by David Schultz
The weather gods were with us for this hike and it was a day of crisp clear air, plenty of sunshine, and fabulous San Francisco views. Plus, the event was well attended (27 people), so there was lots of catching up with club members, meeting new friends, and good discussions to keep things lively.
The hike took place just below the Twin Peaks area of San Francisco, always facing the inner Bay. Great views sprang out from every turn, many of them between buildings or framed by the amazing foliage.
From a natural perspective, this walk was heavenly for plant lovers. All the stairways, streets, and yards sported beautiful manicured gardens, alive with flowers of all colors from plants, bushes, and trees. There were more flowering trees than I’ve seen in a long time, especially compared to hotter and drier areas like the South Bay where I live.
And where the flowers gave up some space, succulents were eager to step into the limelight. Amazingly, our group found bags of fresh succulent clippings, meant for the trash but just perfect for grabbing and replanting in our own gardens. The hike really was like a four-mile botanical garden walk.
But that’s not to say there wasn’t plenty of exercise. The hills of S.F. under Twin Peaks are definitely steep, and Hoyt’s walking plan made sure we got a workout. Along the 5-mile route, we trudged up or down about 1.3 miles of steps (as recorded by one hiker’s mapping device). With the combination of long stairwells and steep streets, I was pleasantly bushed (pardon the pun) by the time we got back to the cars.
Like the Bernal Heights Stairway Hike, we found a smoothed concrete slide at one of the city parks we passed. This slide was a little different, with two curved sections to give you a roller coaster feel. Several people in the group used cardboard as a “sled” to scoot down the slides, challenging each other for speed.
Not all the gardens we passed were ornamental. Hoyt brought us to a small shared garden park with artichokes, blackberries, limes, and lots of fennel where we lunched and shared a variety of goodies that people brought along.Speaking of fennel, it was everywhere. So were rosemary and lavender. These herbs add so much fragrance to the air of the city. It was a treat to be able to grab little bits of these plants to get an aromatic boost while walking the streets.
After the hike, many of us drove up to the top of Twin Peaks to take in the vast panoramas of S.F. and the Bay. The city sparkled and we could easily see down to Mountain View to the south and far into Marin County to the north. It was just as much fun to watch the tourists posing for the pictures that would give them great memories back home. I still remember the first time that I stood awestruck on Twin Peaks and it didn’t feel any less impressive on this trip.
The perfect finish to a day spent burning calories was to pack them back on at the Mandalay Restaurant. Mandalay offers “Burmese” food – a blend of Indian and Thai cuisines, with some distinctive dishes like crunchy tea leaf salad and a ginger fish chowder that is to die for. With their special fruit sangria (loaded with oranges and lychees) to wash everything down, life is good at Mandalay.
All in all, it was a perfect day. I met a lot of cool club members as well as their guests, and I’m looking forward to more events like this. Don’t miss the next hike!
David Schultz
