This Pride weekend was the first time I didn't attend both Pride Celebration and Parade since they first started back in the '70s.
It was nice to read that either all or some of the Celebration area was supposed to be smoke-free this year. However, along the parade route on Sunday one couldn't hope to escape all that air pollution in such a huge crowd. And I was too broke again this year to pay $8.00-ish for a drink. One year was walking up Polk St. and saw that a restaurant was offering drinks I could better afford, and was not hassled about having to drink it right there or anything, so that was a pleasant surprise.
But this year decided to hike instead. Yesterday: Up 19 steps at the north end of 8th Ave. at Lake into the Presidio's Mountain Lake Park and 17 down to the lake to pass close to the birds (first pic).
Winding around the lake to the left and under the overpass, looking for berries along the paved Mountain Lake Trail. Uphill to the left at the trailsign for the Park/Anza Trail (second pic), the golf course soon on both sides.
From the Park Trail, left onto the Bay Area Ridge Trail, enclosed by greenery on both its curvy sides. Veered off the main trail to mosey down through the forest. Various short offshoot trails wind out to the west side of Fort Scott, where I slid down from the trail over a low wall at Wright Loop, then along the west edge of the Fort Scott 'hood to the Golden Gate Overlook.
Today: Up from Crestline (94 steps: third pic) into Twin Peaks Park, then 117 steps up the south side of Eureka Peak (fourth pic: the foot; fifth pic: looking across at the north side of Noe Peak from here). Down the north side of Eureka Peak are 83 steps. Part of this one is rocky with some steep steps (sixth pic).
Down the steps to Crestline again to descend Vista Lane from the top: 261 steps to Burnett. Then several blox over to Twin Peaks Blvd. (seventh pic: view between homes on Twin Peaks Blvd.) and down to the foot of Tank Hill at Villa Terrace where the lower part of the long Pemberton stairway can be accessed about halfway along Villa. Between Villa and Clayton is a bench across from the human/dog water fountains where I stopped for a bite. Eighth pic: Pemberton stairway as seen from Clayton.
Just past Al's Park on Corbett, at the corner of Mars and 300 Corbett, today's discovery: yet another new neighborhood garden/minipark! There's a chainlink fence and locked gate with Market St. below, and now on this slope wooden steps curve up to the top where just inside the fence is an area that has been cleared and roped off. Must revisit later.
Descending to Market, across the street is the other delightful mini/gardenpark (Storrie and Market) with its east edge at the top of the stairway-with-wall-mural that descends from Market to 18th. Finally down to Castro and Market to catch the bus, was energized by the sight and sound of a trad-jazz band and people dancing at the entrance to the Castro Metro Station.
It was nice to read that either all or some of the Celebration area was supposed to be smoke-free this year. However, along the parade route on Sunday one couldn't hope to escape all that air pollution in such a huge crowd. And I was too broke again this year to pay $8.00-ish for a drink. One year was walking up Polk St. and saw that a restaurant was offering drinks I could better afford, and was not hassled about having to drink it right there or anything, so that was a pleasant surprise.
But this year decided to hike instead. Yesterday: Up 19 steps at the north end of 8th Ave. at Lake into the Presidio's Mountain Lake Park and 17 down to the lake to pass close to the birds (first pic).
Winding around the lake to the left and under the overpass, looking for berries along the paved Mountain Lake Trail. Uphill to the left at the trailsign for the Park/Anza Trail (second pic), the golf course soon on both sides.
From the Park Trail, left onto the Bay Area Ridge Trail, enclosed by greenery on both its curvy sides. Veered off the main trail to mosey down through the forest. Various short offshoot trails wind out to the west side of Fort Scott, where I slid down from the trail over a low wall at Wright Loop, then along the west edge of the Fort Scott 'hood to the Golden Gate Overlook.
Today: Up from Crestline (94 steps: third pic) into Twin Peaks Park, then 117 steps up the south side of Eureka Peak (fourth pic: the foot; fifth pic: looking across at the north side of Noe Peak from here). Down the north side of Eureka Peak are 83 steps. Part of this one is rocky with some steep steps (sixth pic).
Down the steps to Crestline again to descend Vista Lane from the top: 261 steps to Burnett. Then several blox over to Twin Peaks Blvd. (seventh pic: view between homes on Twin Peaks Blvd.) and down to the foot of Tank Hill at Villa Terrace where the lower part of the long Pemberton stairway can be accessed about halfway along Villa. Between Villa and Clayton is a bench across from the human/dog water fountains where I stopped for a bite. Eighth pic: Pemberton stairway as seen from Clayton.
Just past Al's Park on Corbett, at the corner of Mars and 300 Corbett, today's discovery: yet another new neighborhood garden/minipark! There's a chainlink fence and locked gate with Market St. below, and now on this slope wooden steps curve up to the top where just inside the fence is an area that has been cleared and roped off. Must revisit later.
Descending to Market, across the street is the other delightful mini/gardenpark (Storrie and Market) with its east edge at the top of the stairway-with-wall-mural that descends from Market to 18th. Finally down to Castro and Market to catch the bus, was energized by the sight and sound of a trad-jazz band and people dancing at the entrance to the Castro Metro Station.
Mountain Lake
Crestline to Twin Peaks Blvd. in the Park
Foot of Eureka Peak's South Stairway
Southside Eureka slope looking across at Noe Peak's north side
Eureka Peak's northside steps
A view from Twin Peaks Blvd.
Pemberton stairway up from Clayton
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