dead-end for cars double stairway, this with 74 more steps. So including the beginning east sidewalk steps, 103 down to 19th, last two pix.

Another time for the long sidewalk Stairmasters between Church and Vicksburg on 22nd, the vehicle street part documented as 31.5 grade. For the south steps, 146; 143 for the north.

Down to Dolores Park for the J-Church Metro; part of the park’s getting a huge makeover these days.

1. Liberty stairway

2. Top of the Liberty steps

3. Twin Peaks in distance

4. Former quake shack on Liberty

5. Tiny house on Liberty

6. The 300 Cumberland "twins"

7. 300 Cumberland, corner Sanchez

8. Quirky Cumberland just below Sanchez

9. West dead-end of Cumberland down to Noe

10. Cumberland down to Noe

11. 20th St. up from Sanchez

12. 20th down to Sanchez

13. 20th St. stairs down to Sanchez

14. East 20th St. stairs up from Noe

15. Top of the 20th St. steps up from Noe

16. View, center, Corona Heights Park with Buena Vista Park just beyond

17. Sanchez descends to 19th St.

18. Down to 19th from Sanchez

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Twisty Vermont

9/28/2014

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Potrero Hill’s supersteep streets are excellent challenges for hillwalkers, but this hill could use a lot more stairways.

This was a long overdue hike to visit twisty-curly Vermont Street (88 sidewalk steps), McKinley Square Park, and the Potrero Hill Community Garden on San Bruno Ave. at 20th.

After wandering briefly around in the Community Garden (first two pix), 23 old steps led down into the lower part of McKinley Square park (pix 3, 4), then 51 up the other side: 5, 6.

19 steps partway down on the park side of the wiggly street: 7, 8.

Crossed over for the main Vermont sidewalk steps: 9, 10, 11.

The curly street: 12 thru 15.

Definitely had to do the 60 “hidden” steps up to the vehicle dead-end of Kansas: 16 thru 23. View down to the backs of Vermont houses from the dead-end of Kansas: pic 24.

Mere words cannot express how depressing it was to discover that a longtime favorite tiny house, 910 Carolina at 22nd, now has a demolition-hearing notice. So here’s possibly one of the last pix ever to be seen of this little guy, whether or not it was a former 1906 earthquake refugee cottage (an “unconfirmed”), pix 25, 26. Have envisioned myself living there many times, but with a white picket fence instead of that chainlink thing and, of course, a garden. Neighbor 922 (also unconfirmed) still seems okay.

81 steps descend on 22nd from Rhode Island to Vermont: 27, 28.

I've many favorites on this hill of old and new ... Just a few here: Tiny house across from the Community Garden on San Bruno: pic 29; 22nd & Carolina, pic 30; Another longtime fav on Rhode Island: 31; making my way down De Haro: pix 32, 33; a couple on De Haro near 18th, pic 34.

Continuing on my way down to the Whole Foods, 68’s the staircount for the Carolina & 20th St. steps alongside the brown-decked residence: last two.

1. Garden with a view. Twin Peaks in distance.

2. Community Garden and houses on San Bruno Ave.

3. McKinley Square Park

4. McKinley Square's north stairs

5. McKinley Square's south stairs

6. South park stairway

7. Edge-of-park steps to curly Vermont

8. Down to the twisty street from McKinley Square Park

9. Vermont's sidewalk stairway

10. Foot of the Vermont steps

11. Homes above the "other" crooked street

12. Starting down Vermont

13. Midway curves

14. Shady and winding

15. Short stairway, center, into McKinley Square Park

16. Starting up the "hidden" Kansas steps

17. Old stone steps behind Vermont homes

18. Continuing up to the south dead-end of Kansas St.

19. Homes on the right

20. Left turn up ahead

21. Up to the top at the vehicle dead-end of Kansas

22. Looking down at the homes

23. Top of the unique Kansas stone stairway

24. Backs of the Vermont homes from the Kansas dead-end

25. A long-loved tiny house now endangered

26. 910 Carolina with demolition hearing-notice on fence

27. Rhode Island down to Kansas

28. Sidewalk steps, Kansas to Rhode Island

29. Another "unconfirmed" possible quake shack. Across from Potrero Hill Community Garden.

30. Interesting house at 22nd & Carolina. Twin Peaks in distance.

31. More eye candy for a lover of tiny houses, this on Rhode Island

32. Downtown view as I downhill on De Haro

33. De Haro beauties

34. De Haro near 18th.

35. 20th & Carolina steps

36. Carolina steps down from 20th

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Take the Stairs All the Way Up

9/23/2014

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Starting up on Sausalito's Excelsior steps from Bridgeway, turned left for a couple of short stairways on my way south a little way on Bulkley. To the dead-end of Central for sun-dappled lower Cable Roadway: 196 steps to Crescent, first pic.

Turning the corner on Crescent at Sausalito Blvd. 93 more steps for upper Cable Roadway (289-ish total) and up one steep vehicle street to Prospect, pix 2, 3.

A block or so on Prospect took me to the foot of the stairs up from here: 203 steps ascend to Wolfback Ridge Road, the freeway, and Monte Mar: pix 4 thru 9.

Down 45 steps to Spencer (pic 10) and a couple blocks north on Monte Mar; under the freeway to the parking lot (pic 11). The Morning Sun Trail starts up from here: 218 steps, pic 12.

This beauty alternates steps and a narrow dirt trail, ascending to the GGNRA’s Alta Trail: 13 thru 19. Thru some mud out to Wolfback Ridge Road (20 thru 23), then back down again on the Morning Sun: 24 thru 27.

This time chose Spencer to descend. The long stairway down from Spencer to Santa Rosa doesn’t start immediately. You’ll have several blocks' worth of watching out for cars coming on and off the freeway on this narrow, sidewalkless, curving street until safely descending via these steps: 184 or so, pic 28 (no street sign at either end).

So a few long stairways that will take you up to the freeway and beyond.

Nevada to Rodeo is a steep trudge. Over to Lincoln; a forested area along the road. Around in back of some homes, there was just a chainlink fence with freeway sounds beyond, but no outlet.

From Rodeo, pic 29, down to Woodward.

Marin down to Nevada/Tomales between homes: 30, 31, about 115 steps.

Maple has about 75 steps, old concrete and wood, Woodward down to Bridgeway: 32, 33.

Pic 34: Laurel Lane’s foot. Longest Sausalito stairway found so far at 299 steps. Up from Woodward & Easterby. Laurel's all stairs except for the uppermost block.

Langendorff park’s longest stairway has 52 wood steps; down from Woodward.

Noticed a flight of old wood stairs on Streetview and from the bus, so went to check it out on foot. Up from Bridgeway near Napa, 53 steps to a concrete parking area behind some homes, but it was through. Downhilled again to Bridgeway via the paved driveway.

59 for the main Locust wood stairs; a few concrete ones after a steep concrete slope down. Should’ve been stairs all the way for this one.

Bee Street, pic 35.

A friendly dude on Bonita, last pic.

1. Foot of Cable Roadway at Central

2. Upper Cable Roadway

3. Top of upper Cable Roadway (center). Here starts the block-long vehicle part.

4. Foot of Prospect stairway up to the freeway

5. Partway up the Prospect stairs

6. Near the top

7. Up to the top and dead-end of Cloudview

8. Top of the Prospect stairs

9. Wolf Ridge Rd. with the freeway below

10. 45 steps down to Spencer & Monte Mar

11. Parking lot under the freeway

12. Morning Sun Trail link to the GGNRA

13. Starting up: Morning Sun Trail

14. Morning Sun Trail

15. Switchback

16. Turns and climbs

17. Sorta midtrail

18. Nearing the top

19. Top of the Morning Sun

20. Alta Trail

21. Muddy up here

22. Alta Trail

23. Alta Trail, SCA Trail, Wolfback Ridge Rd.

24. Starting back down the Morning Sun Trail

25. Back down the Morning Sun

26. Freeway far below

27. Back down

28. Down from Spencer, foot of long stairway at Santa Rosa

29. Mount Tam beyond

30. Marin to Nevada/Tomales steps between homes

31. Marin to Nevada/Tomales stairway

32. Maple steps: Bridgeway up to Woodward

33. Maple up to Woodward

34. Laurel Lane, 299 steps up from Woodward/Easterby

35. Bee St.

36. Bonita St.

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Stairs Forest and Garden

9/22/2014

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An attempt to stay mostly in forested parts of the Presidio had me starting out on the Bay Area Ridge Trail above Arguello and all the way to the end behind the residences above the cemetery overlook.

Forgot that one trail was blocked off by a gate at its upper end so turned back to descend the top stairway from the north edge of the golf course (first pic).

Back into the forest from the Park Trail, onto the Bay Area Ridge Trail again, a vehicle street above and Fort Scott below: 2, 3, 4, 5.

At the end of this trail portion, out far too soon, was at the east edge of Rob Hill Campground. So, at the yellow fire hydrant, down the short trail (pic 6) to Wisser Ct. (behind homes in the Fort Scott neighborhood) for a leisurely meander around the Fort Scott Community Garden (pix 7 thru 15).

Into the Fort Scott neighborhood, the stone footbridge over Dragonfly Creek: 16, 17.

Pic 18, Fort Scott’s brick castle.

Between the Golden Gate Overlook and east Batteries to Bluffs trailhead: Pic 19.

A few Batteries to Bluffs Trail pix, 20 thru 26 (473-ish steps), and up the sandy trail to Lincoln.

Crossing Lincoln and up the Connector Trail (208 steps) to Immigrant Point Overlook. Pic 27, the footbridge.

Downhill on Battery Caulfield Road to the Marine Cemetery Vista Trail. Pic 28 is of its stepped wood boardwalk, the stairway just ahead.

1. Down from the north edge of the golf course

2. Bay Area Ridge Trail

3. Forest beauty

4. Curving around

5. Trailsigns

6. Trail down to Fort Scott from Rob Hill Campground

7. Garden bench

8. A shady garden sitting spot

9. Squashblossom

10. Stone steps and a pumpkin patch

11. What kind of flowers are these?

12. Lots to admire in the garden

13. Beautiful "hidden" gardenspot

14. Down a short stairway behind Fort Scott homes

15. Another short stone stairway in the garden

16. Dragonfly Creek footbridge

17. Stone footbridge over Dragonfly Creek

18. The Castle at Fort Scott

19. Between Golden Gate Overlook and Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead

20. East Batteries to Bluffs trailhead upper right

21. Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead

22. A view from the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

23. Trail down to Marshall's Beach

24. Midtrail bridgeview

25. Midtrail

26. Down from Battery Crosby on the westside

27. Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point Overlook

28. Marine Cemetery Vista's stepped boardwalk. Stairs ahead.

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City Treasure Mount Davidson Park

9/21/2014

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Out at the main Dalewood park entrance from the #36 Teresita bus stop, especially like this way up as it's a nice climb and soon there’s a vast view to the right. First four pix.

Up the stairs (pix 5, 6, 7) to admire the view from the openspace (8, 9), and over to the lush forest trails: 10 thru 20.

Some trails not hiked in a while: 21, 22, 23, 24.

There are 40-something stone steps between homes out to Rockdale near Chaves: 25 thru 28. This trailhead can be seen on Google Maps.

Over to the Juanita trailhead (pic 29) and the brick stairs (36 or so) down to the street: last three pix.

1. Up into the park from Dalewood at the #36 Teresita bus stop

2. Openspace trail with vast view to right

3. Look down

4. Curving around the openspace

5. The northside openspace stairs

6. Twin Peaks center

7. East openspace stairs down to a trail

8. Near the steps

9. Looking south: San Bruno Mountain

10. Down a forest trail from the summit

11. You won't wanna leave

12. Stone stairway

13. Foot of stairway down from the monument

14. Another stairway beauty

15. Trailin' around

16. Forest curves

17. Love the trees

18. Switchbackin'

19. Nasturtiums

20. West out to Dalewood

21. A lower trail

22. Trail log

23. Narrow lower trail

24. Out to Rockdale & Chaves

25. One of about seven trailheads into the park

26. "Hidden" stairs into the park

27. Stone stairs between two homes

28. Up from Rockdale & Chaves

29. Descending to the Juanita stairway

30. Juanita trailhead

31. Up into the park from Juanita Way

32. Juanita Way trailhead

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Aromatherapy Mountain

9/6/2014

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San Bruno Mountain = continuous wildflower aromatherapy.

Butterflies, birdsong, and a shy feral cat.

Old Guadalupe Trail, pic 1

Bog Trail: 2, 3, 4

Summit Loop North (to the summit and down the same way), pix 5 thru 26

1. Old Guadalupe Trail, Crocker Ave. trailhead, Daly City

2. Bog Trail

3. Bog Trail

4. Bog curves

5. Trailhead sign

6. Starting up the north Summit Loop

7. Summit Loop Trail

8. North Summit Loop

9. Winding around

10. Summit Loop Trail north

11. Lotsa rocks

12. This is yarrow, right?

13. Summit Loop north

14. Bay and Brisbane beyond

15. View to the east

16. Summit Loop north

17. Getting closer...

18. Summit Loop meets Ridge Trailhead

19. Out at the Summit

20. Summit towers

21. Summit towers and a sittin' log

22. Starting back down on the Summit Loop north

23. A high-up switchback

24. On the way back down on the Summit Loop north

25. A view north

26. Soon to meet the Dairy Ravine Trail

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Something for Everyone Part 2

9/5/2014

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Presidio Nat’l Park meanderings continued…

… Up from the Main Post, 56 steps to the Post Chapel (first two pix), then up the long-loved old cemetery trail, pix 3 thru 9.

A view from the Cemetery Overlook, pic 10.

… Pix 11, 12: Golden Gate Overlook.

Just east of the bridge there was still construction down at the microtunnel and picnic area but the rest of the Battery East Trail’s walkable, including the 153 steps down to Crissy Field (and back up again): 13 thru 17.

Out this way, onto the trail between two vehicle streets, the Presidio Promenade: 18, 19, 20.

Passing thru Crissy Field Overlook (pic 21), continuing across the wood footbridge near the stables and onto the Park Trail.

This time stayed on the Park Trail all the way instead of the offtrail shortcut taken last time. Found another of photographer Lyle Gomes’ “Picturing the Presidio” works a bit further along from the one at the beginning of the Park Trail seen before. This one’s called “Roadway 2009.” Pix 22, 23.

These 98 forested steps climb up the west side of the Cemetery Overlook, up from the Park Trail, pic 24.

1. Main Post up to Post Chapel

2. Turn left for the old cemetery trail

3. Trail through the forest alongside the cemetery

4. Uphill trail through the forest

5. I'm often the only one on this trail

6. This trail comes out at the Cemetery Overlook

7. A "wilder," more isolated trail

8. Logs to sit on for a while

9. Hilly forest trail leads to the Cemetery Overlook

10. View from the Cemetery Overlook

11. Golden Gate Overlook

12. Golden Gate Overlook

13. Battery East Trail stairway down to Crissy Field

14. 153 steps

15. Partway down

16. The steps part of the Battery East Trail

17. Top of the Battery East Trail stairs up from Crissy Field

18. Trail between two vehicle streets

19. Presidio Promenade

20. Presidio Promenade out to Crissy Field Overlook

21. Crissy Field Overlook

22. Lyle Gomes' "Picturing the Presidio," Park Trail

23. "Roadway 2009" by Lyle Gomes, Park Trail

24. 98 Steps thru the forest to the Cemetery Overlook from Park Trail

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Something for Everyone Part 1

9/4/2014

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Presidio Nat’l Park has something for everyone.

Starting at 25th Ave. and round to the west edge of the Presidio, hadn’t done the approximately half-mile-long Lobos Creek Valley Trail in a while. Smells delightful; all the parks do these days. Saw a bunch of damselflies and more small lizards this time than ever seen before on a single hike, most scrambling into the bushes too fast for a foto (first two pix).

19 sand-covered old wood steps up to the shady, thick-sand Presidio forest from the Lobos Creek Valley Trail (pic 3) where I climbed offtrail, enjoying the trees (pic 4), up to Battery Caulfield Road. The old buildings on Battery Caulfield just above the Presidio Landmark Apartments are to be a preschool. A detour led to the Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook (103-ish steps, pic 5); down and around Mountain Lake.

… Don’t miss Baker Beach and the Sand Ladder, pic 6.

… Batteries to Bluffs Trail (duh-of course), 473 or so steps, pix 7 thru 18, west to east, and the Connector (208 steps: 19, 20, 21) up from Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook near Rob Hill Campground.

At Rob Hill Campground’s east edge, you can follow a short trail out to the back of the Fort Scott residences and linger awhile at the “hidden” Fort Scott Community Garden, pic 22, off Wisser Ct.

… Now in another part of the park, 36 steps to Inn of the Presidio at the Main Post: 23, 24.

Directly behind the Inn is the east trailhead for the Ecology Trail that winds around and up to come out at Inspiration Point Overlook, or down the trail or stairs to El Polin Spring with its birds, ponds, benches, picnic tables, and boardwalk: 25, 26, 27, 28.

... To be continued.

1. Lobos Creek Valley Trail. Presidio Forest left.

2. Plenty of these little guys around

3. Into the forest from Lobos Creek Valley Trail

4. Presidio Forest between Lobos Creek Valley Trail and Battery Caulfield Rd.

5. "Home is the Sailor, Home from the Sea" plaque at Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook behind Presidio Landmark Apts.

6. Sand Ladder down to Baker Beach from Lincoln

7. Trailhead for Batteries to Bluffs starts with a sandy downhill trail at Lincoln. Battery Crosby left, center starts the stairway,

8. Up about 16 steps to Battery Crosby. Main Batteries to Bluffs Trail starts down.

9. Starting down the west side on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail

10. Westside Batteries to Bluffs

11. Looking back up

12. Down the west side

13. Continuing down the west side

14. Westside beautyspot

15. Midtrail bridgeview

16. Level below is the trail to Marshall's Beach

17. View Point

18. Bridgeview from View Point

19. Connector Trail down from Immigrant Point Overlook

20. Connector Trail down to Lincoln. Sand Ladder trailhead to left; Batteries to Bluffs to right.

21. Crosswalk across Lincoln from Connector Trail

22. This way to the Fort Scott Community Garden (Wisser Court)

23. Up to Main Post and Inn of the Presidio

24. Inn of the Presidio. Ecology Trail to left.

25. Accessible trail down to El Polin Spring from the east side

26. El Polin Spring

27. Ecology Trail

28. Ecology Trail to Inspiration Point Overlook off Arguello

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Dune Good

9/2/2014

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For a change started this hike further up Ocean Beach, destination Fort Funston, from the last stop for the N-Judah Metro instead of my usual L-Taraval last stop. Crossed Great Highway onto a long walkway with built-in benches every few feet, some without graffiti (first two pix).

After a short slog thru some thick sand, then the usual area where I start south from the zoo above the beach, thru the parking spots up here. Finally reaching the north side of the park, climbing to find a trail (pic 3), under the fence, and into the main part: pix 4 thru 7.

119 count for these recently improved steps up from the highway/parking area, a view across to Lake Merced. Counted more other times; once 173. The newer ones are wider: 8 through 12.

On to the hang gliding launching/landing area (enjoyed watching a couple of 'em), and the trail next to it that turns into a stairway a little way down. Looks like a few replacement logs have been added to this Funston Beach Trail. This time got 165 steps going down and 164 back up, just a few more than other times counted: 13 thru 21.

1. Walkway at Ocean Beach

2. Ocean Beach

3. Dune climbing

4. Highway below, Lake Merced to left

5. Lake Merced across

6. Never seen any hosses up here

7. Duney roots

8. Foot of the east stairway

9. Up to the doggy water bowls

10. About 119 steps now

11. Lake Merced across the highway

12. Nearing the top of the stairs

13. Top of the Funston Beach Trail

14. 165 or so log steps

15. Stairs start down next to hang gliiders' landing area

16. Down to Ocean Beach

17. Back up again

18. A good workout, much like the Sand Ladder at Baker Beach

19. Some replacement logs

20. Sideview climbing back up

21. Nearing the top

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Tallest SF Sand Dune

9/1/2014

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Up from the N-Judah stop at 16th Ave. to ascend the Hidden Garden Steps, pix 1 thru 7, 148 steps:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hidden-Garden-Steps/288064457924739

At the top curved around a few blocks to the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood's other long tiled stairway (so far), the Moraga/16th tiled 2005, 163 steps: 8, 9, 10.

At the top of these, nearby is a street divider stairway (28 steps, pic 11) up to the foot of Grandview Park’s zigzag stairway (144 steps), pix 12 thru 15.

68 steps up to the first green wood bench on the stairway; 116th for the second, pic 16.

Continued to the top and around the tiny high-up park, San Francisco’s tallest sand dune: 17 thru 21.

Down Moraga’s east stairway, 195 steps. 110 steps down to the divider stairs for this side of Moraga, Mount Sutro’s westside in the distance. Top to bottom: 22 thru 30.

How ‘bout tiling the east Moragas as well?. At the foot of these was at Moraga and Funston. Downhill took me back to Lawton so circled back to descend the Hidden Garden Steps (last two pix), passing the hoping-to-be-tiled top of the 15th Ave. steps (about 195).

Just some of the supertreats for devotees of public stairways in this 'hood.