Urban Hiker SF

12/02/2024

I handed in the manuscript for book #3 (Urban Trails: San Jose) to Mountaineers Books in October, but am revisiting some of my favorite hikes from the book in different seasons. Here are some overlooks in Almaden Quicksilver. This is a great park to take in beautiful trails, views, and the mercury mining history of this area.

11/24/2024

Sutro stairs

11/22/2024

Thank you Adah, for inspiring us all. Adah's work was the genesis for Urban Hiker SF and my two (soon to be three) hiking books.

Adah Bakalinsky had never climbed an urban hill until she moved to SF at age 50. Then she wrote the definitive guidebook, “Stairway Walks in San Francisco.”

10/18/2024

Come see me talk and meet me on 10/26!

October is SF Stairway Month! This month is all about celebrating the 900+ public stairways that connect us to art, nature, and stunning views. ⛅️

Looking for ways to celebrate? Attend next Saturday’s author talk with Urban Hiker SF, creator of the SF Stairway project, and Mary Burk, author of 'Stairway Walks in San Francisco'. 📚

More information at http://sfpl.org/events/2024/10/26/author-stairways-san-francisco-mary-burk-and-alexandra-kenin

10/03/2024

It’s stairway month, people!

09/19/2024

Want to meet in person? Come to the Glen Park Library on 10/26 at 3 pm. I'll be chatting stairways with the author of Stairway Walks in San Francisco! https://sfpl.org/events/2024/10/26/author-stairways-san-francisco-mary-burk-and-alexandra-kenin

09/09/2024

Oooh such a good time on the Double Cross Trail yesterday. This is a version of the Crosstown Trail that goes from Fort Funston to the Embarcadero from SW to NE. We had a great time joined by Bob Siegel, founder of the Crosstown Trail and Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle. Such a good day. Highly recommend this hike. Stay tuned here for free hiking events in "Crosstober" (October).

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08/30/2024

35 minutes from San Francisco.

08/28/2024

I love people's creativity when painting their homes in San Francisco.

08/20/2024

Just handed in my third hiking guidebook to Mountaineers Books! Urban Trails: Peninsula, San Jose, and South Bay will be coming out in fall 2025. Feels so good to get to this stage after almost two years of writing and hundreds of miles of hiking.

06/21/2024

Last weekend, I did hikes 46, 47, and 48 for Urban Trails: Peninsula, San Jose, and South Bay. Here's one photo from each park I visited: Joseph D. Grant County Park, Uvas Canyon County Park, and Rancho Cañada del Oro.

06/05/2024

Have you been to Memorial County Park in Loma Mar, CA? Loma Mar has a population of 134 by the way. The park is great for exploring redwoods. Here's a quick 5-second snapshot of what you can see there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C70CwH-vpJR/

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05/29/2024

I finally made it to Henry Coe State Park! We did a 5.3-mile loop to/from Frog Lake. Aside from the steep and exposed start of the trail, there was ample shade, so it wasn't too hot! And it was decently flat, too.

Question/Request:
Is anyone interested in heading to Henry Coe in the next two months who wants to try out my writeup for the new book? I would appreciate your feedback and you could share the writeup with anyone who wants to follow the route, too. 😃

05/24/2024

Colorful flowers remain on Mayáan ‘Ooyákma’s Bay Checkerspot Trail. I missed the Tule Elk and the butterflies this time, but want to catch them next time. Fun to hike on a docent-led walk with !

05/15/2024

I went to Paso Robles last weekend. To break up the drive on the way back, naturally, I went for two (mini) hikes! I went to Montgomery Hill Park (2.75 miles) and Communications Hill (1.7 miles) in San Jose.

**By the way, I'm still looking for hike testers for my book! Let me know if you want to test a route or two!**

05/09/2024

Mori Point is gorgeous and carpeted with wildflowers right now. Such a great escape just 20 minutes from SF. And dog-friendly makes it even better!