Two new editions of San Francisco guidebooks to get (and keep) you walking

San Francisco is famously small -- just 46.89 square miles, but the City is packed with surprises, and the best way to experience our special places is on foot. 

Sutro Tower from the San Francisco Botanical Garden (photo by Jane Huber)

My go-to book for exploring San Francisco has always been Stairway Walks. This classic by Adah Bakalinsky is now out in the 9th edition. Mary Burk supplements Bakalinsky's classic with a fresh eye, and each of the 35 walks are well-described and mapped. Stairways Walks has shown me some of my favorite quirky spots in the City, such as Harry Steps (between Diamond Heights and Glen Park), the "Planet Streets" and steps of Upper Market, and the Greenwich Stairway to Coit Tower. I haven't done them all yet (Russian Hill North, you're calling my name), and look forward to revisiting my old favorites.

Drum Bridge in the Japanese Tea Garden (photo by Jane Huber)

Walking San Francisco, by Kathleen Doge Doherty with Tom Downs, is a great compliment to Stairway Walks. The third edition of this book is a colorful and practical San Francisco guide. With clear maps and historical context, the walks are easy to navigate as well as educational and fun. Most the walk are concentrated in the City's northeast, making this guide exceptionally useful for tourists or folks in town for work staying in downtown hotels. I appreciate the cafe, restaurant, and bakery recommendations; when walking these steep streets we need to stop and refuel from time to time. Number 26 is one of my favorites, stringing together a visit to Bird and Beckett Books, a hike through Glen Canyon, and a choice of restaurants in Glen Park village. A wish for the next edition: more walks west of Twin Peaks please!

View of Alcatraz from the walk to the Wave Organ (photo by Jane Huber)

Disclosure: Walking San Francisco and Stairway Walks are published by Wilderness Press. My book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, is published by Menasha Ridge Press. Both presses are part of the AdventureKeen family, who provided me copies of the books in exchange for honest reviews.

No plans for Mother's Day? Take your mom for a hike!

The most meaningful gift: time spent with your mom. Here are some tips to make the day spectacular.

• Some moms like surprises and some don't. If you know your mom is up for a hike, yay. If you're not sure, ask. 
• Do all the grunt work. This means planning, meals (either pack lunch or make reservations/plans for a restaurant), etc.
• Pick a special destination. Ask where your mom liked to take you hiking when you were a baby and toddler. Consider her preference for coastline, woods, or grassland.
• Take a photo of your hike and get that framed, then gift it to your mom.

A few options if you're not sure where to go:
Briones Regional Park. Lovely rolling grassy hills in the East Bay, with picnic tables at the trailhead.
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Views galore at this wine country park. Take mom wine tasting post-hike.
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. Woods and grassland on the peninsula. A good choice if you want to bring your dogs along (note: dogs are not permitted on every preserve trail).
Mount Umunhum Trail. One of the best views in the Bay Area. Highly recommended if your mom enjoys native plants.
China Camp State Park. Sweet hike through woods at the edge of San Pablo Bay.

Hi everyone, I know it's been too long since I posted. Trying to get things back going again, on BAHiker with new hikes, and here as well. I have just started a Patreon campaign; if you are interested in supporting BAHiker, take a look. Thanks and hope to chat at you soon.
https://www.patreon.com/bahiker

I'm not ready for some football, how 'bout you?

Ridge Trail, Castle Rock State Park

About a week ago as I pushed a quarter into a SF parking meter, I noticed a message on the display screen: "Welcome to Superbowl 50." I may have shrieked; I wasn't ready for this. Here in the City, folks who work and/or live downtown are fuming about traffic delays and security checkpoints. Luckily I don't go downtown often and I can avoid the chaos. But things are likely to get super crowded leading up to the big game in Santa Clara. How can you avoid the insanity on Superbowl Sunday?

Those of you in the North Bay -- stay in the North Bay. This is a great opportunity to explore parks and preserves in Sonoma and Napa. Sugarloaf, Mount St. Helena, North Sonoma Mountain, Annadel, and Jack London all are great choices.

East Bay, I'm picturing you on quiet back roads, traveling to Mount Diablo, Round Valley, Chabot, Del Valle, or Sunol.

View from North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park

Peninsula hikers -- you know the freeways? Avoid them. Take surface streets and county roads away from Santa Clara, to the Santa Cruz Mountains and Windy Hill, Long Ridge, Portola Redwoods, or Castle Rock.

South Bay peeps -- shelter in place? Maybe. Or get up and at them early and head south away from Santa Clara, to Grant, Henry Coe, Sierra Azul, Uvas, or Calero.

Batteries to Bluffs Trail in San Francisco

San Franciscans? I plan to stay off the roads completely, or maybe take a little trip somewhere in the City, like Mount Sutro, Batteries to Bluffs, or Lands End. If coerced I might consider driving a few miles to a destination such as the Headlands, San Bruno Mountain, or Montara Mountain.

Timing is sure to be important. I would suggest leaving early and planning your return trip to happen during the Superbowl (it starts at 3:30). Stay safe and sane!

The Muir Woods Problem

Leaves in Redwood Creek, November 2013

Last week I read an excellent Bay Nature article describing the changes coming to Muir Woods in 2017. A new reservations system will limit the number of visitors to the main park trailhead -- which effectively means no spur of the moment visits will be allowed.

All week the news swirled around my brain and my feelings about it were about as clouded as a foggy San Francisco summer day. Then over the weekend, I read Summer Brennan's outstanding book The Oyster War. About the Drakes Bay Oyster Company conflict Brennan writes: "...it was about loss and the seeping panic we feel about that loss." Those words made my confusion drift away and sharpened my thoughts. The Muir Woods Problem is an impossible conundrum and that makes me feel sad.

Muir Woods drew over a million visitors last year, and there is no doubt that redwood lovers from far and wide are a boon to the local economy. But there are just too many people cramming into the park.
How can overcrowding be managed? There is no space for a larger parking lot, and parking along Muir Woods Road increases the possibility of damaging nearby Redwood Creek. Locals turned down proposed satellite parking lots, and I can't say I blame them. Many people already arrive by private bus. The roads into the canyon certainly can not support larger buses. The Muir Woods Shuttle is an option, but there is no true public transportation available into the national monument.

Today most visitors drive to the parking lot, pay their $10, go for a short walk on the paved trail, then leave. Do visits of this nature "count" in the same manner as day-long hikes through Muir Woods (and beyond)? It is not possible to quantify a nature experience (although it is tempting when you rub shoulders with perfumed visitors wielding selfie sticks).

There are other redwood groves in the bay area (some just miles from Muir Woods), and there are ways to circumvent the crowds, fees, and restrictions (for years I have hiked into Muir Woods from Mountain Home). Still, Muir Woods is a special place and should be accessible to locals as well as those traveling from all over the world.

When my son was just over a year old, his adult cousin came into town and wanted to see Muir Woods. After a lovely afternoon, we began to walk back to the car. My son insisted on toddling along the path, where he found a fallen maple leaf. He picked it up and refused to let it go. I know, it's not acceptable to remove anything from Muir Woods. But there was no reasoning with this boy. He clutched that leaf passionately and later fell asleep in the car still holding it tightly. On a subsequent school trip at age 7, when I showed him the famous giant redwood slice, he bent in and kissed it. Maybe these stories could have unfolded in another park with redwoods. But I am so happy remembering his first visits to Muir Woods; we all should have that chance to open ourselves to nature and joy.

I think the park service is right to enact visitation limits to this pristine bubble. The proposed reservation system will likely improve the Muir Woods experience for all visitors. But at what cost?

Best of 2015

Favorite hikes:

Hazelnut Trail at San Pedro Valley Park

• Hazelnut Loop, San Pedro Valley County Park, July 30, 2015. Even in a drought year, the coastal scrub of Montara Mountain was green and leafy.
• Hidden Villa, May 25, 2015. So many flowers, sweeping views, and about a billion lizards.

Hostel Trail at Hidden Villa

• Edgewood Park and Preserve, May 19, 2015. Although the wildflower display wasn't as dense as "normal," I delighted in the many flowers, including huge mariposa lilies.

Mariposa lily at Edgewood Park and Preserve

• Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, February 25, 2015. That perfect day when the sun was shining, the grass was emerald green, and all was right with the world.
• Bon Tempe Loop, Mount Tamalpais, March 18, 2015 (a variation of the description on BAHiker). Mount Tam magic -- wildflowers, wonderful views, and always, surprises (this time it was newts).

Best new (to me) trails/hikes:

Ridge Trail, San Bruno Mountain

• North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park -- love at first step.
• Unnamed Trail Center-built path at Sugarloaf Open Space -- what a difference a proper trail makes!
• El Corte de Madera Creek's Oljon Trail -- everything I want from a woodland trail.
• Ridge Trail, San Bruno Mountain. I hiked this out and back route (not yet on BAHiker) many times this past year, as my new regular exercise destination. Shocked to learn that the ridge hosts the best wildflower displays on the mountain.

Most improved:

• Glen Canyon in San Francisco is better than ever, with new paths and steps.
• Tomales Bay State Park's new boardwalks are gorgeous and keep hikers' feet mud free.

Boardwalk at Tomales Bay State Park

Resolution for 2016:

Hike more! Life threw me some big curve balls this year and I wasn't able to hike as much as I would have liked. I also spend a good hunk of time updating BAHiker (and it's almost done!). Next year I hope to visit loads of new places and add them to BAHiker.

Winter hiking chills and thrills

Raccoon tracks in the snow, 1999

BAHiker Dhananja suggested a blog post for rain-friendly hikes. "I was thinking today of good parks to hike at when it is raining and yet you want to hike. Which parks would you think of, where one can stay relatively dry? Sometimes you are statistically close to a mark - say 995 miles done for the year up to 12/30, and your mind prompts that you MUST hike at least 5 miles on 12/31. And it is going to rain. Then what? Which ones are the better places to go to on such a rainy day?" 

With autumn ending, it's a timely question, so I'm expanding it into a post about winter hiking.

In my mind you can choose one of two options when it's raining and you want to hike. Pick a preserve with heavy tree cover and try to stay dry, or bundle up in waterproof gear and head for a paved trail.

Veteran hikers know from experience that our local paved trails tend to be on the mild side. Some are long, but few offer enough substantial elevation change to feel like hikes.

Some paved ideas:
Sweeney Ridge -- probably the "hardest" paved trail in the Bay Area
Sawyer Camp -- the southern section is flat but the northern part does have hills. A good place to rack up the miles.
Nimitz Way -- great views in the East Bay
(also Google paved hiking trails San Jose, North Bay, etc for walking destinations)

Dhananja had some very good ideas for forested hikes (comments are mine):
Steep Ravine -- redwoods, waterfall, and hot chocolate before or after in Stinson Beach
Windy Hill -- on the east side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, sheltered somewhat from storms
Fall Creek -- near Felton, but beware of slick CA 9
Castle Rock -- had a fantastic hike in the rain here once, with the forest canopy an aromatic umbrella
Purisima Creek Redwoods -- thick forests of redwoods but a good idea to stick to fire roads

I would add these:
Redwood Regional Park -- a protected redwood canyon with ladybug colonies
Mount Diablo's Donner Canyon -- waterfalls, with often super muddy spots
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park -- it's a long slog to the top so you may as well do it when it's cold
San Bruno Mountain -- hardly any trees to potentially block trails
Cataract Falls -- the prettiest waterfall when it's roaring, pretty even when it's not
San Pedro Valley -- blooming manzanitas and possible salmon spotting
Uvas -- waterfalls in nearly every nook and cranny
Jack London State Park -- sheltered from the storms on the east side of Sonoma Mountain 
North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park -- newly built trails should withstand winter storms
Huddart -- loads of trees on the east side of the Santa Cruz Mountains

A fallen tree to scramble over at Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve, February 2014

I can't stress enough how important planning and research are for winter hikes. After this past Sunday's heavy rain my family and I drove Panoramic Highway in Marin and noted several trees that had fallen across the road and were thankfully already cleared. Storms cause trees to fall and sometimes damage roads, so check traffic conditions before you leave the house. My go to is https://www.chp.ca.gov/traffic (note our communications center is Golden Gate). Once you determine the roads are clear, check the managing agency for your destination. Some agencies also tweet or post on Facebook, updating trail conditions, while others (California State Parks) may only note closures via answering machines at their ranger stations. It's worth calling if you're planning to drive a significant distance. 

When sequential rain storms combine with wind, there are several destinations that get red flags, indicating "do not attempt at this time." Portola Redwoods, tucked in a deep canyon reached by a series of tiny roads, is on this list, as is Big Basin State Park (as Dhananja pointed out: "that drive sucks even on a not-wet road"), and most forested preserves on the west slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Also avoid areas that commonly flood, such as Russian River. Any park grazed by cattle is an immediate no (too muddy). 

If we're lucky and snow frosts our highest peaks, most roads that access those mountains will be temporarily closed. You can often start at lower elevations and hike up into the snow. For Mount Tam, begin in lower Mill Valley. For Diablo, start on the north side of the mountain near Clayton. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, sometimes CA 84 is open and it's possible to reach the skyline preserves.

When winter hiking, use common sense. Trails will be slippery and fallen trees are common. Turn back rather than risk a dangerous situation. Even when you're taking day trips, be sure to keep emergency supplies in your car, including water, food, and blankets. Don't forget a stash of dry clothes for the post-hike drive home. Have fun!