Blog Archives

Morning Sun

12/28/2013

My goal this time was to hit part of one of the trails of the vast GGNRA (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) above Sausalito, the Morning Sun Trail.

First, however, I needed to get up there. First long stairway was Excelsior Lane (179 steps), about three blocks' worth. It climbs up from Bridgeway alongside the Wells Fargo Bank.

At the top of Excelsior, curved round on Santa Rosa to access the next long one (187 steps) that climbs to Spencer. There are various kinds of steps; it starts out as stone with wood railings and finishes with all wood at the top (pix 1 thru 7). It's unnamed, one of my favorite Sausalito stairways. This is where I saw a deer in someone's yard on a previous hike.

Spencer Ave. curves up and around for a few blocks to the freeway offramp for Spencer. Since there's an exit here, there are a fair number of cars descending into residential Sausalito. Walking towards the traffic seems safer than having cars sneak up behind, there being no sidewalks.

Pic 8: 45 steps up from Spencer to access a long one (204 steps) down to Prospect.

At the top of Spencer, a short distance ahead to the west on Monte Mar is an underpass (pic 9) with a parking lot beyond. Here's where the Morning Sun Trail starts up into the GGNRA (pix 10, 11, 12) .

Some of the old wood stairs are quite steep, no railings, with stretches of narrow dirt-and-leaves trail in between and gorgeous trees. 177 steps as far as I went -- but there were more up ahead that I could see. Didn't quite make it up to the top as I was limited time-wise; had to allow myself enough time to get back down the mountain in time to catch the ferry.

It's a popular trail, with other hikers encountered several times up 'n down. Pix 13 through 24.

Back down the Spencer-to-Santa Rosa steps, then west to descend the main Locust steps, 60 for this part down to Cazneau (last two pics).

1. Foot at Santa Rosa

2. Santa Rosa up to Spencer

3. 187 steps

4. Santa Rosa up to Spencer unnamed stairway

5. Continuing up

6. Gate to a residence

7. All wood at the top

8. Stairway up from Spencer to short trail and long stairway down to Prospect

9. Underpass to parking lot and Morning Sun Trail

10. Parking lot. Morning Sun trailhead lower left corner

11. Morning Sun trailhead

12. Morning Sun trailhead

13. Narrow, old wood, covered with leaves

14. Look at these gorgeous trees!

15. Forested delight

16. I wanted to stay here all day…

17. Sun-dappled switchback

18. Oh, to live nearby…

19. Steeply through the forest

20. Treelimbs over the trail

21. A sunny open stretch

22. The freeway's way down below, center, right.

23. Check out this view!

24. More steps up ahead

25. This is Locust's main stairway

26. Locust here is all wood, about 60 steps down to Cazneau

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Sausalito Stairs n Trails

12/27/2013

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Started south on Bridgeway just past the 121 steps up to Josephine & North (first pic) and a minipark (pic 2), then across a short wood boardwalk (pix 3, 4).

First stairway actually walked today was an old wooden one with 42 steps (pix 5, 6) down to the beach from near Valley and Second. Noticed the top of this on a previous hike and had vowed to go back to check it out.

Back up again, curving round to the south on Alexander, came to the east end of Edwards and climbed the steep street, soon passing where I'd left off on a previous hike.

From Edwards, started up Marion, past two private driveways at the end of it to a rough mountain trail with no name, just a chain across it (pic 7, 8). However, Google Maps (maps) has indicated a trail in this location with the name, "Hecht Avenue." According to them it's an up-and-back that runs just below the freeway. I didn't get anywhere near the end. It's a rugged trail where I was; certainly not an "avenue."

Climbed a little way up, wishing to continue but limited as to how far I could wind around up here before I had to start back. This trail is delightfully unimproved, covered with leaves, twigs, and lots of eucalyptus bark, slippery, isolated, and forested where I was (pic 9, 10). Reminded me of the way Mount Sutro used to look before all the trailwork started. I liked that "roughness."

Back down on paved Marion again (pix 11, 12, 13), though there was a "Not a Through Street" sign at its beginning, decided to check for stairways anyway since dead-end signs are placed there for cars. Nope, at the very end of (lower) Marion there was a breathtaking view (pic 14) but no stairs down to another street.

Back down to Edwards, then Sausalito Blvd., very long and winding, finally reaching the upper Cable Roadway steps that ascend from here (there's a sign). Curved down to Crescent (sign here too: pic 15) for the lower part of Cable Roadway. This is the second-longest Sausalito stairway (289 total) I've found so far (longest is Laurel Lane). Cable Roadway is all steps except for one steep block at the top up to Prospect.

A few pix of lower Cable Roadway (196 for this part): 16 through 19.

Continuing my long descent, passed other familiar beauties, among these the top of the first pic above, Southview Park on North (pic 20), top of West Court's steps (103), an unnamed long stairway climbed on a previous hike up from Atwood, and the short pedestrian walkways below Bulkley (pic 21).

Bench and 22 steps from Bulkley up to Harrison: last two pics.

1. 121 steps from Bridgeway to Josephine & North

2. Minipark off Bridgeway below the stairway

3. Boardwalk

4. Moving south along the boardwalk

5. Down to the beach

6. Back up the beach stairway

7. Hecht trail up from Marion

8. Trail above Marion

9. Hecht trail above Marion

10. A rugged trail above Marion

11. Marion Ave.

12. Marion Ave.

13. Upper Marion to left

14. View from dead-end of Marion Ave.

15. About to descend lower Cable Roadway from Crescent

16. Lower Cable Roadway, 196 steps

17. Cable Roadway

18. Cable Roadway's foot at Central Ave.

19. Cable Roadway at Central Ave.

20. Southview Park

21. Pedestrian walkway below Bulkley

22. Bench on Bulkley. Steps up to Harrison right.

23. Bulkley bench and steps up to Harrison

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Hidden Garden Stairway Art

12/11/2013

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Golden Gate Heights, part of San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood, is an excellent 'hood in which to create beautiful public art on their various long stairways. The steps are sturdy utilitarian concrete and a blank canvas for artists to immortalize themselves, their families, local biznesses, etc.

At the newly completed Hidden Garden Steps (16th Avenue, Kirkham to Lawton) you'll see individual names (first two pix), businesses, parks and groups, and what I liked best, the messages: pix 3 through 10. Photos don't do it justice; visit this in person if you can.

No doubt there are plenty of people out there who'd enjoy participating and who also could afford to do so (wish I could). Not only could various neighborhoods create their own mosaic masterpieces, but also some of our parks. How much better to improve and beautify an urban park by turning their public stairways into works of art than is the present destructive trend of unnecessary tree-felling and otherwise messing excessively with Ma Nature in the name of park "improvements."

Picture, for example, the 100 wide steps into Pacific Heights' Alta Plaza Park as a good candidate for a tile-job. Wondering when the rest of the Lincoln Park stairs will be completed (off 33rd Ave. & California up to the golf course and a trail to Lands End).

More pix: 11 through 22. Alongside the 148 steps are nicely tiered plantings. At the top is a micro-labyrinth and view: pics 23, 24.

Lastly, a couple of THEN pix from 2006: pix 25, 26.

The other tiled stairway in this 'hood is a few blocks from here, Moraga/16th, 2005, 163 steps. At the top, the long zigzag stairway to Grandview Park's summit invites you to continue your upward climb.

1. Adah Bakalinsky's Tile

2. Marian Gregoire's Tile

3. Messages and names

4. I agree!

5. Honoring Cesar Chavez

6. Message Mushroom

7. Me too!

8. Stairclimbers Tile

9. Trails of Beauty

10. For Sara the Squirrel

11. Foot of Hidden Garden Steps

12. Lots to look at and read

13. Closer-up

14. Garden Flowers

15. Rainbow Swirls

16. Cute Critter

17. Go see this in person!

18. And take any little kids you may know!

19. Big Blue Flower

20. Plenty of garden flowers here

21. The wall near the top as it looks now

22. Down the stairway

23. Top of the stairs

24. View of part of Golden Gate Park in distance

25. THEN: 2006.

26. THEN: 2006

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Trail Extension Preview

12/9/2013

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The Presidio's Anza Trail extension and new pedestrian trail alongside Arguello are not yet completed but I was able to continue through without detouring.

A pleasant stroll through a section of the Presidio Forest on the Bay Area Ridge Trail was included on my way to the Rob Hill Campground area (pix 1 through 5). Wondering what this little structure at the end of the trail once was.

From the Arguello Gate continued on Washington along the top of the golf course this time, then onto the forested trail, taking the walkers-only trail out to the east side of Rob Hill Campground (pic 6) where I soon came to part of the new trail segment.

The three steps up to the picnic table were not quite finished, but the 10 new steps down were walkable onto the short boardwalk here (pix 7 through 10). "Like." This is across the street from Immigrant Point Overlook. More pix when it's fully walkable.

Out to Battery Caulfield Road, there are a few more new steps and a new trail between the residences and the street (pic 11) down to where the sidewalk begins. Very nice.

Continuing down to where the Marine Cemetery Vista Trail begins, past the benches (pics 12, 13), onto the boardwalk (pix 14 through 18) and down the stairs (103 or so, last five) out to 14th Ave. Just to my left both the Mountain Lake and Park Trails were closed at this end due to ongoing work in the Mountain Lake area.

1. A pedestrian-only trail through the forest

2. Bay Area Ridge Trail

3. Through the forest to Rob Hill Campground

4. Peaceful forest trail with an easy grade

5. At the southeast edge of Rob Hill Campground

6. Rob Hill Campground buildings

7. Nearly completed new trail segment. Short boardwalk top, center.

8. Ten new steps at this end

9. Anza Trail extension. Older trail to right beyond orange fencing.

10. New Anza Trail segment nearly completed

11. A few new steps and trail at top of Battery Caulfield Rd.

12. Marine Cemetery Vista bench

13. Marine Cemetery Vista Overlook

14. Marine Cemetery Vista Memorial boardwalk heading east

15. Wyman Ave. residences below, right

16. The stepped boardwalk

17. To top of stairway

18. Top of the stairs

19. Wyman Ave. to right

20. Looking back to top of stairs

21. This descends to Mountain Lake Trail/14th Ave.

22. Beginning the railinged part

23. Turn left for Park Trail & Mountain Lake Trail. Right for 14th Ave. "Gate"

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Canyon Disappointments

12/6/2013

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Thirty-six steps descend into Glen Canyon Park from Elk, the route recently taken for a south-to-north hike. The lower south part of the park is bare and depressing to look at with all that ongoing construction. Workers were also doing something up at the side of the guardrail where Diamond Heights Blvd. starts near Berkeley Way.

Disappointed to see that one of the big old trees on the main trail is now a stump. This is near a short set of wood steps leading up to one of the eastside trails (first pic). There are stumps and huge logs laying around.

When one has grown used to the certain look of a uniquely wild park over many years, it's difficult to get used to when people who should know better go to such extremes with their version of "park improvements." Treelimbs have been chopped off all the way along the lower trail as one moves south to north.

"My" beloved northeast trail has seen some clearing too since I last visited. Now it's easier (a bit too easy!) to navigate the lower trails. I liked it when it was overgrown and "hidden" and I had to crawl under tangles and branches to get to it. I'm now, however, able to look down at Islais Creek from this side of the trail (pic 2).

Changed my mind a while back about thinking it'd be cool if this trail could be cleared out to Portola (and thus up to Twin Peaks Blvd. and into that park as a continuation) because those in charge don't seem to know when to quit.

Was naively hoping for minimal clearing, no tree-felling, and a pedestrian skyway over busy Portola (yeah, right), as in just enough space for hikers to navigate without being chewed up alive by brambles, but hopefully leaving the across-the-trail treelimbs alone.

Instead of concentrating on eliminating trees alongside the trail, why not construct more skyways across curvy, dangerous-to-cross streets like O'Shaughnessy, Clarendon, and Portola, to name a few, so one can move easily and safely from one greenspace to another. They're spending taxpayers' money on the wrong things.

Thought they did a good job with the new Twin Peaks trail up from Portola, but so far am not impressed with the so-called "improvements" in the lower Canyon. Alongside the extended stairway on the south side of the popular climbing rocks (ascends from the lower trail near the fence and boardwalk), there's still that ugleee black fencing: pic 3. Take it down already!

Pix 4, 5, 6, 7: the newer stairway on the north side of these rocks; love this one.

At least now there are still some treelimbs to climb over on the extreme northside trail but who knows how long this'll last. Wish they'd stop trying to eliminate the remaining bits of wildness in our urban parks. Canyons are supposed to be "wild."

After viewing the mess they've made so far, I now hope this north end stays tangled and up-and-back after all, and I'm sure the resident wildlife will back me up on this. And not every trail on earth needs to be bike-friendly. The trail still, fortunately, doesn't go much past the school playing field gate (pic 8). Noticed a pile of old clothes and an old chair (pic 9) in the area this time. A campsite back there too?

Both northernmost trailheads are easier to see now (pic 10) from the trail above.

Out of the park climbing to the shopping center, first up 13 steps to Turquoise Way (no street sign seen when you get to this first Diamond Heights street, pix 11). The stairway continues directly across the street to Amber: 65 steps total to this second street up from the Canyon, pic 12.

At Amber it's a short walk (right turn), maybe a couple of blocks, to the next stairway up, Coralino (132 steps), that ascends to Cameo. Coralino is unnamed on the street but named and shown on Google Maps (maps). Pix 13 through 17.

Up Cameo to Duncan and the Little Red Hen community garden (last pic) at the Police Academy. The next street is Diamond Heights Blvd. (right turn) for the Diamond Heights Shopping Center and Christopher Park.

1. Main trail, southeast side

2. Northeast trail

3. Extended south stairway, center, up to the climbing rocks

4. A newer stairway up from the Canyon floor

5. Newer stairs to upper trails

6. North side of the climbing rocks

7. View from top of the newer stairway

8. School playing field gate at northeast trail

9. Northeast trail near school playing field gate

10. Trail into Canyon depths from a higher trail

11. Out of the Canyon into Diamond Heights 'hood

12. Amber down to Turquoise steps

13. Coralino Ln. up to Cameo

14. Coralino, 132 steps

15. Between Amber & Cameo

16. Continuing up Coralino stairway

17. Top of Coralino at Cameo

18. Little Red Hen Community Garden, Diamond Heights

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Presidio Pleasures

12/3/2013

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Sharing some recent Presidio scenery and stairs, first starting down Lover's Lane (first pic) into the park from Presidio Blvd. on the east side.

-- Second pic: Part of Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line installation, center, just off Lover's Lane.

-- Moving west, third pic.

-- Pics 4 and 5: Foot of the steps (69) on the west side of El Polin Springs. Climbing these to the Ecology Trail: pix 6, 7, 8, 9.

-- Continuing up: Ecology Trail through a forested part, pic 10.

-- Old wood steps (45) from Ecology Trail up to Inspiration Point Overlook (off Arguello), pics 11, 12, 13.

-- Pic 14: Marine Cemetery Vista Memorial stairs (103), west side of Park Presidio Blvd. up from 14th Avenue/Wyman to the boardwalk, memorial plaque, and benches, out to Battery Caulfield Rd.

-- Pics 15, 16, 17: Connector Trail, 208 wood steps down from Immigrant Point Overlook to Lincoln.

-- Crossing Lincoln and starting down from Lincoln for the Batteries to Bluffs Trail (473 or so wood steps, not counting the 16 or so up to Battery Crosby at the top of the main stairway), west to east, pix 18 through 24. This is San Francisco's longest stairway. The railings on the steep west side were a later addition.

Last one is looking down from Lincoln at people on the BTB's View Point overlook.

Another long stairway that can be accessed from Lincoln nearby (or from Baker Beach at its foot) is the infamous Sand Ladder (often difficult to count the steps as some may be buried underneath the sand -- but at least 250).

1. Lovers Lane into the park from Presidio Blvd./Pacific

2. Wood Line, center. Just off Lovers Lane in Presidio Forest

3. Moving west near Mountain Lake Trail

4. Up to Ecology Trail from El Polin Springs

5. To Ecology Trail from El Polin Springs

6. To Ecology Trail/Inspiration Point Overlook from El Polin Springs

7. Looking east, down to El Polin Springs

8. This is a newer stairway. The shorter, older one on El Polin's southeast side has been covered up.

9. Top of the steps

10. Through a forested part of the Ecology Trail

11. Ecology Trail up to Inspiration Point Overlook

12. Down to Ecology Trail from Inspiration Point Overlook

13. 45 steps down from Inspiration Point Overlook

14. Stairway to Marine Cemetery Vista Boardwalk and Overlook

15. Connector Trail's footbridge. Immigrant Point Overlook down to Lincoln.

16. Connector Trail's bench. Trailheads for Batteries to Bluffs & Sand Ladder across Lincoln below.

17. Cross the street for two more long stairways

18. Short trail to Battery Crosby; Batteries to Bluffs trailhead at Lincoln

19. Battery Crosby ahead

20. Beginning Batteries to Bluffs Trail on west side down from Battery Crosby

21. Batteries to Bluffs continuing down the west side

22. View from Batteries to Bluffs Trail, moving west to east

23. East side

24. View from Lincoln: View Point, center, on Batteries to Bluffs Trail

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Stunning Sausalito Stairways

12/2/2013

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Started up Excelsior Lane from Bridgeway to its upper
end at San Carlos (179 steps, first three pics).

Around to Santa Rosa to ascend a long (187 steps) unnamed stairway that comes out at Spencer. Pix 4 through 11.

Spencer curves up and around (watch for cars, hikers, as there are no sidewalks) until it hits Monte Mar and the freeway where 45 steps climb up from Spencer.

If you're seeking a trail into the GGNRA from up here, don't bother crossing the over-the-freeway bridge (pic 12) to Wolfback Ridge Road as there are no trails here into the park for hikers. At the gated road is a sign-with-map (pic 13) directing walkers and bicyclists to access the Morning Sun Trail a bit further on.

Back across the bridge to the short dirt trail (Cloud View Road dead-ends here) and down the long stairway (204 steps, unnamed) to Prospect (pics 14 through 17). Continued past the top of Cable Roadway this time to descend via Cooper Lane from Spencer and Sausalito to San Carlos (120 steps, pix 18, 19, 20).

Passing other favorites on the way back down: Sausalito Way, West Ct. (pic 21), Second St. (a double stairway with a center garden, pics 22, 23), and the unnamed beauty down to Bridgeway from Josephine and North (121 or so steps, pix 24, 25), all mentioned in earlier posts but always a pleasure to revisit. Last one: Short stairway/walk descending from Bulkley.

1. Excelsior Lane

2. Excelsior Lane

3. Excelsior Lane

4. Foot of stairway at Santa Rosa

5. Starting up the Santa Rosa to Spencer stairs

6. Santa Rosa to Spencer steps continue up

7. 187 steps up to Spencer

8. Up to Spencer from Santa Rosa

9. Santa Rosa to Spencer

10. Near the top

11. Out at Spencer

12. Wolfback Ridge Road bridge, freeway below

13. Directions to Morning Sun Trail in GGNRA as seen on Wolfback Ridge Rd.

14. Descending the long stairway to Prospect

15. Continuing down to Prospect

16. Foot at Prospect, 204 steps

17. Foot at Prospect. Right turn for Cable Roadway steps (288).

18. Cooper Lane starts down

19. Cooper Lane down to San Carlos

20. Cooper Lane, 120 steps

21. West Ct.

22. Second St. west side

23. Second St. east side

24. Josephine/North down to Bridgeway

25. Josephine/North down to Bridgeway

26. Short stairway/walk down from Bulkley

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Hike Friday

12/1/2013

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First, passing on news about a Stairway Event next weekend that I just found out about:

The Hidden Garden Steps mosaic in Golden Gate Heights is now ready to walk and they're having a celebration December 7, Saturday, 12 to 4. It's to be a closed-to-traffic block party on 16th Ave. between Judah and Kirkham. So now a second long tiled stairway (148 steps) that's just a few blocks from the famous Moraga/16th Ave. tiled steps (completed 2005, 163 steps). For details, check out these links:

www.hiddengardensteps.org

and their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/187719081418823

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Other than special events, I've never seen so many people at Lands End as on "Black Friday." And all the pooches … this could've been Fort Funston. Fog out over the water but sunny in the park.

First stairway of the day: Down from the lower parking lot overlook (126, pix 1 through 5), then up the trail from its foot to the cavetop viewspot (pic 6). The west trailhead for the Coastal Trail/Lands End Trail starts here: 141 steps (pics 7 through 12). AKA Sutro Baths Upper Trail.

Continued past the two main trail overlooks to the Mile Rock Beach stairs: 269 or thereabouts, the park's longest stairway (pics 13 through 17).

When you can tear yourself away from the rocky beach (pics 18, 19, 20), you can either climb trails to the "Labyrinth" atop the cliff viewplace (pics 21, 22, 23) or ascend the stairs back to the main Lands End Trail.

Since construction is ongoing for Eagles' Point at the park's east trailhead, turned back and up a short forested trail to the El Camino del Mar Trail. Out to the upper parking lot overlook past the top of the steep connector stairs here (about 59, last pic).