Blog Archives

Walk on the Wild Side

12/28/2012

… Of Sutro Heights Park, the south side, AKA Balboa Natural Area.

Crossed curvy Point Lobos at the crosswalk near the Lands End Lookout building. Drivers in this area are not much inclined to stop or slow for pedestrians, even at the crosswalk. This would be a good spot for a pedestrian skyway. At the very least, a new paintjob for the crosswalk might help. First pic: The "Merrie Way" stairway (about 127 steps) as seen from Point Lobos.

The main part of Sutro Heights Park has green lawns, benches, wide trails, and the Parapet (a viewtiful stone lookout spot with benches, built by Adolph Sutro in 1881) with Ocean Beach below (next two pics).

The trails in the natural area have been improved since my last visit and there are lots of planting-flags in evidence.

A few pieces of wood and a pipe made a short stairway on a steep part of the trail as I made my way down to the southside stairway (fourth pic). Noticed a couple of guys sitting in the sun reading in this duney area with its thick sand and blooming iceplant (fifth pic). If I lived around here I'd be doing the same.

Down, then back up again, via the old log stairway (sixth pic). Steep and uneven at times, there are about 114 steps to the foot at 600 La Playa (seventh pic). Partway up, the stairway turns into a trail for a short distance between steps (next two pics). At the top you'll see lots of colorful graffiti (10th pic). Behind the wood and wire fencing here was the usual litter and what looked like homeless encampments. But that's been there forever. I've never actually seen anyone back there.

Took a different, steepish trail from the top of the stairs back up to the main part of the park (next two pix).

34 stone steps led to the top of the Parapet, then 33 curvy steep ones down the west side. Crossed over to the Lands End side and past the top of the "Merrie Way" stairway (last pic) that descends to the Sutro Baths ruins from the lower parking lot overlook.

These two oceanview parks are perfect places to take out-of-towners, especially today: warm and sunny. And now even better with the Lands End Lookout (opened earlier this year) that has a visitor center store with a glorious view, educational exhibits, and a coffee shop. Quite unlike the other day at San Bruno Mountain when I had to cut my hike short due to heavy rain.

"Merrie Way" stairway from Point Lobos

Ocean Beach from the Parapet atop Sutro Heights Park

View from atop the Parapet

A Trail in the Balboa Natural Area

Dune-y Delight

Up from La Playa

Foot of the stairway at La Playa

Trail between steps

Trail and stairs

Top of the stairway

Up into the main part of the park

Up to the north side of the park

Connecting the overlook with Sutro Bath ruins

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Drippy Forest Trails

12/21/2012

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Normally don't start off on a hike if it's already raining, but badly needed to walk off some seasonal treats.

Began at the oft-taken Lover's Lane/Presidio Blvd. trailhead into the park. First pic: Trail up to Lover's Lane. Second: Lover's Lane. Third: Part of Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line near Lover's Lane.

Headed west just below the Mountain Lake Trail (fourth pic), past the playing field, to the upper trailhead for the new connector descending to El Polin Spring (fifth pic). Sixth pic: The Presidio is to the left of the low wall. Taken near Julius Kahn Park.

But from El Polin, instead of heading up the 69 newer steps (seventh pic) to the Ecology Trail, continued north on MacArthur past the residences and community garden to Fernandez, Barnard, and up 38 steps to the Main Post and Inn at the Presidio: eighth pic.

Used to walk through the Presidio's Main Post but haven't for a while as the old Officers' Club (San Francisco's birthplace) is still being renovated. Liked browsing the little shop and hope there'll be another store/museum here when it reopens.

Continued west to the end of the Main Post where Moraga meets Infantry Terrace and a stairway ascends to the Post Chapel (56 or so steps, ninth and tenth pix). To one side of the chapel is a longtime favorite eucalyptus-leaf-blanketed trail. This unmarked trail winds uphill through the forest to the Cemetery Overlook: this one will warm you up.

The Cemetery Overlook trail (about 98 steps, last pic) descends to the Park Trail on the west side of the overlook.

South of the overlook the Bay Area Ridge Trail winds past Andy Goldsworthy's Spire. Inspiration Point Overlook is across Arguello, and from here it's a short distance to the Arguello Gate park exit.

Up to Lovers Lane

Lovers Lane

Wood Line as of 12/21/2012

Trail down from Lover's Lane

Mountain Lake Connector Trail to El Polin Spring

Presidio is to left of the low wall. Taken near Julius Kahn Park.

69 steps up the west side of El Polin Spring

Inn at the Presidio, Main Post

Stairway to Post Chapel

14th Avenue to Lovers Lane

12/13/2012

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Starting point: From the 14th Ave. Presidio gate, up the Mountain Lake connector stairway (first pic) to the Marine Cemetery Vista overlook, out to Battery Caulfield Road. The main stairway has about 89 steps, then about 14 more for the boardwalk at the top: so 103-ish.

Instead of continuing up Battery Caulfield as originally planned, turned back and down the same stairway onto the Mountain Lake Trail since I continue to be curious about all the ongoing renovations, improvements, and lake-dredging. The 14th Ave. park entrance for pedestrians and bicyclists is one street over from busy Park Presidio. From up here you can look across at the work going on across the highway at Mountain Lake.

Mountain Lake Park's old restroom building has disappeared; a new one is to be constructed. Along the lake's south shore where the short down-to-lake stairways are, there's no shortage of various kinds of birds.

Continued east along Mountain Lake Trail just behind the houses. There are some Parcourse Fitness Circuit installations like in Golden Gate Park, some benches, and a dog play area. The trail is hugely popular with dogwalkers. It curves at Eighth Ave. where there's a short stairway down to the street (second pic).

Curving around, down eight old stone steps to a wide paved trail (third pic), this uphill W-E part of the trail isn't among my favorites. A chainlink fence separates the golf course from the trail on the north side with a low wall and homes on the south side.

Golf courses take up such massive amounts of space in a few of our larger parks and hikers tend to be restricted since they can't just walk through normally but have to detour around them a long way. One of my pet peeves. I'd like to see an elevated trail down the middle of this one (and Lincoln Park's) for walkers to use without getting in the way of the golfers.

At the golf course's parking lot there's a sidewalk and low wall one can sit on.

After crossing Arguello/Finley at the crosswalk, Inspiration Point Overlook (pics 4, 5, 6) was just ahead. Here a sign indicates the trailhead for the Ecology Trail: 45 steps down from here to start (next four). Winding around and down on the Ecology (last two), you'll pass through a shady forest, then continue downhill past the second infosign that sez "Revitalizing the Upper Tennessee Hollow Watershed" until you reach the top of the newer westside stairway (69 steps) that descends to the El Polin Spring picnic area.

Where the old eastside stairway used to be are now newly emerging plants poking out of heavy netting. It's gonna be so beautiful around here when these little guys mature. There are various kinds, evenly spaced, on each side of the new accessible trail that connects El Polin Spring with the Mountain Lake Trail.

Out at the east trailhead for this new connector onto one of the minor trails for a short distance. Then back to the main Mountain Lake Trail and up to the trailhead for Lovers Lane near the park exit at Pacific (3200) and Presidio Blvd.

Stairway to Marine Cemetery Vista

Eighth Ave. into Mountain Lake Park

Mountain Lake Trail from the dog play area

View from Inspiration Point Overlook off Arguello

View from Inspiration Point Overlook

Inspiration Point Overlook to Ecology Trail

West trailhead for Ecology Trail

Ecology Trail down from the Overlook

Ecology Trail

Continuing down

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Summit Loop Views

12/10/2012

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Did the complete 3.1 mile Summit Loop Trail today on San Bruno Mountain (first pic: trail infosign). Started off where the poison oak warning sign is at Radio Road for a long winding trek round the mountain's west side. Partway up, someone has placed two heavy wood planks as a bridge over April Creek. Slanty, but better than scrambling.

Next three pics: Summit Loop West.

Fifth and sixth pix: Nearly up to the summit on the west side.

At the summit, directly across Radio Road descends the trail's north part: next six pics.

Whatta clear, warm, perfect day for a long hike. A number of other hikers and trailjoggers had the same idea.

Coming back once again on the Bog Trail after a brief stop in the Meadow (picnic area), ahead at the edge of the trail saw something fuzzy: from the ears, hop, and little round tail, a small rabbit. Of course it quickly disappeared into the bushes. A bit further along, a black cat - feral or just a park explorer from one of the nearby homes? I always wonder about that. None I've ever seen have acted friendly though.

List of the trails and their lengths

Summit Loop West. Trail visible below to left.

Pointe Pacific residences from Summit Loop West

From Summit Loop West

Summit Loop West

Nearly to the summit on the Summit Loop West

From the trail's west side, continue across Radio Road to descend

Starting down the other side, continuing on the Summit Loop Trail

Go east (right) for the Ridge Trail. Straight ahead to continue the Summit Loop.

The sole bench on the north side of the Summit Loop

Summit Loop North curves around

Summit Loop Trail north, continuing down

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Lobos Creek Trail to GG Overlook

12/8/2012

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From 25th Ave. curved round to the Presidio's west end. Onto the Lobos Creek Trail, winding to the forest (first two pics: 18 steps), but this time turned left and then uphill, right, to the playground near the residences (third pic).

Sometimes I take a trail out from the east edge of these apartment buildings that merges with the Connector Trail's lower part (fourth pic) but this time climbed above this. Crossed W-E between the residences where there are walkways, short stairways, and steep streets and eventually came out at the top of Battery Caulfield Road where it merges with Washington (fifth pic: a view west). Up a trail that curls around Rob Hill Campground and through the forest to the Fort Scott Community Garden. Three area staircounts: 13, 8, and 48.

Back around again to Immigrant Point and the top of the Connector (208 steps, pics 6 and 7) so I could take it all the way down.

Crossing Lincoln at the foot of this one, a short sandy trail descends to Battery Crosby. 16 or so steps ascend to the top of the Battery and the Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead (pics 8 and 9: around 473 steps).

From the BTB's east trailhead, the newer Golden Gate Overlook (10th pic) is nearby. Down its main stairway (last pic: about 37) and onto a short trail between two vehicle streets that leads to a bus stop near the bridge.

Lobos Creek Trail into Presidio Forest

Up to the Residences

Connector Trail up to Immigrant Point or down to Lincoln from here

View west to Sea Cliff and Lands End from top of Battery Caulfield Rd.

Connector Trail to Immigrant Point Overlook

Connector Trail down to Lincoln

Batteries to Bluffs west trailhead from Battery Crosby

Batteries to Bluffs Midtrail-ish

View from Golden Gate Overlook

Golden Gate Overlook's main stairway

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Upper Lands End Circle

12/6/2012

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Started off at the Lands End Lookout (first pic) and up the northernmost westside wood stairway (41 or so steps). Crossed the street where the Fort Miley sign is (second pic) and continued up (past the offshoot trail to the old Octagon building) to the first of the very old Fort Miley stairways that ascend to the west edge of the VA Hospital Parking Lot. The first has 22 steps (third pic) and the higher one 19. The top of the higher stairway can't be seen from the parking lot until you get right up to it (fourth pic).

From here, curved round the VA parking lot, past the windsock, to the first picnic area stairway, down about 65 to the short wood footbridge (fifth pic). Up the other side is about 77 steps (sixth and seventh pics). So if you count the down and the up as all one stairway, you get something like 142.

Continued east along the parking lot to the short Battle of the Bulge Trail (13 steps down to a gravelly trail: eighth pic), then 10 more steps (ninth pic) at the foot out to the west edge of the Legion of Honor Museum's parking lot. Just beyond the yellow auto barrier (10th pic) is the stairway down to the El Camino del Mar Trail (about 47 steps). From here, across the wood footbridge, continued west to the upper parking lot overlook close to where I started. Last pic: a view of the second Coastal Trail Overlook as seen from the El Camino del Mar Trail.

Continuing south on the vehicle street (El Camino del Mar) that dead-ends with parking for the overlook, on the west side are three wooden stairways. The first (41, mentioned earlier) and second (about 16 steps) descend from the road to a pedestrian trail. From the trail, near the south end of the park (Point Lobos), 42 more steps lead down from an overlook and benches to the lower parking lot area.

Lands End Lookout

Trail up to Fort Miley

Fort Miley stairway up to VA Hospital parking lot

Top of steps to Fort Miley ruins from VA Hospital parking lot

Down from the north side

Down from the south side

South stairway up to VA Hospital parking lot

Top of the Battle of the Bulge Trail

Battle of the Bulge Trail down to west end of Legion of Honor Museum parking lot

Stairway down to El Camino del Mar Trail just beyond

Second Coastal Trail Overlook from El Camino del Mar Trail

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Trail Added Stairway Gone

12/2/2012

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Curious as to whether the new accessible trail connecting the Presidio's Mountain Lake Trail with El Polin Spring had been completed by now, headed over to the west side of the field and residences (first pic). Here were two trailheads for the new connector, a few yards apart.

Figured they'd be leaving the older wood stairway (next two pics) as it was. Nope, it's gone now: covered over with netting.

The new trail curves down to the boardwalk, ponds and picnic area. El Polin Spring was happily bubbling along after the rains, flowing into the ponds.

Up the newer stairway (69 steps) on the west side (fourth and fifth pics) to walk around higher up for different views of the new trail (next five) before heading back up the way I came (Lover's Lane: last pic)