Friday, March 15, 2024

Guernsey State Park: Tunnel Mountain Trail

Today was forecasted to be a nice day weather-wise, at least for western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. Colorado, where we had originally planned to go, is a different story. After breakfast we set out west to Torrington, Wyoming, where we stopped at the Bread Doctor for some baked goods. Then, we headed to Guernsey State Park for a hike of the Tunnel Mountain Trail. 

After eating our bakery treats in the car, we hit the trail with slices of sourdough bread for energy.



The trail meandered through a low area for a bit, crossed a dry wash on a bridge,


then headed towards some railroad tracks 


before climbing up the north flank of Tunnel Mountain and paralleling the tracks. We caught a glimpse of the end of a train hauling coal out of the Powder River Basin.


We then continued our ascent and caught a glimpse of the mountain's namesake tunnel.



From there, the trail descended for a short distance before climbing 


up to the summit of Tunnel Mountain 


with great views overlooking the Guernsey Reservoir.



From the summit, the trail made a steady descent 


down to the park office. There were some nice views on the way.


We took a short break at the trailhead near the park office, then started to retrace our steps back to the car.


We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of another train just as it entered the tunnel! 


It was a scene that Sierra said reminded her of a model train layout. 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Alcatraz

 My last full day in San Francisco meant another field trip. This time, we would be headed to Alcatraz. We arrived at the ferry dock and looked around at the exhibits, including a really cool scale model of the island.


Then, we boarded the ferry for the ride out to the island. We really lucked out with the weather. Blue skies and pleasant temperatures. The views to Alcatraz were awesome!



Upon arrival on the island, we had a private tour of two limited access areas: The prison hospital and the old fort under the prison. The hospital was interesting in that we caught a glimpse of the "cell" of the famous "Birdman of Alcatraz". 


Also, caught glimpses of locations used in shooting "The Rock". 


After the hospital, we headed through the old military prison,


and then under the prison to the old "Fortress Alcatraz".



Some of the most interesting things to see in the old fort were graffiti left from the Indian occupation of the island from 1969 to 1971.


After the tour of the old fort, we moved onto a self-guided audio tour of the prison. We saw the cells and learned about some of the people (guards and prisoners) who lived there.


You start in the shower room where besides showering, prisoners would be issued their clothing. 


 One of my favorite stops was the cell where prisons had escaped. They used dummies they had fabricated out of random items they found in the prison.


After the audio tour, we left the prison area 


and explored parts of the island on our own. I really enjoyed seeing the lighthouse.


We walked through the beautiful gardens and all around the open areas of the island, enjoying the views.



Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the tour, was the evidence of the Indian occupation. There is a good deal of graffiti left and a very interesting exhibit about the start of American Indian Movement (AIM). 



Monday, March 4, 2024

Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Presidio Tunnel Tops

The last stop of the day's field trip was the Presidio Tunnel Tops. This is a section of park created when Highway 101 was moved underground. The space on top of the highway is extremely pleasant with park space, gardens, children's play areas and more. The views are pretty spectacular!


I explored the park a bit and then took some time to head across the street to Chrissy Field. Again, there were wonderful views of the bridge and bay.


The Presidio Area, a decommissioned Army Fort, is very interesting. I wish I had more time to explore more of it. I guess I will just have to return some day. 

Fort Point National Historic Site

From the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, we had a very short drive to Fort Point National Historic Site. The fort was built between 1853 and 1861 as part of a system of defenses to protect San Francisco Bay.


When the bridge was built, it was built in a manner as to protect the fort from having to be destroyed. The views from the fort, particularly the upper level are pretty amazing!




I found the lighthouse to be of utmost scenic value! I even photographed it from lower levels.


Besides the views, the exhibits at the fort tell the story of the people who served at this location. I wish I had more time to explore the exhibits, but there was just too much to do in the short time we had to visit the fort.




After a time exploring the fort, and watching people surf the small waves on the nearby waters, it was time to move onto our next stop, the Presidio Tunnel Tops. 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Golden Gate Bridge

Today starts my week in San Francisco participating in the Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show. I arrived in town yesterday, after flights from Scottsbluff and Denver and a train trip on BART from the airport to my hotel in Union Square. This morning a field trip set off to explore the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point National Historic Site, and the relatively new Presidio Tunnel Tops. 

First stop was the iconic bridge. 


We had some time to walk around the bridge area and explore.



I even walked about a quarter of the way across the bridge, 


with great views looking back to downtown San Francisco. 

I was a little afraid of walking too far on the bridge and not making the bus for our next stop, and so I opted to explore a little bit more of the area in the vicinity of the Welcome Center. Just about everywhere I looked, there were great views of the bridge and bay. Especially down near a somewhat forgotten picnic area and Battery East.




Wildlife sightings included lots of gulls, some hummingbirds, and a banana slug!


After coming from a place where it is still winter, it was nice to see all the flowers in bloom!


After our short visit at the bridge, it was time to move on to Fort Point National Historic Site, just a short drive away.