San Francisco (and Environs): Hawk Hill June 2009

One day in June 2009 I needed a photo of Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands. Since I was heading out that way anyhow, I snapped a photo once every few minutes along the way.

Lobby As a computer programmer, I start counting at zero. Thus, I took the first photo before leaving my apartment building.

Golden Gate Park Entrance On rare occasion, you'll see a marsh bird on this field. This wasn't one of those occasions.

Conservatory of Flowers There's a handy path to Arguello Street beside the Conservatory of Flowers.

Arguello and Anza That crane is dismantling the Coronet theater where many old local geeks saw Star Wars.

Presidio Terrace San Francisco is not as paranoid as Los Angeles, but we do have a gated community.

Spire (Andy Goldsworthy) We're in the Presidio now. According to the interpretive text, this piece of art by Andy Goldsworthy has been here since 2006. I just noticed it for the first time on this walk.

Bay Area Ridge Trail In the Presidio, the Bay Area Ridge Trail was headed for the Golden Gate Bridge, as was I.

Secret Way to the Dump Still in the Presidio, I split from the Bay Area Ridge Trail. I took off along a side access road. It led to a dump--seemingly a dumping area for some Presidio forestry debris. It didn't seem like the dump had a way out--but there was a worn trail leading through a thin layer of bushes to a driveway. I took a photo in faint hope of being able to spot that trail again.

Heading under Highway 1 Still in the Presidio and kind of lost, I cut across a field to head under Highway 1 in hopes of eventually finding a way to Crissy Field.

Pet Cemetary This must be the way to Crissy Field; I recognize that Pet Cemetary from the Ghost Patrol game.

Stairs from Crissy Field to Golden Gate Bridge Folks were setting up for a triathlon later in the day. People put signs up by these stairs saying "Hills for Breakfast"

By Golden Gate Bridge I can see Hawk Hill!

Fort Baker from Golden Gate Bridge At about the spot where we picked up the black strips in the Justice Unlimited Game, I took a photo of place where we picked up the Pentomino puzzle in the MacGuffin Game.

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge (North End) A lot of this area at the north of the Golden Gate Bridge was fenced off for "seismic retrofit". Those magical words which can encourage a walker to get the heck off of a bridge.

Vista Overlook At the overlook over Fort Baker, a cycling group gathered.

Ascending the Coast Trail I'd crossed under the Golden Gate Bridge to get to the trailheads on the West side. I headed up one trail into the hills.

Fork in the Trail The other time I walked this far, I took the right fork. I was just looking for a sheltered spot to eat lunch. But this time, I was on a mission. I took the left fork, the way to Hawk Hill.

Looking back at the Vista Overlook Still on the switchbacks of the Coastal Trail, I looked back at the Vista Overlook. From here, it looked like the place was still crawling with cyclists.

View from the Coastal Trail You can see Highway 101, Fort Baker, Angel Island. Altitude is like that.

Big Rock After cresting, the Coastal Trail descended steeply on a dirt road. I wasn't so fond of this part of the walk. But check out that big rock.

Walking up Conzleman For the final approach to Hawk Hill, I walked along Conzleman Road.

View from Hawk Hill Hey I can see my apartment from here!

Big Rig On my way back from Hawk Hill, I decided to walk along Conzleman. There was a big rig pulled over to the side of the road. I don't know whether it was a trucker practicing twisty roads or playing tourist.

Tanker Leaving View from Conzleman Road

Battery Spencer This is about as far as the Lester Tang Conjecture made it in Shinteki Untamed.

Descending Conzleman Still on Conzleman, but almost to a junction with the coastal trail.

Road to Fort Baker That trailhead place on the west side of highway 101 also has a road to Fort Baker--not for most cars, but bikes and peds can get through OK.

The Other way to the East Road I walked along the water at Fort Baker. (No photos this time, but I have old photos of Fort Baker.) In theory, I walked too far along the water to get onto East Road without backtracking. But I knew that if I wriggled past these cones, then turned onto the other dirt road, then made my way through some weeds, I'd get to an old stairway up to East Road. The stairway's getting rickety, though. I wonder if it will still be there next time.

Sailboats Walking along East Road (a.k.a. the Bay Trail), I looked at sailboats. I was ready to hold my breath when walking past the sewage plant, but it wasn't so stinky that day.

Alexander Ave Approaching Sausalito Alexander Ave has a lot of traffic and mostly doesn't have a good place for pedestrians. I was glad to only be on it for a short stretch.

Bridgeway, Sausalito

Sausalito Ferry Plaza

Ferry view of Sausalito Rather than walk the Golden Gate Bridge again, I decided to catch a ferry back to San Francisco.

Ferry view of the Golden Gate Bridge

Ferry view of Coit Tower

Ferry Building: Acme Bread Co The ferry dropped me off, as you might expect, at San Francisco's Ferry Building. I stopped off at Acme Bread Co to pick up a sour batard.

Embarcadero Station I decided to catch a streetcar back to my neighborhood. So I waited.

Civic Center Station I caught the N Judah, but it stopped at Civic Center. An announcement came on the intercom. There was a problem. We'd be going very slowly. I snapped a photo. We stayed in this station for a while. Eventually, the doors opened.

Octavia Blvd from the 6 Parnassus Bus ...so I hopped off the streetcar, headed up to Market Street, and chased down a 6 Parnassus Bus. (And now that I look at this photo to caption it... I think that guy in front of me with the twisty necklace was Tyler Hinman(!))

Haight Street Fair The 6 Parnassus was even slower and funkier than usual. Why? Because today was the Haight Street Fair. I wasn't going there. I was ready to go home.

Parnassus Ave The good news: the 6 Parnassus stops on my block. Soon I was home again.

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