Stairways are Heaven
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8 Lands End Stairways

10/31/2012

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... Five of them over 100 steps and three over 50.

Lands End seemed a good choice for a solitary hike on peaceful park trails since I could take a bus to the way-out-west end of the line, thus avoiding today's downtown parade crowd. 


Too many experiences getting partially squashed in various celebrations, including rock concerts and street fairs, not to mention frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic while trying to get somewhere on a bus. However, today all the Geary buses got detoured to Taylor, and the next Limited stop was at Leavenworth (several blox further west than the stop at Powell, Union Square). 

The "Merrie Way" was my first long stairway: down approximately 127 steps from the overlook, first pic. Restaurants Louis' and Cliff House can be seen to the left with Sutro Heights Park beyond. The Sutro Baths ruins are below to the right. 

From here onto the Coastal Trail from its west trailhead at the cavetop viewplace (next two pix). New steps were added around 2009: 141 now. This stairway is called "Sutro Baths Upper Trail" and climbs to a curvy paved trail.

Winding round to the north, it was up the 59 steep steps between the first Coastal Trail overlook and upper parking lot overlook. Onto the El Camino del Mar Trail from here, then down the connector stairway (about 89 steps) back to the Coastal Trail. 

Then a really good workout: About halfway along the Coastal Trail (AKA Lands End Trail) is the top of the stairway down to Mile Rock Beach (270 or so steps). Partway down you'll see an offshoot trail straight ahead (fourth pic) to the clifftop area called Viewpoint that overlooks the beach. The stairway turns here and continues to the beach. Fifth pic: foot of the steps. Back up the stairway again to the Coastal Trail after a few minutes. Ya wanna work up a good sweat, this one'll do it, no matter what the weather's like.   


A short distance from here looms the curvy wood "Painted Rock" stairway (about 138 steps). Sixth pic: one of two benches along these steps. 


When you reach the top, another long one starts down the east side with about 116 steps (seventh pic): concrete, wood logs, then more concrete. 


The last two are views from along the Coastal Trail.


Once out at the park's east trailhead, you can cross the street onto a trail that's just below the east edge of the Lincoln Park Golf Course until you reach the stairway (about 52 steps) down to 32nd Avenue and the west end of California Street in the Outer Richmond. 

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"Merrie Way" steps down from the Overlook
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Coastal Trail from its west trailhead
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Coastal Trail / Sutro Baths Upper Trail
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Trail to Viewpoint overlooking Mile Rock Beach
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Mile Rock Beach
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Bench along the "Painted Rock" stairway
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Part of the eastside stairway
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A view from the Coastal Trail
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A view from the Coastal Trail
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Trailjoggers and Skateboarders

10/26/2012

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Off the #28 bridge bus and left (west) onto the improved bike/pedestrian trail that passes under the bridge. Added here since my last trip are a couple of seismic infosigns and examples. This improved part of trail ends at the Coastal Trail's older, dirt part for hikers. This will still take you to the top of one of the old batteries and down its short stairway, Golden Gate Overlook in the near distance. 

Near the west side of this new overlook is the Batteries to Bluffs' east trailhead (around 473 steps). First five pics are of the east side of the trail. Sixth is View Point with its single bench, today with a downed post in the center.  

Seventh is midway-ish where there's a separate trail with about 48 steps descending to Marshall's Beach. Eighth: Midtrail BTB before the stairs start steeply up the west slope.  

The Batteries to Bluffs is hugely popular with trail joggers, as is the top of Battery Crosby, the BTB's west trailhead, with the ubiquitous skateboarders. 

The Connector Trail (208 steps) ascending from the crosswalk at Lincoln has its share of trail runners too as it curves up to Immigrant Point Overlook (last pic: the footbridge along the Connector). As I was climbing up, a large group of schoolage hikers was on their way down. 

My usual route down Rob Hill on Battery Caulfield took me past the Lobos Valley Overlook and out of the park at 16th Ave. 

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Sand and Steps

10/6/2012

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Friday: North from the bus stop at 25th Avenue, El Camino del Mar merges into the Presidio's westside. Down Bowley to Gibson and the main Baker Beach entrance (first pic). 

Took a trail slightly above the beach to the mid-Baker Beach stairway (about 45 steps. Second pic: top of the stairway). Last time I saw this, there was one of those orange caution-cones and a steep stepdown to the beach. This is what it looks like now: next two pix. Pale yellowish logs start up from the foot now like big sister Sand Ladder's, the rest the regular wood steps. 

Up the Sand Ladder where this time my count was 249 steps. Next two pics: taken near the foot. Next taken from the 100th step; next one taken from the 200th step. 

At the Connector Trail's bench, a short distance up from Lincoln (next pic: 208 steps. In the distance to the right is Battery Crosby and the west trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail; to the left is the top of the Sand Ladder), watching bicyclists below struggling up the street, sometimes giving up and walking their bikes. But then they get to coast back down a very long way, flyin' along. Between Angel appearances there were the usual hovering redtail hawks to admire. But I needed to get movin' again so continued up the Connector.

Partway down Battery Caulfield from Immigrant Point, treework was still ongoing in the Presidio Forest. Crossed over to the Marine Cemetery Vista. This has around 103 steps, starting with the trail on the east side of the viewbenches, continuing with some wide steps on the wood boardwalk, then down the main steps to the Mountain Lake Trail/14th Ave. This beauty (last pic) won't be found in any of the stairway books or articles: too new. 

Between the Mountain Lake underpass and the east benches, there's an offshoot trail that dead-ends at the golf course where there was a foundation of some small old building and lots of berries. Found this area to be totally blocked off with heavy machinery as part of the Mountain Lake Remediation Project. The aforementioned benches are gone too, same project. 

Out of the park from Mountain Lake, there's a continuing greenway in the middle of Park Presidio that I always take from Lake to California. The first bus that came by on California was too crowded so was obliged to wait for another one. 

Today, Saturday, was a wading-day where a bunch of us were gazing out at what appeared to be some orcas playing not far from the shore. 

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Angels and Blackberries

10/5/2012

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Thursday's hike started off at the Arguello Gate (well, actually a few blocks downhill at the bus stop). Lovin' it that Ma Nature's air-conditioning was working again, meandered along to the south entrance to the Cemetery Overlook, past the Spire, leisurely picking berries along the way. First pic is of the trail from the overlook down to the Park Trail (about 98 steps). Could see Los Angeles very well from here, on one of the benches before descending the stairway.

From the Park Trail, headed under the Fort Scott 'hood highway overpass and along the driveway in back of the homes with the small playground above to my left. The chainlink fence that used to divide the playground from the slightly higher community garden (second pic) has been removed. A new sign in the garden:
 "Public Garden: Plants in this garden may be harvested by garden members and the public. Please leave enough for all to enjoy. Thank you." 

Up a short trail (third pic) to Rob Hill Campground and Immigrant Point Overlook across from the campground, down the Connector Trail's 208 steps. Fourth pic: the welcoming bench near the foot of the steps (Lincoln Blvd. is the street. In the distance to the right is Battery Crosby and the west trailhead for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail). 

The Angels buzzed again when I was atop Battery Crosby and on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail (473 steps). Fifth pic: west trailhead for the BTB down from the battery; next two pics: down the steep west side; next: A midtrail turn; next: the east trailhead (there's a log here where one can rest). In the distance is the BTB's steep westside. 

After reaching the east trailhead for the BTB, headed east through the Golden Gate Overlook and on a favored short trail between vehicle streets to the second bridge area bus stop. Horrific bus conditions even on this weekday visit. I was only going from the bridge area out of the park to Park Presidio and California, but people were squished together already with several of us, including me, having to stand in the stairwells. 

I'd never have boarded at all if my ride hadn't been so short. Why can't MUNI put extra buses into use if there are going to be special events in certain areas…? You can't really blame people for choosing to drive when it's like this.

So it's really not a wise choice for me to try to take a bus out of the park for the rest of the week, and probably not even INTO the park this weekend if I go -- because last year it was incredibly slow bumper-to-bumper coming up TO the bridge area. Love the park, but hate the traffic and overcrowded buses. The park's PresidiGO free shuttle comes too seldom for me and if I'm gonna have to wait a half hour or so for it, I may as well just hoof it.


Last year's conditions were excellent for Angelviewing atop Battery Crosby - no fog at all - so this last pic is one from 2011.


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    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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