Stairways are Heaven
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Stairways are Heaven

Sunnyside Steep

11/18/2016

0 Comments

 
First from the Glen Park BART, up from Bosworth for Hamerton’s 66 steps, The stair landings were free of litter this time: first three pix 

At the top, another steep block to the east dead-end of Mangels for a hike in the Sunnyside neighborhood.

At Baden there’s a south entrance to Dorothy W. Erskine Park: 4, 5

And a west entrance out of the small park, around to the Glen Park side near Bosworth.

Revisited two small gardenspots. The first is entered off Teresita and there’s a way out at the foot of it to Verna. 19 steps: 6, 7

The second is entered off Melrose, with the  sign “Melrose/Detroit Botanical Gardens” visible from the sidewalk. Same as it used to be with no way out to Detroit (above the stairway), and no stairs for this little garden: 8, 9

Sunnyside Playground’s west entrance is off Foerster.

Heading east uphill for the park’s main stairway. The stairs, railings painted blue some years ago when the park got a makeover (pic 10, 2005), alternate with a paved walkway. 36 steps to the top of the second flight with 64 total out to Melrose: 11 thru 16

To the top of the Baden and Joost Street Minipark that starts down from Mangels where some years ago a small older house collapsed. There’s still a vacant lot here. This is a narrow stair-park down to Joost with 55 steps: 17 thru 23

West a couple of blocks to the top of Detroit, Mount Davidson’s longest stairway at 185 steps down to Joost: 24 thru 30

Down from Joost is a north entrance to the Sunnyside Conservatory with 36 steps: 31 thru 38

These next were taken in 2005 before the Conservatory renovation: 39, 40, 41

From 2009, with then-mayor Gavin Newsom in attendance, at the Conservatory reopening party: 42, 43, 44

13 steps down to Monterey out of the park: 45


145 Circular:  46. 47

Picture
1 Hamerton up from Bosworth
Picture
2 Hamerton halfway up
Picture
3 66steps
Picture
4 Baden and south entrance to Dorothy Erskine Park
Picture
5 Into the park from the Baden entrance
Picture
6 Out of the garden at Verna
Picture
7
Picture
8 Birdbath at Melrose/Detroit Botanical Gardens
Picture
9 Melrose/Detroit
Picture
10 THENL Sunnyside Playfground 2005
Picture
11 Uphill from the playground for the steps
Picture
12
Picture
13 64 steps
Picture
14
Picture
15
Picture
16
Picture
17 Top of minipark at Mangels
Picture
18 55 steps
Picture
19 Joost and Baden Street Minipark
Picture
20
Picture
21
Picture
22
Picture
23 Joost Ave.
Picture
24 Top of Detroit stairs
Picture
25 Jppst partway down to Hearst
Picture
26 185 steps
Picture
27 Monterey Blvd. Cross for the last block
Picture
28 Last flight down
Picture
29
Picture
30
Picture
31 Down from Joost, 36 steps
Picture
32
Picture
33
Picture
34
Picture
35
Picture
36
Picture
37
Picture
38
Picture
39 THEN: 2005
Picture
40 THEN: 2005
Picture
41 THEN: 2005
Picture
42 THEN: 2009
Picture
43 THEN: 2009
Picture
44 THEN: 2009
Picture
45 Down to Monterey
Picture
46 Circular Ave.
Picture
47
0 Comments

Billygoat and 3

11/13/2016

0 Comments

 
First stairway after a short uphill trudge from the 30th and Noe bus stop was from 30th down to Day with 46 streps: 1, 2, 3

At the foot of this one is a short sidewalk that leads to the second Day stairway, this up from Day to Castro with 63 steps: 4 thru 7

Billy Goat Hill Park is directly above with 17 steps to start, then a curving dirt trail to an old concrete bench. 

Continuing up, 31 steps so tar at the top of the second flight. 

I got 81 steps for all three flights: 8 thru 25. Out to Beacon.

A couple blox south on Beacon to the top of the Harry stairway (238 steps): 26 thru 47


The 30 Harry house has some of the same kinds o rust-colored metal sculptures in its front yard as does the house I posted about recently between 27th and the Duncan-Castro Openspace. 

30 Harry has a giraffe and flower artworks.

Harry stairway: 

At he foot of Harry, crossed the street (Laidley) to the top (south) end of Noe and down to where I started. 


Picture
1 30th down to Day
Picture
2 46 steps
Picture
3
Picture
4 Castro to Day, Noe Valley
Picture
5 63 steps
Picture
6
Picture
7
Picture
8 Billy Goat Hill Park
Picture
9 Dirt trail between first and second flights
Picture
10 Second flight up ahead
Picture
11 Bernal Hill in distance
Picture
12 Starting second flight
Picture
13
Picture
14 Remnants of the swing that used to be here
Picture
15 30th & Castro below
Picture
16
Picture
17 Diamond Heights in distance, center
Picture
18 View north - Noe Valley
Picture
19
Picture
20 Last flight up
Picture
21 81 steps for the park
Picture
22
Picture
23
Picture
24
Picture
25 Beacon - south now to Harry
Picture
26 Top of Harry
Picture
27 238 steps
Picture
28
Picture
29
Picture
30
Picture
31
Picture
32 30 Harry
Picture
33
Picture
34
Picture
35
Picture
36
Picture
37
Picture
38
Picture
39
Picture
40
Picture
41
Picture
42
Picture
43
Picture
44
Picture
45
Picture
46
Picture
47 Harry at Laidley
0 Comments

Some BVs

11/10/2016

0 Comments

 
Buena Vista Park is a tall hill with multiple stairways, very short to the park’s longest, on the south side, at 170 steps.

Starting out off Haight, the first  short stairway was occupied on the west side so started up on the east with 11 starter-steps. 

The next walked was 23 up to asmall, fenced playground: First pic

There were more downhill stairs from here: Second pic

Trudging uphill on one of the wider paved trails, soon came to an older wood one with 134 steps nearly up to the summit: 3 thru 6

A north view: 7, 8

West now to the old stone stairs. 41 to the grassy summit openspace:  9 thru 12

Could use a stair repair here: 13

Down from the summit: 14

Down the south slope now to the top of one of the park’s newer stairways with 170 steps: 15 thru 25

This beauty alternates with E-W trails, some wood, with low walls to sit on. Shady, peaceful. 

Walkway circling the park, slightly elevated from the street, and 10 newer steps down to a crosswalk: 26 thru 29


These are only a few of the stairways here. A beautiful park to explore with gorgeous old trees. After reaching the foot of the south side, downhill a few blocks to Roosevelt, curving round to the ramp in Corona Heights Park that descends steeply to States St.

Fortunately the ramp has been left open and accessible. The Randall Museum is getting a huge makeover. The lower part of the park, the part with the tennis courts and kids’ playground, is apparently still open. 


Down the zigzag ramp to States in the Corona Heights neighborhood: 30 thru 33
Picture
1 23 steps to a small playground
Picture
2 More steps on the lower north side
Picture
3 Starting up a long older one
Picture
4
Picture
5 134 steps
Picture
6
Picture
7 A north view
Picture
8
Picture
9
Picture
10 41 steps
Picture
11
Picture
12 Summit openspace
Picture
13
Picture
14
Picture
15 Park's longest stairway starts down
Picture
16 170 steps down the south side
Picture
17 East-west walkways
Picture
18
Picture
19
Picture
20
Picture
21
Picture
22
Picture
23
Picture
24
Picture
25
Picture
26 Slightly elevated from the street
Picture
27 10 steps
Picture
28
Picture
29
Picture
30 Corona Heights Park
Picture
31
Picture
32
Picture
33 Down to States St. in Corona Heights neighborhood
0 Comments

Two Midtowns

11/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Off at the #37 Corbett/Twin Peaks stop on Crestline at the top of the long Vista Lane stairs and up the old wood stairway  (93 steps) into Twin Peaks Park: First two pix 

At the top of these, from the eastside trail just over the low wall (pic 3), noticed they’ve already started the park overhaul. The east side of the Blvd. is now blocked off to traffic.

Now if they’d only retire those two public toilets that are frequently out of order and that have that wash-cycle every time  someone exits. They either do not work at all or the door has to be pried open from the outside and/or won’t lock from the inside.  The park deserves better than this what with all the tourists AND locals who frequent this park. 

I did see a cop car patrolling the area. Good - hope they’ll do the same at Lands Emd. 

East-edge trail and Twin Peaks viewplace: 4 thru 12

Moving towards the west side so as to descend alongside the reservoir, noticed some brush has been cleared on the other side of the guardrail. You can now walk there - safer than walking on the car side: 13

Down the trail to Marview. It’s unmarked but now more easily seen from the road: 14, 15, 16

There are a couple of stairways in the Midtown Terrace neighborhood I hadn’t walked im years. No street sign noticed for either flight, but they can be seen on Google Maps. I’ve always counted these as one continuing stairway, but … 

he Marview to Clairview flight has 42 steps: 17 thru 21

Continuing uphill, Clairview to Farview, 55 steps: 22 thru 28

At the top of the higher flight and on the short walk leading out to Farview, stop and look up. Way up. Looming above Farview is Sutro Tower and the forested hill it sits on. You can’t see the tower trail from here as it’s hidden by trees. 

Back out to Marview. Instead of the tower trail this time (pic 29, east trailhead), into the forest at La Avanzada from the dead-end for vehicles fence at Palo Alto: 30

This is the north trailhead for the trail around Sutro Tower, onto La Avamzada just above Glenbrook: 31, 32

From here it’s short distance to scary Clarendon. As in a curvy two-way street with no crosswalks, speedbumps or skyways - just a couple of “islands.” If they’re going to create a new trail up from Clarendon into Sutro Forest, how about making it safer to cross this street from the Midtown Terrace side, hmmm? 

I’d love to see all major parks have their own websites that explain in detail changes to the parks, trail closures, estimated completion dates, etc.

Safely across Clarendon looked up to see a fence and a bunch of goats working behind it. Spoke to them but they were too busy munching away to pause and say hi: 33, 34, 35

Views from the pedestrian walkway alongside Mount Sutro’s Medical Center Way: 36 thru 41

Wondering why they thought it necessary to remove that nice little wooden bench from the pedestrian walkway. Put it back, please - it wasn’t in anyone’s way. 

Shortcut stairs alongside a building down to the parking lot where the stairway is: 42 

Descending from the permits-only lot to behind the medical buildings, then out to Parnassus and the #43 bus stop. 136 steps. I see more hikers ascending this way these days; hardly ever used to: 43 thru 49


Picture
1 Up from Crestline
Picture
2 93 steps
Picture
3 Twin Peaks Blvd. east and the east trail
Picture
4
Picture
5
Picture
6
Picture
7
Picture
8
Picture
9
Picture
10
Picture
11
Picture
12
Picture
13 Westside brush has been cleared
Picture
14 Trail down to Marview in Midtown Terrace
Picture
15 Down alongside the reservoir
Picture
16 Looking back
Picture
17 First flight up
Picture
18 42 steps
Picture
19
Picture
20
Picture
21
Picture
22 Second flight, continuing up
Picture
23 Up to Farview
Picture
24 55 steps
Picture
25
Picture
26
Picture
27
Picture
28 Now look up!
Picture
29 East trailhead for the tower trail up from Marview
Picture
30 Palo Alto to La Avanzada
Picture
31 North trailhead for trail around Sutro Tower
Picture
32 North trailhead off La Avanzada
Picture
33 Goats at work
Picture
34
Picture
35
Picture
36 North Ridge trailhead
Picture
37 Fairy Gates trailhead
Picture
38 Looking down from the road
Picture
39
Picture
40
Picture
41 Edgewood trailhead
Picture
42 Shortcut stairs alongside a building
Picture
43 Down from permits-only parking lot
Picture
44 136 steps
Picture
45
Picture
46 Behind UCSF buildings
Picture
47
Picture
48
Picture
49 Looking back up
0 Comments

Halloween Stairwalk

11/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Remembered a certain Presidio stairway from years ago; missed it during my last Fort Scott neighborhood/nursery hike. 

So having a general idea where it was, searched Google Maps for the exact streets. 

Off the #28 bridge-bus, east of the bridge to the Battery East Trail:

Six steps at each end for the low overhead tunnel to start: first two 

Battery East Trail and its curvaceous wood stairway (154 steps): 3, 4. 5, 6

Onward, circling round on this delightful old trail between vehicle streets: 7, 8

At the end of this, and before the overlook, crossed over to Hoffman in the North Fort Scott neighborhood.

The remembered stairway starts up from Hoffman a d climbs to Lendrum, where it soon downhills back to Lincoln and Crissy Field Overlook. 53 steps: 9 thru 14
Lots of straw wattles (erosion control) up here now: 15, 16, 17 

Crissy Field Overlook: 18, 19, 20

Crossing back over, staying on Lincoln this time, nice view of the stables and hosses below, with a sidewalk for part of the way. Safe enough if you stay close to the guardrail until you get to the crosswalk for the Park Trail. 

Park Trail: 21 thru 24

Follow the Park Trail until you see the foot of the forested stairway to the Cemetery Overlook, 99 wood steps meandering thru the woods. The steps are spaced widely apart with short stretches of dirt trail:  25 thru 34

Cemetery Overlook: 35 thru 39


Crossing Arguello to another stretch of forest: last one


Picture
1 The low overhead tunnel
Picture
2 Ou t the other side
Picture
3 Battery East Trail
Picture
4
Picture
5 Down to Crissy Field
Picture
6 154 steps
Picture
7
Picture
8
Picture
9 Up from Hoffman
Picture
10 53 steps
Picture
11
Picture
12
Picture
13
Picture
14
Picture
15
Picture
16
Picture
17
Picture
18
Picture
19 Crissy Field Overlook
Picture
20
Picture
21 Park Trail
Picture
22
Picture
23
Picture
24
Picture
25 Up from Park Trail
Picture
26 99 steps
Picture
27
Picture
28
Picture
29
Picture
30
Picture
31
Picture
32
Picture
33
Picture
34
Picture
35
Picture
36
Picture
37
Picture
38
Picture
39
Picture
40 Crossing to another forested area
0 Comments

    Author

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

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.