Urban Hiker SF

It's been a LONG time since I posted. So long that in fact that since that last post, I have given birth to two babies: one human and one paperback .  Being a mom has been wonderful, but I do feel like I have a lot less time than before. And while some people feel like they have more free time during quarantine, my experience has been quite the opposite! In addition to holding down a job, I was now a house cleaner, nanny, dog walker, and chef. One thing that has not just kept me sane, but also brought me great pleasure during COVID-19 is taking daily walks. During this pandemic, exercise in fresh air was always considered an essential activity, but for a while, the rule was that you were supposed to exercise in your own neighborhoods. Guided by the mantra "If you need a car, it's too far," I started taking off on walks and runs from my home in the Mission District seeing where I would go in any direction in a 2.5-mile radius—which roughly equated to the time I had off...

Distance: 3.6 miles Elevation Gain: 740 feet High Point: 1,630 feet Difficulty: Moderate Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Fitness: Walkers, hikers, runners Family Friendly: Yes Dog Friendly: Yes, off-leash walking is permitted. Amenities: Picnic benches and a portapotty are available at the Quarry Picnic area where the hike starts and ends. A few other benches are found along the trail. Contact: East Bay Regional Park District GPS: 37° 54' 1.4868'' N 122° 15' 0.2952'' W Map to: Quarry Picnic Site, Wildcat Canyon Road, Berkeley, CA Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/activities/1378805274   About Tilden Regional Park: Once Ohlone ancestral land, this area then was used by the Spanish and then Mexicans who began ranching here. Americans continued the ranching tradition and eucalyptus forests were planted around 1910 by Frank C. Havens' Eucalyptus, Mahogany, & Land Company. Tilden Regional Park became a park on July 16, 1936 and was named for Charles Le...

I'm on a mission to #hikeallofsf . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________     Hike Name: Presidio Promenade Distance: 4.4 miles Elevation: 200 feet Difficulty: Easy to moderate Time: 1- 2 hours Dog Friendly: Yes, on leash   For this #hikeallofSF post, I decided to explore the Presidio Promenade , an easy 2.2 mile paved walk that starts at the Presidio’s Lombard Gate and ends at the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve hiked on many of the Presidio’s 25 miles of hiking trails, and was eager to see some new sites. An early gift - a first view of the GG Bridge This is a nice, easy walk suitable for hikers of all levels. The paved paths with minimal elevation are even great for people in wheelchairs or parents with children in strollers. When done as a roundtrip, the hike is 4.4 miles and leaves you in the Marina, an lively part of town for exploring restaurants and shopping. This hike starts at the Lomba...

I'm on a mission to hike all of SF . These are the stories of my hikes. _______________ ______________________________ _________ Area of detail in the Presidio My last hike all of SF post was about hiking from Fort Funston to the Cliff House . This post is about another great coastal hike, the Batteries to Bluffs Trail . This gorgeous bayside trail is short - 0.7 miles one way -  but still manages to pack a punch due to a large number of stairs. But don’t worry too much about the stairs, there is plenty to distract you. When you’re not staring at breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Marin Headlands, you can learn about the historic gun batteries you pass on the cliffs.   S o what's with the gun batteries?   As a direct result of the Gold Rush, San Francisco's population exploded from 50(!) in 1844 to over 20,000 in 1850. With this mass influx of people and with San Francisco now on the figurative map, a joint...