"Avatar" roaming the Fairy Gates trail

Neighborhood residents like the hiker who calls himself "Avatar" have known and enjoyed the Mount Sutro trails for decades. Yet for many in the busy UCSF community, the green zone just behind the bustling Parnassus campus barely seems to register. In part, this may be due to the lack of an obvious path leading from the campus through the woods. The relative inaccessibility of the dense 61-acre eucalyptus forest has made Mount Sutro "the most remote place right in the heart of the City."

Originally called "Mount Parnassus", the 904-foot hill was once covered with low brush and chaparral. But in 1886, Mayor Adolph Sutro arranged for the planting of thousands of trees to celebrate San Francisco's first Arbor Day. The non-native, fast-growing blue gum eucalyptus soon dominated the land and became what is now known as Sutro Forest. Over the ensuing century, the once open hillside turned into dense groves of eucalyptus mixed with elderberry, blackberry, mugwort, soaproot, osoberry, and ferns.

Several trails lead through the forest (see trail map), but they are in need of upkeep and repair, and the aging eucalyptus trees, choked by ivy and blackberry brambles, are in danger of losing limbs or crashing down altogether. There is concern about the safety of hikers. Existing native plants, some of them rare and unique to the San Francisco hills, need to be protected and fostered.

Restoring Trails and Habitat

Craig Dawson, who grew up on the south side of Mount Sutro and has hiked the forest since he was a child, recalls the spectacular city views from the summit, before the trees grew to their present height. Dawson is now a member of the Community Advisory Group that has worked on UCSF's Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve Plan, and he and other community representatives have been leading groups of volunteers to help restore and rejuvenate the trails and restore the native habitat.

One such restoration project has been the creation of a native plant demonstration area near the summit. The San Francisco Rotary Club provided a $100,00 grant for the area restoration, and hundreds of volunteers donated their labor to clear the summit of non-native weeds and plant California native flowers and trees.

Native plant demonstration area

Visitors to the summit area can also spot the buried remains of the Nike Radar Station, a legacy of the Cold War. The station was apparently active until the early 70's. A more peaceful memento is formed by an array of stone benches made from the foundations of the Affiliated Colleges, as the earliest incarnation of the Parnassus campus was called.

Nike Road, near the Aldea Housing area, is a good starting point to connect to several of the accessible trails.

A Surprising Discovery

It was in an effort to expand the current trail system that Craig Dawson and his team, while mapping out an area on the Western ridge, came climbing down a steep hillside and literally stumbled upon a previously unknown, historic trail, buried under several layers of brambles.

Craig Dawson on spot where he discovered historic trail

The trail has since been unearthed and partially restored. Dawson and his team believe it dates back to the thirties and was a project initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's WPA (Works Progress Administration). The restoration of this historic trail to full accessibility (right now parts of it are considered unsafe for casual hikers) would add a vital link to the existing network of paths.

Volunteers Needed

The historic trail restoration is one of the projects needing more helping hands.

Dates have been set for October 14 and December 2 to help with the trail work. However, volunteers for general work like pruning or weeding are welcome to join in every first Saturday of the month (see volunteer schedule.)

The Regents of the University of California have repeatedly asserted their commitment to protecting the Mount Sutro Open Space from development. UCSF and the wider community are working together to continue restoring and rejuvenating this precious resource. It is hoped that between the University's land and the adjacent city-owned interior greenbelt, one continuous green zone could eventually be connected to serve as an oasis of serenity and biodiversity, welcoming anyone in need of peace and fresh air academics and avatars alike.

Links:

Volunteers Converge for Mount Sutro Planting Project
Old age hits S.F. woods where Ishi once roamed (SF Chronicle)

Text and Photos: Sarah Paris
Sutro letter courtesy of UCSF Library