Canyon Bottom to Top

6/12/2012

Off at the Glen Park BART station heading west to Glen Canyon (about six blocks), my first stairway was Burnside, Bosworth down to Paradise, 69 steps. Out to Elk, crossed over into the park at the foot of the Canyon, at the "Glen Park Recreation Center" sign. Followed the trail around to the right as the Canyon walls got steeper above me (first pic).

Headed towards the tree-canopied foot of the Canyon. First you'll walk across a short boardwalk (second pic), then a little footbridge with Islais Creek flowing along below.

If you like damselflies and lots of birdsong, the Canyon bottom is the place to go.

When you get to a certain point on the trail, it's necessary to ascend to walk a little way on an upper trail if you want to continue north, Diamond Heights stilthouses towering above to the right. Soon there's a trail back down again. This starts the northernmost part of the trail that I hope someday will meander all the way out to Portola. When I last visited, found it had been extended. But it still ends at the end of a fenced playing field (there's a school here) where last time I saw a single sunflower. Today in the little clearing there were several old chairs, an old school desk and an upside-down metal garbage can. Homeless encampment or kids?

This trail is a kind of obstacle course with tree limbs to climb over and under and lots of blackberry branches reaching out to grab you as you pass. Don't wear shorts if you do this trail.

Retraced my steps until reaching some wood steps (19) to start up, then a steep trail (third pic: one of the upper trails). A little snake zigged to the other side just in front of me. This trail was enclosed with tall grasses but I could see the stairway/trail I wanted to take just to my right, so continued up to where the trail I was on connected with this main one.

This is the longest of the Canyon stairways with 86 wood steps (next four pix) up to the bench that's just below Christopher Park and a short distance from the back of the Diamond Heights Safeway.

After leaving the Safeway, just beyond Diamond on Diamond Heights Blvd is Walter Haas Playground with 35 steps down (last pic): a small green-lawn-with-white-daisies openspace viewpark with a playground, dog run, and benches.

Out of the park at Addison and Digby, on my steep route back down to Glen Park were gardens, decks, and sweet flower aromas. The winding street finally came out at the Bemis elevated sidewalk
(14 steps down the west side).