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Forest Bathing

12/19/2015

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http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/herbal-remedies/forest-bathing-ze0z1301zgar.aspx

II's getting  more and more difficult to find unspoiled, "wild" forested sections in our parks.

The Presidio doesn’t paint colored dots on trees they want to cut down, nor are there felled tree-parts up and down from the trails as we’ve been seeing on Mount Sutro.

But there are two long-term projects with trail detour signs and tall chainlink fences. 

The first of these, and the most depressing, is the huge watershed project at the south end of the park, starting a little way past Lover’s Lane (first pic) out to the top of the east zigzag trail down to El Polin Spring. 

Depressing because a sign on one of the fences advises they will be cutting down eucalyptus trees in the neighborhood. Why can they not leave these old beauties be? The playing field is to be replaced with artificial turf.

​It already looks shockingly stark and bare where they've been planting in the cleared areas. 

​And one of my favorite areas to forage for blackberries near the field is directly in their line of fire. 

​The first time I ran into this, detoured into a nearby residential area for a pleasant stroll (pic 2). 

The second time walked along the south edge of the park and descended to El Polin Spring from Julius Kahn Park.

The second project is a makeover of Mountain LaKe Park's playground. Had to use the higher trail out to Park Presidio Blvd. as the lower trail was blocked off. The lake area is accessible though. 

Which brings me to a couple of bones to pick re the east side of Mountain Lake. 

On the southeast side used to be able to squeeze thru a gap in a chainlink fence to walk around just below the south edge of the golf course. Now I can't get through. It's been closed off a long time; thought this was to be opened as public trails. 

The second is at the northeast corner where the trail turns. Used to happily forage for berries amongst the old foundations here. Then it was cleared, replanted, and blocked off, looking drab and desert-like for a long time with a locked gate.

At the east end is a swath of green just below the golf course's west edge. So how about reopening this section, with trails below the golf course, maybe connecting with other trails?
​
To get to the first forested section I had in mind, uphilled on the paved trail that’s surrounded most of the way by the golf course. After that, the forest trails were well connected.

Heading west towards Rob Hill Campground. This is especially delightful after a rain, birdsongy-peaceful with only a few joggers and not even any dogwalkers until I got to the Bay Area Ridge Trail later. The occasional logs have been here a while and there was no heavy machinery around: 3 thru 9.

Exiting this part just below the campground’s east side, at the yellow fire hydrant, is a short trail that will take you nearly to the Fort Scott Community Garden: pic 10

In the garden: 11, 12, 13

The garden gate was open this time: 14

17 steps descend to a driveway just behind Fort Scott residences: 15, 16

It curves around and under the highway, out of the Fort Scott neighborhood: 17

Now uphilling into an offtrail area (18) to the Park Trail (19, 20, 21), a short distance to the foot of the 98 steps up thru the forest to the cemetery overlook: 22 thru 30

Thru the overlook and out to Arguello (31, 32, 33), ctossung the street (34) to the trail just above, south to the Spire, The golf course is to the west and partially shielded from view by the trees: 35, 36. 


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1. Lover's Lane, left
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2. Residential 'hood near El Polin Spring
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3. Thru the forest
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4. After a rain
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5. Green solitude
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6. Winding around
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7. Eucalyptus aromatherapy
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8. Above the Fort Scott Community Garden
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9. Trail comes out just below southeast side of the campground
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10. Down from the yellow fire hydrant
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11. Garden delights
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12. In the "hidden" garden
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13. Fort Scott Community Garden
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14. The garden gate was open
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15. Behind Fort Scott residences
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16. Steps up to the garden
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17. Out of the Fort Scott 'hood
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18. Offtrail, up to the Park Trail
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19. Park Trail
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20. Where I just came from, right
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21, Park Trail, heading for the overlook steps
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22. Steps to cemetery overlook start up from Patk Trail
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23. Starting up
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24. Steps to cemetery overlook
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25. Up thru the forest
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26. Park Trail to cemetery overlook
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27. 98 steps
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28. Winding thru the woods
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29. Overlook up ahead
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30. Top of the stairs
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31. National Cemetery Overlook
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32. South end of the overlook
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33. Near the overlook and residences
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34. Crossiing for the trail
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35. Trail to the Spire
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36. Bay Area Ridge Trail
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I Love You Sausalito

12/11/2015

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Beautiful tree-filled view-city with your narrow, winding streets and various public stairways... A short hike:

 Up Princess to Bulkley via the steps/walking paths to start, first pic

… and up the 94 Noble steps from Atwood to San Carlos. No street signs for Noble. Pic 2

To Southview Park for lunch: 3, 4

Down the 103 West Court steps, pic 5 

,,, and up nearby Oak, 98 steps, street signs at both ends: 6, 7

A favorite house: pic 8

From Spencer down to Santa Rosa, 184 steps, no street signs at top or foot: 9, 10, 11, 12

Excelsior Lane: Three blocks long, 180 steps: 13, 14, 15

Back up from Bridgeway on nearby El Monte, 118 steps, one block, pic 16

… then Reade Lane, 55 steps descending to Bridgeway again: 17, 18

Near the ferry area and parking lots:  last one

​
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1. Princess up to Bulkley, right
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2. Noble's foot
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3. Southview Park below
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4. Southview Park
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5. West Court
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6. Oak near top
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7. Oak near top
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8. A favorite house
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9. Down from Spencer
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10. Down from Spencer
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11. Between Spencer and Santa Rosa
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12. Around 184 steps
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13. Excelsior Lane
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14. Near foot at Bridgeway
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15. Foot at Bridgeway
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16. El Monre, Bulkley to Bridgeway
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17. Reade Lane
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18. Bulkley to Bridgeway
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19. Near ferry area and parking lots
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Bridge E and W

12/7/2015

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The Presidio’s new Battery East Overlook is just east of the Bridge. 

Nice design with several benches. This’ll be a choice spot to view the next Fleet Week/Blue Angels. First 6 pix

To one side is a parking lot. Not someplace I’d like to be anywhere near myself but convenient for drivers. Look forward to seeing whatever they’ve planted under all that netting. 
​

I like looking down to the trail below. Pic 7

Battery East Trail and 153 steps down to Crissy Field: 8 thru 11

Bridgeviewing area:  12, 13, 14

Now for the west side of the Bridge. Even more recently completed, a walkers’ bridge with a wood floor.

Under the GG Bridge to the west, the old trail has been widened and you'll see erosion-control straw wattles.
 

Found several old pix of this part of the Coastal Trail from 2009 and 2010: just under the Bridge until right before the few steps to the top of the battery. THENs and NOWs: 15 thru 22

Used to take the steps down from the trail here some years ago to the foot of this old battery. Then they closed off the bottom part so one couldn’t continue straight down the stairs. So you'd then continue along the side of the battery to descend its main steps for the trail at the foot. 

The old steps are still blocked off at the foot. You'll still walk alongside the old battery, now with a few new steps, and down its main stairs to continue west on the trail - and up fo the Golden Gate Overlook: 23 the 35

The new walkers’ bridge, pix 36 thru 44, crosses you from the top of the old battery to the other side where there’s a parking lot. The parking lot’s east end is just behind the second bridge-bus shelter for the #28. 

There was still work ongoing with some fencing and signs but a small opening let me thru to the GG Overlook: 

The slopes across from the batteries are covered with more straw wattles.

The Batteries to Bluffs (473 or so steps) east trailhead is a few blocks from here: 45 thru 48


Up and over Rob Hill we go. The Connector Trail (208 steps) that ascends from Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook is starting to show some green now: 49 thru 55


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1. Battery East Overlook
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2. Just east of the bridge
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3. The Presidio's newest overlook
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4. Long benches
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5. History infusigns
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6. Battery East Trail below
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7. Going back down now
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8. Battery East Trail
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9. Battery East stairs
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10. Fort Point to left, Crissy Field to right
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11. 153 steps
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12. A few steps added here
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13. Down this way to picnic area and low-overhead tunnel
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14. More additions to the view-area in the last few ears
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15.. THEN: Coastal Trail 2009
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16. THEN: Coastal Trail 2010
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17. THEN: Coastal Trail 2010
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18. THEN: Coastal TraIl 2010
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19. THEN: Coastal Trail 2010
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20. THEN: Coastal Trail 2010. Almost up to top of battery.
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21. NOW: Widened trail
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22. NOW: Up to top of battery
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23. New steps at top of battery
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24. Replacement steps
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25. Bottom part of old battery steps still blocked off
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26. Turn alongside the battery
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27. Replacement stairs for this old battery
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28. The new walkers' bridge to the left
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29. New battery steps continue to main battery stairway
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30. New side steps and the bridge
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31. Down the main battery steps to the trail below
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32. Descending to the trail
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33. The trail will take you to the Golden Gate Overlook
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34. Foot of the battery now with trail infosign
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35. Batery bottom
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36. Near Golden Gate Overlook
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37. Able to get through
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38. Up to Golden Gate Overlook
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39. Looking west from the new bridge
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40. Looking east down from the bridge
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41 Crossover to parking lot
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42. South to North
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43. New steps out to the parking lot
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44. Trail iufosign added
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45. Batteries to Bluffs east
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46. Down the east side
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47. Below, center, Marshall's Beach Trail
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48. Marshall's Beach trailhead lower left
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49. To left out to Baker Beach Apts. and Presidio Forest
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50. Lincoln to Immigrant Point Overlook and Rob Hill Campground
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51. Note the green starting to show up after the rains
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52. 208 steps
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53. Climbing and winding thru the trees
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54. Rob Hill is the park's highest elevation
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55. Step out to Immigrant Point,Overlook, upper right
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Round the Island

12/3/2015

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Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park is an island, the park’s highest elevation. Stow Lake’s the water surrounding it with two pedestrian bridges connecting, the gorgeous 1893 stone bridge on the south side and another on the north: first two pix. 

First up the trail on the south side (pic 3) with its five stone steps to start, then some widely spaced wood that I’d call stairs as well.

28 or so old steps on the west side will take you to the very top of the hill where there are old ruins from Sweeny Observatory (1891) that got wrecked by the ’06 quake. It’s beautiful up here: pix 4, 5. Just below this is a reservoir. 

Now for the main stairway, starting down  from the reservoir on the east side (pic 6), with green railings, yellow flowers, and older steps — some concrete, some wood. About 111 to the lake: 7 thru 12

Huntington Falls and the steppingstones: 13, 14, 15, 16

The Chinese Pavilion’s here too: 17

On the south side of the falls are 39 more steps that connect with the main stairway via an over-the-falls footbridge: 18, 19

Around 63 more old steps down the north side to a second bridge: 20, 21, 22, 23

The outer trail at the north part of the lake curves round to the boathouse: pic 24

Critters: the ubiquitous squirrels, ducks, and other waterbirds while meandering around the west side heading back out of the park. This dark beauty’s a muscovy duck, right? Last two pix.


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1. Strawberry Hill and Stow L:ale
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2. Southside pedestrian bridge
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3. Trail climbing to top of Huntington Falls
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4. Westside trail to very top of the hill
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5. Hilllop fence; reservoir below,
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6. Starting down from top near reservoir
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7. Stairway turns
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8. Staircolors
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9. Winding down alongside the falls
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10. About 111 steps
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11. Stairs are old and steep
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12. Down to the lake on the east side
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13. Huntington Falls from the top
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14. Steppingstones below
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15. Walk across
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16. The falls from the foot
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17. Presented to SF in 1976 by sister city Taipei
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18. South stairs comment with main steps partway up
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19. Connector footbridge
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20. Steps down the north side
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21. Bench, stairs and lake
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22. Old wood bench halfway down
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23. About 63 steps
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24. At the boathouse on the north side
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25. If ya like ducks this is the place to be
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26. Is this guy a Muscovy duck?
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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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