August 30, 2012 - Presidio Trails

Title: August 20, 2012 - Presido

Trail head: Presido

Hike Info:

Main Trails: Crissy Fields, Park, Mountain Lake, Ecology, Presido Promanade and Bay St

Destination: Ghiradelli

Distance: 9.1 miles

Travel Time: 3:58

Moving Time: 3:09

Elevation Rise: 657'

Maximum Elevation: 376'

   






Description:
Today has been a series of short hikes. We started off today by going to Fremont. First visiting Mission San Jose. Then going and parking our car at the Fremont BART station and taking BART into the City. We got off 16th and Mission. Walking down to Mission Dolores. From Mission Dolores, we took Route22 of the Muni down to the Marina, about a 40 minute ride. From there, we started walking.

This was the start of four trails we walked, plus several other smaller trails we touched. The trails we went on were: Crissy Fields-Bay Area Trail, Park Trail, Mountain Lake Trail, Ecology Trail, and Presido Promenade. Whoa! That is five trails. The day was cold-windy with clouds and fog. So if we walked too slowly, we got cold. Talk about incentive for us to get a moving.

For our venture, we looked at several sources. One of them talked about a trail starting around the Marina, passing Crissy Fields and going on to Fort Point. Since we were getting off route 22 at the Marina, this seems like a good first leg. We think that it will be a pretty short segment, and not really counted as a trail, since we want to do the Tennessee Hollow Trail. When we get off the bus, we started on what turns out to be part of the Bay Area Trail. Sherri and I walked along Marina for a little ways when realized that it was 2:30 and we had not had lunch. Out comes some crackers and granola bar, eaten by the water-side, in the wind. So off we go again. Where we thought we would be turning off of this trail for the Tennessee Hollow Trail, turned into a construction site rerouting Highway 101 off of Doyle Ave. This blocked us from our planned route. So on we go to Park Trail. So this is turning into a separate trail for us—Crissy Fields to Park Trail as we saw it in one web site. Not that we are complaining. You get good views of the bay, Alcatraz, and the fog topped Golden Gate bridge. When we hit the Crissy Fields buildings at Park Blvd, it is time for the easy, flat trail to end and for us to take off up the hill.



Park Trail is another one of those recommended trails and after traveling it, we can see why. The trail goes straight up the center of the Presidio, semi-following Park Blvd. We start at Crissy Field where the detour signs lead us up the slope. This was not a planned trail for today, but it looked interesting. After passing the Presidio Pet Cemetery—yes a pet cemetery, where you are traveling up the side of the road, you pass the Park's archives, a rather large building. We come to the intersection of the Presidio Promenade and the Park Trail. We will be visiting the Promenade later because our trail leads us on up. As we climb up steps and cross a couple of roads, we are thinking we may get to see out onto the Bay. Our hopes are not dashed as there is a side trail which leads to an overlook. This overlook gives a view of the National Cemetery and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is an impressive and moving view. Even more so, there was a couple of dog walkers there who had found a damaged baby hawk on the road and had brought it up here to see if it would fly—when we left, it had not and they were trying to contact a wildlife specialist.



We continue up the trail after the overlook where we meet up with Bay Area Ridge Trail. We walk westward on this trail for about a third of a mile when it meets back up with the Park Trail. A short distance later on the Park Trail is the Presidio Golf Course—as the sign says, it is an active golf course. But our trail leads through it so on we go. But not for long. We find a warming hut with food—remember we had a granola bar for lunch. So Sherri orders a Presidio Burger and I a spicy chicken sausage. Unexpectedly good. It revives our cold spirits and we continue on down the golf course. And down we do go for 2/3 of a mile where we run out of park and trail and we run into the Mountain Lake Trail.



Mountain Lake Trail runs along the south border of the Presidio. The area near the golf course is under a major restoration and is fenced off. But as we followed the paved road—used by walkers and bikers—it comes back to bordering the golf course. We get to see players playing, practicing their puts and their drives. On the other side of the path is an old, low stone wall with San Francisco proper on the side of the wall. We follow the trail—more like a road—for about a mile and a quarter where it meets up with our old friend the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Shortly afterwards, we connect with the Ecology Trail.



The Ecology Trail is meant to show how the restored Tennessee Hollow area would have looked like before Europeans came along. This is the Presidio's largest watershed and holds the El Polin Spring. This spring is why the Presidio is where it is. Most of the rest of the area would not have enough fresh water to support the stockade when the Spanish came. But the Spanish found this area and built their fortifications here. There are several routes you can take going down this trail. But since we are suckers for a good view, we take a short walk up to Inspiration Point. I think on a clear day, this would be a great look towards the Bay. But today with the fog about to come in and the wind, it is good enough for a quick look and down the Ecology Trail we go.



But down we go again. We must have looked like tourists because a lady asked us if we were lost—no, just wandering. And we wander again, down a steep descent where it empties into the backside of the Inn at the Presidio. Built in 1903, it served as the social and administrative center for the Presidio, It also served as the home for the unmarried officers. We walk down the street a aways, past the Archeology Lab. Then make a right onto the Anza Esplanade. From there we meet up with our old friend, the Presidio Promenade.



At our joining of the Presidio Promenade, we come across the Presidio's Transit Center. The Presidio has a free buss called PresidioGo. This center serves as the hub. But we are walkers and still have a lot of energy in us, so we walk eastward along the Promenade. The Promenade follows the street which will turn into Lombard. In the meantime, it passes by Wayburn Redwood Grove—and the Tennessee Hollow Trail, and the Thoreau Center. Then before we leave the Presidio, it passes in front of Letterman Hospital. We exit through the Lombard Gate and into the city.



Sherri and I now have one destination in mind. So we go down Lombard for a short distance, until we see Highway 101 pour onto it. So we cut off to another, quieter street. We travel east, enjoying the Marina section of the City until we come adjacent to Fort Mason. At this point, we cross over to Bay street and walk down to North Pointe. From here, it is a short walk to Ghiradelli and a Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Sundae—which we share. Afterwards, we are ready to return so we hope on the bus for Route 30 which drops us off on Powell, close to the BART station and back to Fremont we go, tired but content.

August 24, 2012, Sequoia Trail, Route C

Title: August 24, 2012, Sequoia Trail, Route C with extension

Trail head: Big Basin Park Headquarters

Hike Info:

Trail: Sequoia, Shadowbrook, East Ridge Trails

Destination: Loop

Distance: 6.4 miles

Travel Time: 3:16

Moving Time: 2:50

Elevation Rise: 919'

Maximum Elevation: 1,366'

Map of area

Profile of hike

Description:
You can go on three different routes with the Sequoia Trail. The first is straight out and back, the second is to connect it with the Skyline to the Sea trail, or the third is the longer connection with the Shadowbrook Trail, which is the one we want to go on. Well, Sherri and I took on a fourth option, and that was to miss the cut off to the park headquarters and pick up the East Ridge trail. But more on that later.



We were in Mountain View, visiting our parents when we decided that we would go back to Fresno via Big Basin. Big Basin has been one of those places we have enjoyed, but not visited enough. There are a splendid amount of hikes through some pretty big trees, in the cool coastal environment with mountain sides which are steep, but passable.



We get to Big Basin about 1:30 and start to hike pretty quickly after that. Your faithful scribe left a GPS on top of the car and needed to make a quick trip back to the car to retrieve it. The day is sunny and the temperature is moderate, low 70's. For us Fresnan's, it is cool--we welcome it.



Last year when we hiked the Sequoia Trail, we learned that it is one of the oldest trails in Big Basin, having its origins back in 1875. It was originally called the Rodger's Trail for one of the original homesteaders. This is a walk through an old growth forest in Big Basin.  The trail passes by several camp grounds, including the Wastahi Walk-In Campground, and comes close to the road on several occasions. The good side is about a mile and a third, there is a restroom which you can use. We ended this segment of the trail at Slippery Rock.  But before we get to Slippery Rock we made a side diversion to Sempervirens Falls. This Fall, when going well, presents a dreamy falls, under old-growth redwoods, with a fan-like fall. There was two things which spoiled this view: the falls were a mere fraction of its self and there was a sign at the base saying, do not stray from the trail.



Just beyond Slippery Rock, is the Founders Monument. In 1900 San Jose artist Andrew Hill took a group of local influential men to this place and here the Sempervirens  Fund was created, which eventually led to the creation of Big Basin State Park and the entire California State Park system.  They camped at Slippery Rock and would go to the Sempervirens Falls to admire its beauty. Slippery Rock is about 200 yards long and rests at a 30 degree angle.



The Sequoia Trail continues up Slippery Rock, but our loop at this point branches off to the Shadowbrook Trail. This continues north and eastward for a short distance, then crosses the road and starts climbing up toward Sky Meadow Group Campground. The trail is also the path for the sewer. This is the literal high point of the loop we are doing. The trail then starts a steep descent into Union Creek—it is much better to do this loop clock-wise as the climb is more gradual. But either way, hiking among the old growth redwood forest is wondering. The afternoon light is filtered through the tree branches onto the greenery surrounding the trail. Once we make it down to the creek, it weaves it way under logs and bush to re-appear. We pass by named redwood groves. We make it past a couple campgrounds exits, including Sempervirens Campground and the Bob Kirch Trail. This last one is a couple hundred yard trail back to the Sequoia Trail. The first is about a third of a mile down and would lead us around to the use trail back to park headquarters.

But have you ever noticed that a lot of times, one mistake can lead you on to a new adventure? That is what happened here. We got onto the East Ridge trail which then started paralleling Highway 236. We travel on this until we hit a wye where we hadthe option to continue up the ridge trail or cross the highway. We crossed the highway and Blooms Creek and then ascended a small slope. At this point we were at the edge of Big Basin. How did we know this? A sign said private property, but the trail turned into a dirt jeep track going westward. So we followed that, enjoying more of the walk. After about two-thirds of a mile, we hit a trail junction to Blooms Creek Campground. From here we knew what to do. Blooms Creek Campground is one of the few campgrounds where you can actually camp amongst old growth big tree redwoods—it is someplace for us to come back and camp someday. From here we grab the Use Trail and follow the highway to the Redwood Trail. We will grab this one another day as it is getting a bit late and we need to head back to Fresno tonight. We get back to the car around 5:30pm. Then it is back to Fresno we go. But not before a quick, be delicious stop at Marianne's Ice Cream.