First long stairway for this hike was Noble Lane’s 98 steps that ascend from Atwood (first pic). There’s no street sign for Noble; it comes out at Noble/Central/San Carlos. Off on another stairway trek as I was, liked seeing this truck (it says “Bay Area Stairs”) when I reached the top of Noble (pic 2).
Uphill on Sunshine (pic 3: down from Sunshine, 48 steps) to Sausalito Blvd. and the wood foot of upper Cable Roadway this time at Crescent & Sausalito (pic 4).
Santa Rosa’s stairway (pix 5, 6, 7; 186 or so steps), taken on the way back down, climbs to Spencer. Monte Mar is the street at the top of Spencer where it’s a short walk to the freeway underpass and the foot of the GGNRA’s Morning Sun Trail, today’s destination.
However, lots of traffic descends onto Spencer from the freeway, and Spencer is twisty and narrow with no sidewalks. Signs state 15 MPH but some people zoom around the curves faster than this. It’s several uphill blocks on Spencer from the top of the stairs (two viewhomes on the way, pix 8, 9) to Monte Mar.
As an alternative route it’s safer to ascend the upper Cable Roadway steps from Sausalito Blvd. to the short street part of Cable Roadway (93 steps, pic 10).
At the top of CR’s vehicle street, hang a left (south) a short distance on Prospect Ave. (pic 11) to the long, shady stairway that ascends from Prospect (203 steps, pic 12). At the top, a microtrail leads to the 45 steps that descend to Spencer. Bypass the overpass street to Wolfback Ridge Rd. as this leads to private homes.
Walk north on Monte Mar past the bus shelter and the string of cars parked alongside the guardrail. Too many parked vehicles along Monte Mar. Pic 13: GGNRA above.
Cross Monte Mar to walk under the freeway (pic 14) to the parking lot where the Morning Sun trailhead awaits (pic 15).
The Morning Sun is a beautiful, forested, switchbacked climb that’s part steps (about 216) and part narrow trail (pix 16 thru 26) that continues to the GGNRA's Alta Trail, 27 thru 35, with its post-rain view of Mount Tam to the north.
Last pic: Nearing the foot of the El Monte steps back down to Bridgeway, about 119 steps.
Uphill on Sunshine (pic 3: down from Sunshine, 48 steps) to Sausalito Blvd. and the wood foot of upper Cable Roadway this time at Crescent & Sausalito (pic 4).
Santa Rosa’s stairway (pix 5, 6, 7; 186 or so steps), taken on the way back down, climbs to Spencer. Monte Mar is the street at the top of Spencer where it’s a short walk to the freeway underpass and the foot of the GGNRA’s Morning Sun Trail, today’s destination.
However, lots of traffic descends onto Spencer from the freeway, and Spencer is twisty and narrow with no sidewalks. Signs state 15 MPH but some people zoom around the curves faster than this. It’s several uphill blocks on Spencer from the top of the stairs (two viewhomes on the way, pix 8, 9) to Monte Mar.
As an alternative route it’s safer to ascend the upper Cable Roadway steps from Sausalito Blvd. to the short street part of Cable Roadway (93 steps, pic 10).
At the top of CR’s vehicle street, hang a left (south) a short distance on Prospect Ave. (pic 11) to the long, shady stairway that ascends from Prospect (203 steps, pic 12). At the top, a microtrail leads to the 45 steps that descend to Spencer. Bypass the overpass street to Wolfback Ridge Rd. as this leads to private homes.
Walk north on Monte Mar past the bus shelter and the string of cars parked alongside the guardrail. Too many parked vehicles along Monte Mar. Pic 13: GGNRA above.
Cross Monte Mar to walk under the freeway (pic 14) to the parking lot where the Morning Sun trailhead awaits (pic 15).
The Morning Sun is a beautiful, forested, switchbacked climb that’s part steps (about 216) and part narrow trail (pix 16 thru 26) that continues to the GGNRA's Alta Trail, 27 thru 35, with its post-rain view of Mount Tam to the north.
Last pic: Nearing the foot of the El Monte steps back down to Bridgeway, about 119 steps.
1. Noble Lane steps up from Atwood
2. "Bay Area Stairs" truck seen as I reached the top of the Noble Lane steps
3. Stairs down from Sunshine
4. Foot of the upper Cable Roadway stairs
5. Foot of the Santa Rosa stairway up to Spencer
6. Mid-Santa Rosa stairway
7. Up to Spencer on the Santa Rosa stairs
8. Spencer Ave.
9. A view east from Spencer
10. Upper Cable Roadway steps
11. Prospect Ave.
12. Top of the long Prospect stairway
13. GGNRA above the freeway
14. Under the Freeway at Monte Mar
15. Morning Sun Trailhead at the parking lot
16. Starting up the Morning Sun Trail
17. Fuzzy tree
18. Morning Sun Trail continues up
19. Under treelimbs, a favorite part
20. Freeway below
21. Old wood steps through the forest
22. Short openspace
23. A sunny spot
24. View across and down
25. Upper Morning Sun
26. Nearing the top
27. Alta Trail at the top of the Morning Sun
28. Alta Trail
29. Alta Trail
30. A view north
31. Viewbench
32. View east
33. Alta Trail
34. Alta Trail
35. Back down the Morning Sun Trail
36. El Monte with Bridgeway below
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