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Happy News for Cayuga Park!

12/30/2011

Just read some good news about Cayuga Park that answers some questions I had when I Weebly-posted on August 5 after a recent visit.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/30/BARH1M9N4Q.DTL&feed=rss.news

If you haven’t already read it (linked via my Facebook page as well), this recent SF Gate article is called “Gardener’s art to be permanent part of Cayuga Park.” (Friday, Dec. 30 by John Wildermuth, Chronicle Staff Writer).

The 11-acre park’s getting a $9.4 million renovation to be completed in 2013. 130 of the sculptures are to be temporarily removed for cleaning, etc. Hopefully this will include the pix below, a few of my own favorites, taken around 2007.

“The new entryway to the park, a commissioned work by artist Eric Powell, will include art pieces inspired by Braceros’ sculptures…” And the park’s clubhouse is to have a living roof.

I’m a big fan of Mr. Braceros’ artworks and it’s cheering to hear that his sculptures and this little park will be getting lotsa love in the next few years.

Cayuga Park, 2007

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Another Day, Another Hilly Park

12/29/2011

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One favorite route to McLaren Park is to head uphill through all six Visitacion Valley Greenways.

Today, however, waited for the crosstown #29 that runs scenically W-E through the park along divided Mansell.

McLaren, at 317 acres (and San Bruno Mountain’s little sister), is San Francisco’s third largest park (the Presidio boasts 1,480 acres and Golden Gate Park 1,017). McLaren’s large enough that it’s a good idea to hike its many trails a little at a time.

No neighborhoods escaped today’s heavy fog, so no views. From the park’s west edge, trailed around a little and continued east to the picnic tables and benches across Mansell from the tennis courts. Looking down into Vis Valley from here, one can see McLaren’s longest stairway (first three pics), about 195 steps climbing to Visitacion Ave. from the dead-end of Campbell.

The other southside stairway can also be seen from up here. This one is shorter and starts out as a trail curving up from Ervine (fourth photo).

Out of the park at the east side, caught the #29 again in front of Philip and Sala Burton High School at Somerset and Mansell at the top of the Portola neighborhood. Really like the part of upper Visitacion Valley here that’s just past Mansell.

Once out of the park on the west side, the bus swoops downhill on Persia through the Excelsior neighborhood.

McLaren's longest stairway up from the end of Campbell

McLaren's longest stairway up to Visitacion Ave.

Up to Visitacion Ave.

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Two Hilly Midcity Parks

12/28/2011

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Corona Heights Park and Buena Vista Park are several blocks apart, but it looks closer than it is in reality when one walks from one to the other, as I did today. Both parks have undergone impressive trail improvements in the last few years.

From Castro to 17th, turn right on Douglass to its dead-end where you’ll notice two stairways. One will take you up to States in the Corona Heights neighborhood. A few steps also lead to the next street west, Ord, across from Vulcan Stairway’s foot. 219 steps later at Levant, continued up the States/Levant stairs and over to the east side of Corona Heights Park. Strolled through the live animal room (love the quail!) of the Randall Museum before climbing into the upper part of the park.

Corona's long main stairway (first foto) is fenced on both sides, but its older wood steps are steep and uneven. Near the bench at the top of the stairs is a short newer safety fence that wasn’t there last visit.

Round the left side is still a small area without protective fencing alongside the trail. To my right the summit rocks were occupied, as they frequently are.

Down the steps all the way and out the west side again: Roosevelt to Park Hill and steeply up the latter. At Buena Vista East and Park Hill is one of several short stairway entrances into the park. Up one of these to the elevated sidewalk that runs around the park, continued west to the long main stairway up (next two pics, about 171 steps), only a few years old. This newer beauty ascends nearly to the summit openspace.

An old stone stairway (fourth photo) descends from the summit on the north side. Multiple wooden stairways continue down, steep and uneven like Corona’s older ones.

Just once I’d like to see actual fines administered to people who smoke at transit stops (particularly where I was waiting for the #43 at Masonic and Haight, a couple blocks from the northwest edge of the park). AND in the parks, of course, especially now that it’s so dry. And since camping in the parks is also supposed to be a no-no, how come as I made my way down the north side there could be seen very clearly someone’s messy, littered campsite just off a couple of the main paved trails.

Corona Heights Park main stairway

Foot of the long main south stairway

Main south stairway meets the E-W trail boardwalk

Stone steps down from the summit, north side

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Presidio Loop

12/25/2011

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Today continued to bypass the tourists and bicyclists along the Coastal Trail and under the bridge. Also not in the mood to have to take three or four buses to get me up to the bridge area to start my hike here. So disembarked at one of my favorite park trailheads, 14th Ave. This paved trail meanders along to the right of the homes on Wyman and above the heavy traffic on Park Presidio, directly across from Mountain Lake.

A short distance along this trail is the dunes boardwalk stairway that climbs to the left behind the residences. From the boardwalk came out at Battery Caulfield Road, continuing uphill to Washington Blvd. and Immigrant Point Overlook where the curvy Connector Trail descends to Lincoln. Crossed Lincoln where a trail leads to Battery Crosby (first pic). Second photo is looking back towards Immigrant Point Overlook from atop Battery Crosby. At the west side of the brightly graffitied-upon old battery is the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead.

The BTB's looking greener now. Third pic: just past View Point on the east side. After one puffs up to the east trailhead, there's still a detour due to the ongoing construction of one of the Coastal Trail Overlooks. Crossed Lincoln into the Fort Scott neighborhood where there are picnic tables.

Instead of continuing east on the Coastal Trail to the bridge area and #28 bus stop, decided to loop around to my beginning. This entailed walking all the way through Fort Scott to its south end and heading up one of the several forested trails in this westside area between Fort Scott and Rob Hill Campground (fourth pic).

Came out at Washington, the community garden and playground a short distance ahead. Curving around, was soon once again back on Battery Caulfield Rd. heading downhill this time, entering the dunes boardwalk trail from the west side and back to my beginning at California and Park Presidio.

Battery Crosby from Connector Trail

Looking back at Immigrant Point Overlook from atop Battery Crosby

Batteries to Bluffs Trail

Trails through the forest to Fort Scott from east edge of Rob Hill Campground

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Telegraph Hill Stairmasters

12/15/2011

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Felt the need for some exercise so went to climb Telegraph Hill’s Filbert stairway that starts up from Sansome (first pic) – all the way up to Coit Tower/Pioneer Park. Felt chilly when first starting out, but after the 383 steps up to Telegraph Hill Blvd. was sweating (and I'm a slow hiker).

Detoured to stroll the short length of Napier Lane (wood-planked boardwalk accessed from the Filbert steps) and noticed that 222 Filbert (brown-shingled corner house) is getting an extensive makeover inside. Further up the steps, above Montgomery, remodeling of the former Shadows Restaurant continues.

At the top of the Filbert steps at Telegraph Hill Blvd. a paved walkers’ path just below Pioneer Park (next two pix) connects with the brick Greenwich stairway that continues up to Coit Tower’s parking lot.

One of the stairways in the park descends to Telegraph Hill Blvd. where you can continue down the east or west Filbert stairways.

At the fenced vacant lot here where there were three small residences until 1999, a Sotheby’s real estate sign advertises 7,500 square feet plus cottage. The closest cottage I could see is a long-time favorite, 381-3 Filbert steps west (fourth pic); wonder if this is the one they mean. I can imagine creating a tiered garden from the unused space along this part of Filbert if I could live in 381-3. This area now serves as an excellent viewspot for tourists to pause and snap pix on their way up to Coit Tower.

Check out the new San Bruno Mountain Website:

http://www.mountainwatch.org

Recently passed by the old Pershing Hall, well on its way to its new incarnation as “Inn at the Presidio,” which will have 22 guest rooms. An article from SF Gate:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fg%2Fa%2F2011%2F12%2F13%2Fprweb9034284.DTL

Filbert stairway climbs up from Sansome

Walkers' pathway connecting Filbert and Greenwich stairways just below Pioneer Park

Out to Greenwich stairway from connector path at Filbert stairway/Telegraph Hill Blvd.

381-3 Filbert just below the vacant lot

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Arguello Gate to Presidio Blvd.

12/8/2011

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Today’s Presidio hike was meant to be mostly on trails not walked in a while, and as woodsy and solitary as possible, of course.

It began at the Arguello Gate this time and for a while the golf course was to my left, but some trees were between it and the trail, near the Spire (first pic).

Took a different trail through the woods to the back of Fort Scott this time, this one obliging me to slide down over a low wall.

Used to take a trail east from Fort Scott’s Dragonfly Creek stone bridge, but due to the daylighting of the creek hadn’t been able to take this route in a long time. This time was no different – still blocked. Retraced my steps, heading up a couple of the neighborhood’s unique stone stairways (this is one of ‘em: second pic) and around to the Park Trail (third photo) this way.

Up from the Park Trail is the meandering forest stairway up to the Cemetery Overlook (fourth pic). What’s all that work going on inside the cemetery? One of my favorite trails is one I’ve been taking for years: the curvy trail through the forest from the Cemetery Overlook out to the Post Chapel.

Down the steps to the Main Post and past the Officers’ Club and Pershing Hall, both still undergoing major facelifts.

Andy Goldsworthy's "Spire"

One of Fort Scott's stone stairways

Park Trail

Steps from Park Trail up to Cemetery Overlook

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Quarry Road Trail: Mount Sutro

12/8/2011

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Today’s hike started at the Crestline stairway trail up to Twin Peaks Blvd. Around to the west side, climbed over the auto barrier to the trail that descends alongside Twin Peaks Reservoir (first pic – but seen today with most of the water drained from it) to Marview in the Midtown Terrace neighborhood.

This is an invigorating hike that's a good connector between Twin Peaks Park and Mount Sutro Openspace Reserve.

Second photo: Taken from Twin Peaks Park with Midtown Terrace below. Above to the right is Sutro Tower. Beyond is Mount Sutro’s Forest Knolls neighborhood with the forest above. Third pic: the Forest Knolls ‘hood on the south side of Mount Sutro. In the center, part of the Oakhurst stairway is visible.

A right turn on Marview and over to Palo Alto’s dead-end for vehicles. Here the walker can step out onto La Avanzada, the curvy, forested road to Sutro Tower. Continue on La Avanzada down to Dellbrook and out to Clarendon.

Crossing Clarendon, climbed steeply uphill on Behr, past the Aldea Community Center and some residences. Noticed a stairway down to what looked like it might be the beginning of a community garden and/or a nursery. Hadn’t taken this route for some time.

Continuing up, soon reached the new Quarry Road Trail. It’s short, with the Forest Knolls neighborhood below through the trees. There aren’t any trail markers yet, but the trail’s very easy to see at either end. Enjoying the fresh, woodsy smell, I had the trail all to myself.

At the end is the trail marker for the (upper) Historic Trail and the short trail that’ll take you down to Christopher St. Hadn’t done the Historic in a while either (fourth photo).

After reaching the foot of the Historic Trail at Medical Center Way, curved all the way around to walk next to the new research building and past the foot of the long stairway that climbs from Medical Center Way to the Surge Parking Lot.

Trail down to Marview in Midtown Terrace from Twin Peaks Park

Midtown Terrace, Sutro Tower, Forest Knolls from Twin Peaks Park

Mount Sutro's south side and the Forest Knolls neighborhood

Historic Trail

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Bernal's Newer Southside Stairways

12/2/2011

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It’d been a while since I last visited Bernal's newer southside stairways (completed around 2008).

Trekked up Virginia several blocks from Mission to Elsie (first photo), then Moultrie’s 19 steps to the park. From here to a short trail off Ellsworth and a little gardenspot, with the same 15 wood steps down to Gates as before.

Then steeply uphill to the top of Gates where 34 steps climb to Bernal Heights Blvd.

Along the Blvd.’s auto barrier a few yards to the top of Prentiss, 52 steps. This one descends from the Blvd. nearly to Chapman, the foot above the Prentiss sidewalk steps (on one side, down to Powhattan).

Passed along the top of the Nevada & Chapman stairway (down to Bernal Heights Blvd. /Powhattan), a double stairway, the older steps next to the houses on the east side (second pic).

Huffed steeply to the top of Chapman, turning here onto a dirt road, the beginning of Mayflower, for a two-part stairway. From the Blvd. to unpaved Mayflower is 27 steps (third pic). A few yards away to the east, another stairway (24 steps) descends from Mayflower to the top of Rosenkranz. There's no street sign here but the top of the older Chapman & Rosenkranz stairway (down to Bernal Hts. Blvd./Powhattan) is visible from up here.

Mayflower is supposed to be a real street all the way from its dirt beginning just below the park down to Holladay, but you’d never know by looking at two blocks of it.

After the open Mayflower Garden steps (fourth photo, basically unchanged since my last visit, 13 steps), if you cross the street and look down, this is also Mayflower, Bradford to Peralta.

It used to be even more impassable. Now they’ve cleared some of the tangles down from the top and there’s a little garden with a white wood plant border. It’s steep, no steps, and when I reached the foot at a big tree stump, couldn’t see an easy way down the rest of the way.

It’s supposedly passable, according to an account I read once of someone’s exploration along the length of the street. But it also appears one would be rewarded with scratches, stepping in unseen holes, and otherwise not finding an easy way down.

So since Mayflower is not private property, I’d like to see the city (or the residents) construct a sturdy zigzag stairway on both these now-impassable hillside blocks much like the Jarboe-nearly-to-Tompkins on Bradford (Bernal’s newest stairway), or Telegraph Hill’s Vallejo steps up from Montgomery. Or a regular non-zig stairway up the middle.

Either way, make it walkable for several blocks all the way, from just below the park down to Holladay -- easy access for the fire dept. and people walking to and from the park without having to detour.

Neighbors would have plenty of room to garden on either side without all the impenetrable brush that’s there now. (I’ll volunteer for such a project if someone’ll find me a house along the route.)

The next level down, from Peralta to Franconia, is still an impassable jungle but there are now two resident-made stairways that descend partway, one of bricks in the center and one on the north side alongside a house’s wall (fifth photo). But these don’t go all the way down either and the tangles here look rather forbidding to try to push through.

From Franconia to Holladay, the lowest block, is the older Mayflower stairway, this one perfectly walkable.

At the south end of Franconia and east end of Powhattan, the sidewalk along the chainlink fence has been cleared of weeds. Now one has a better view of the freeway below and all the trash dumped along the hillside (there’s a hole in the fence).

Didn’t do the Banks steps that climb up from Powhattan to Chapman today, nor the newest Bradford stairway.

Virginia & Elsie

Bernal Hts. Blvd. & Powhattan up to Nevada & Chapman

Mayflower up to Bernal Hts. Blvd.

Mayflower Garden up to Carver

A resident-made stairway on Mayflower, Peralta to Franconia

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Avoiding Crowds and Heavy Bike Traffic: Presidio

12/1/2011

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It’s a waste of time when I must take more than one or two buses to get to where I’m going. Nor do I care to have to dodge the many bicyclists moving along the paved Coastal Trail under the Bridge. The trail soon turns to dirt and most of the cyclists don't continue this way. If they do, it's necessary to walk their bikes down battery stairways to the trail below.

So a lot more pleasant for me to enter the park at the 14th Avenue trailhead, climb the dunes boardwalk stairway, stop briefly at the boardwalk's two benches, then head up Rob Hill on Battery Caulfield Road past the dunes area on the west side of the street (first photo).

At Washington, headed uphill on a trail that curves round the Rob Hill Campground. As I reached the trailhead of a favorite short trail (a yellow fire hydrant here) that leads to the back of the Fort Scott neighborhood near the Community Garden (second photo), noticed that a new short stairway has been added here to access the campground.

More stone can now be seen at the sides of the Dragonfly Creek bridge as the daylighting work continues.

Curved around Fort Scott and crossed over to the Batteries to Bluffs east trailhead. The last two photos were taken on the west side where the two new railings are. After reaching Battery Crosby, continued to Lincoln and the Connector Trail stairway back up to the Immigrant Point Overlook area, then down Battery Caulfield past the beautiful Lobos Creek Valley Overlook.

Dunes area on west side of Battery Caulfield Road

Fort Scott Community Garden

Batteries to Bluffs Trail, west side

View down from Batteries to Bluffs Trail, west side

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