Hiking Adventures in the San Francisco Peninsula and Beyond
Some observations: It had been four years since my last trip across the pond. It seems that everyone else had the same idea. Turmbesteigung (Tower Ascent). 157 meters, 533 steps, a 360 degree view of Cologne, pure joy to any serious hiker. Looking back, I should have done this twice, with a weighted backpack! Cologne … Continue reading European Vacation (2023)
Some observations from yesterday's hike: Count on it to be foggy in Daly City, and scorching everywhere else. The San Francisco Bay is full of microclimates. See below. 7 mile out-and-back, 1,900 feet of elevation gain, warm and humid, a veritable greenhouse, at the bottom and solid heat at the top, interrupted by the occasional … Continue reading Montara Mountain -July 2023
Windy, it was not. Start early, no later than 8am, as the Lower Windy Hill parking lot fills up quickly. Head south on Spring Ridge, to and up Hamms Gulch (my favorite), north on Lost Trail, to Anniversary Trail, then Spring Ridge, on the way down, to Betsy Crowder, and back to the lot. 8.5 … Continue reading Windy Hill 2023
Once in a while the stars align: great scenery, terrain, weather, company, conversation, F&B, especially at the Parkside Cafe, with a dozen Hog Island oysters, Niman ranch burger with prosciutto (why not?) and Point Reyes blue cheese, and Calicraft Kolsch (yes, a continent and ocean away from Koln, but so good, especially after an 11-mile … Continue reading Dipsea 2023
It was quite the week: the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), spillover pressure on other regional banks, torrential rains and steady (and more mundane) downpours, a freak windstorm resulting in widespread power outages and a 2-day PG&E school holiday. If there was ever a day to get outdoors for a few hours, yesterday, Saturday, … Continue reading El Corte de Madera Creek
Hike 6/50. I am not one for New Year's resolutions, but this year I committed to one: 50 hikes. I call it 50 for 50, as I turn 50 this year. The expectancy of youth, one of my favorite expressions from The Years (Ernaux), is gone, but there are 44 more adventures to plan. So … Continue reading Sugarloaf Peak 2023
I suspect that a few 49ers do not know about this one. 16.5 miles, from Lands' End in the northwest corner of the City to Candlestick Point, in the southeast. Many have hiked some part of it, connecting many of the City's green spaces, most likely without knowing their hike was part of something bigger, … Continue reading San Francisco Cross-Town Trail (Section 2)
As some know, I am a near-native San Francisco. I grew up in the avenues. June through August were gloom and doom, with no sun in sight sometimes for weeks. September and October, our Indian Summer, were sublime. November was hazy. December could be perfect, especially on a still, clear day. Lands End is just … Continue reading Lands End to Fort Point (San Francisco)
I'll admit it; I was intrigued by the name of this hike: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mcnee-ranch-to-planet-of-the-apes 4.8 mile loop, about 1,200 feet elevation gain, per All Trails, although this one seemed longer and higher. Apparently, there is a "Planet of the Apes" bike ride, which starts in San Francisco and traverses San Pedro Mountain and/or Montara Mountain near … Continue reading McNee Ranch to Planet of the Apes
You could live in the San Francisco Bay Area for a lifetime and never find this place. 11.5 mile hike (1.5 of which was bonus mileage, due to a poorly placed sign (or a leader who was just going with the flow)), deep in Marin County. Super cold start (31 degrees F) warming up nicely … Continue reading Samuel P. Taylor State Park
The Peninsula Hiking Club 