Well this time it’s a little different. Normally Margaret does the writing and I do the photos but this weekend she’s attending a class in Sausalito so I tagged along. This will be more photos and less talking.
I was kind of bummed because it looked like rain for Saturday however after an overcast start the sun came out . I explored Sausalito, Fort Baker and the Marin Headlands. It turned out to be a beautiful day and these came out pretty nice. Check out the small gallery below. When viewing the photos clicking on the image will take you back to this post.
March 04 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
If you like raptors, now is the best time of the year to observe them at close quarters at several points in the Bay Area. For more information read Tom Stienstra’s recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Today we decided to go to Hawk Hill on the Marin Headlands. Tom and I have been quite close to it in the past but today was the first time we climbed to the top of the hill.
The drive to it is magnificent on any day but today was extra special As I’ve said before, the weather in the city is unpredictable is always a hit and miss affair. Any day of the year the headlands can be shrouded in fog. It could be cold, wet and miserable. Or, like today, it could be warm and sunny.
It was perfect weather for us and we could enjoy the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the headlands as we drove up the hill towards Point Benita Lighthouse, passing numerous cyclists laboring up as well. We parked the car just before the one way section to the lighthouse. From here we could see the entire bridge in all its glory, though the sun was in our eyes. On the breeze we could hear the faint hum of the traffic as it crossed the bridge just over a mile away as the crow flies.
From here you can walk through a tunnel to a spectacular view of the lighthouse and take a path off to the
right up the hill or you can follow a sign which says Hawk Hill to the left of the tunnel. The climb up the hill from here is steep but mercifully short. At the top is an old gun emplacement with abandoned structures and buildings and huge, round slabs of concrete.
There is also a magnificent view of the bay, with the San Francisco skyline framed between the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoying the view was a man who remarked to me on the beauty of the day. He told me he came here regularly just to drink in the spirituality of the place.
We walked a bit further along the top of the hill. On one of the concrete slabs were a series of white strips. When we got closer we could see that they had the names of all the hawks and raptors which have been spotted here and the length of the white strips indicated their wing span. There are 28 birds listed ranging from the American Kestrel and the Sharp Skinned Haw, both with a 22″ wing span all the way to the Californian Condor with a wing span of 118″. There was a special, thicker, strip which read ‘Mississippi Kite seen here Oct 25 08. Third in 33 years.’
At the end of the little walk way there was a man with a high powered scope. Obviously he was a keen bird watcher. He was intent on studying the surrounding area so I didn’t disturb him. I just stood and admired the nearly 360 degree view. I took especial note of Angel Island. Early last month it suffered a wildfire which burnt more than half the 740 acres on the island but where I stood I could not see any fire damage.
For half an hour we stood and watched – me with my binoculars and Tom with his camera. We had a great view of Rodeo Beach and I watched hikers and cyclists in the distance. There weren’t too many hawks around yet.
More people began to arrive and they all seemed to know each other and there was much chatter. It became apparent that they are part of a voluntary raptor watch, with one lady obviously in charge. She assigned them a location to stand and the official count started at 9.30.
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November 19 2008 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
After two weekends of stormy weather, we were keen to get out and about again. We decided to head for the Marin Headlands. As usual we left well before daybreak, just stopping at Peet’s on Geary Street in San Francisco to get some coffee.
At 7.30 a.m. we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. We take the first exit towards Sausalito, a left turn back under the freeway and then a right onto Conzelmen Road. The last time we were up here was in February to watch the new Queen Mary sail under the bridge. We pass Battery Spencer, which is a great place to look down on the bridge and to take photos. A bit further along the road we pulled over to take some photos. It was cold and windy but we put our coats on a braved the weather. The sun was just coming up over the city and the first rays were hitting the northern tower on the bridge.
The only other people around at this time of the day are other serious photographers and several keen cyclists battling their way up the hill. Finding somewhere to park is easy now but come later in the day and the place will be packed solid with tourists.
The views are spectacular. Looking down I could see not only the bridge but also the silhouette of the San Francisco skyline. I could also see the Bay Bridge, Oakland, Alcatraz and the top of Angel Island, which had a cap of fog. There were no pleasure boats out on the water though we watched a large container ship sail under the bridge on its way to some other part of the world.
Continuing on up the hill we come to two tunnels into the hillside. We stop at the second one. This is Battery Construction 129. It was built in 1942 but never officially named, armed or manned. We walked through the tunnel and gazed down on a magnificent view of the entrance to the Golden Gate – which by the way is the name of the opening into the San Francisco Bay. It was so named by John Fremont in 1848 who was a topographical engineer. The Golden Gate is one mile broad at its narrowest part and five miles long. Our view also stretches as far south as Pacifica and looking straight out we could see the Farallon Islands which are about 20 miles west.
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January 14 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
