The Marin Headlands: A Winter Exploration
As the days of the year grow shorter, the Pacific coast near San Francisco clears of fog. This is my favorite time of year to be out and about, to be in the sun; an expedition to a world away minutes from home. Recently, on a warm and hazy December afternoon, we took a jaunt to one of my favorite places, the Marin headlands.
Like all good adventures, getting to the destination is part of the fun. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco is a thrilling preparatory to the headlands itself. As one progresses over the bridge the traffic slows. People strolling and admiring the view flank the right, bicyclists on the left. The towers of the bridge rise above, first one and then the other as you pass underneath. Painted the distinctive color, “international orange”, the towers for all their Art Deco modeling are muscular and thrilling as they suspend their cables over the roiling sea below.
Take the Alexander exit beyond the bridge. Turn left under the freeway. Turn as though heading south back onto the bridge. Veer up the hill to Conzulman road. At the rise there is a small gravel parking area on the left. follow the trail to Battery Spencer. This area is currently undergoing a native plant restoration.
The view from Battery Spencer is a familiar one to many from television and the movies, but that does not lessen the heady experience when one stands on the natural platform gazing over the cliff.
The headlands played a vital role during WW II in the defense of the bay and the nation. Strategic military batteries in the headlands, once top secret, are now linked by public trails.
Another former battery, Hawk’s Hill is now the home of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. From Battery Spencer, continue 1.8 miles on Conzulman road until it becomes one-way. Park off the roadway and walk up the trail on the west side of Hawk Hill past the locked gate. It is a just a few hundred feet to the summit.
Raptors, such as red tail hawks, golden eagles and peregrine falcons use the headlands as a migration thoroughfare. While on migration, birds of prey use air movements, such as rising thermals and updrafts on hills to maintain their altitude. Many hawks prefer to fly over land, avoiding open water.
Upon reaching the Golden Gate, migrating raptors are squeezed by the San Francisco Bay on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Hawk’s Hill is the ideal spot to witness this remarkable migration as the raptors, if they can catch a good tail wind, zip across the two mile gap.
From their website: http://www.ggro.org/index.html
“We saw the two adult peregrines flying around and showing off. From there, the peregrine party took off. We had a total of nine buzzing the hill, chasing around red-tails and otherwise causing havok during the course of the day. We also got a nice look at an adult golden eagle.“
A few paces from the summit is the perfect bench to observe the raptor migration, passing ships and to simply commune with the beauty of it all.
Hawk’s Hill, with the cypress trees crowning the summit, can be seen from Point Bonita.
Shaded from the afternoon sun, a winding footpath leads to the Point Bonita lighthouse. Warn children that like all exciting adventures or a quest, sometimes one must proceed with caution!
Wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, thrives on these marine cliffs.Tolerant of sea salt, but not plant competition, wild cabbage is perfectly edible. I am familiar with this type of plant from my childhood as it was one of the few things that would grow on the rocky seaside cliffs near my family’s home.
The path to the lighthouse leads through a tunnel. The sound of the ocean on three sides is like what one imagines when placing one’s ear to a nautilus.
Emerging from the roughly cut tunnel , one then crosses a bridge placed between rocky outcrops. The tunnel was dug by the Chinese workmen who also constructed the Sierra tunnels for the Transcontinental Railroad.
The atmosphere surrounding the lighthouse is diffused with mist from the surf below, blinding with reflective light.
Point Bonita lighthouse is reached by a final suspension bridge over crashing waves. Standing sentinel at the entrance of the Golden Gate, The lighthouse has guided mariners through a spot notorious for strong currents, deadly shoals, rogue waves and great white sharks! Originally the lighthouse was located higher up the hill. Frequently enshrouded by dense fog, the lighthouse was relocated to its present location just above the Pacific and below the fogline.
Living in the keeper’s residence next to the lighthouse was not without its challenges. In the early 20th century Keeper Alex Martin and his wife fashioned harnesses for their young children as they played outside. This fortunately saved young Dorothy as she was found one afternoon dangling over the cliff secured only by her tether!
Unlike Southern California, most of Northern California’s cities are inland. The coast here is wild, austere and wonderfully unspoiled. One can spot grey whales with their calves off this coast this spring as they migrate from Baja to Alaska. Look for the blow or spout up to 15 feet high. Sometimes you will see the fluke, the 12 foot wide tail of the grey whale at it descends into the deep.
The road from Point Bonita winds north to Fort Cronkhite. Once a military base during WW II, this fort, along with other military posts such as Fort Baker and the Presidio across the bay in San Francisco are now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the National Park Service. Once a seasonal home of the Miwok, this beach and lagoon is today a place to contemplate, run around, fly a kite and spread your toes in the sand.
The straightforward military buildings of Fort Cronkhite have found a new life with organizations such as the Headlands Center for the Arts. Mission statement:
In creating Headlands Center for the Arts, the founders sought to re-configure the role of the artist from a marginalized position to that of a central participant in our society. Over 1,000 artists have worked with Headlands in its various programs. We host artists from different disciplines and cultural backgrounds, and our public programs bring artists together with scholars, activists and other professionals. By facilitating interaction across traditional boundaries, Headlands works to introduce artists and audiences to new creative processes, and to broaden the range of possibilities for art’s function in our society.
I honor the creative process, and I welcomed this rare glimpse into these artists’ studios. The above studio intrigued me: the tableaux of wing chair placed resolutely away from the stunning view beyond the windows; the wine bottle and glass carefully placed.
I loved this studio for its delicious ferment: the masses of squeezed paint tubes and brushes; old fashioned metal trash cans and a monitor fitted with a propeller.
I love the tubes of classic oil paints: burnt sienna, raw umber, Vandyke brown, Prussian blue, Alizarin crimson, sap green, cadmium yellow, manganese blue, titanium zinc-white…
The Headlands Center for The Arts mess hall has an open kitchen. Filled with light from south facing windows, I thought this place had a wonderful atmosphere. Dinners accompany many of their public programs. www.headlands.org
The “mess hall” walls feature hand painted paper panels; each unique panel depicting the native plants and wildlife of the headlands.
The Marine Mammal Center Hospital is currently closed to the public. Their new facility, currently under construction above Fort Cronkhite will open in 2009.
The Marine Mammal Center has rescued thousands of ill and orphaned marine mammals such as elephant seals, sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, fur seals, dolphins, harbor porpoises and the like at their facility. Their programs have educated thousands of schoolchildren and members of the public to our interdependence with marine mammals, their importance as sentinels of the ocean environment, the health of which is essential for all life.
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org
Located in Fort Cronkhite near Rodeo beach, The Headlands Native Plant Nursery is one of five native plant nurseries operated by the The Golden Gate National Park Conservancy. These nurseries grow over 140,000 plants for up to 50 different habitat restoration projects.
Volunteer at this or any of the other nurseries: www.parksconservancy.org.
Come grow with us at the Marin Headlands Native Plant Nursery! Each year, we grow over 30,000 plants to restore natural habitats within the Marin Headlands. The dedication and support of our volunteers are vital in the effort to grow plants, collect seeds, maintain the nursery facility, and much more. Our projects are outside, fun, and always hands-on.
East of Fort Cronkhite on the San Francisco Bay is Fort Baker, set on Horseshoe Cove.
A military site since the 1860’s, Fort Baker’s distinctive colonial revival architecture was constructed in the early 20th century.
Gracious officers’ quarters were placed around an expansive parade ground. Stands of Monterey Cypress and Blue Gum Eucalyptus were established as windbreaks.
Fort Baker is now part of the Golden Gate National Park. The historic structures which had fallen into great disrepair have undergone a stunning restoration. Currently undergoing LEED accreditation for its eco practices in reuse and green build, Fort Baker is home to The Institute at The Golden Gate, an organization that partners with others to address environmental issues such as climate change and preserving urban open space.
The newest lodge in the National Park system, Cavallo Point-The lodge at the Golden Gate is acclaimed for its commitment to the highest standards of environmental sustainability.
As as special treat during our visit to the headlands, we enjoyed a memorable lunch at the restaurant at Cavallo Point Lodge, Murray Circle.
Being out in the sun and fresh air works up an appetite, and ginger spice pot de creme with homemade biscotti was the perfect way to end a day spent exploring the headlands!
This spring these tawny hills will explode with wildflowers. From military base to national park, the Marin Headlands is enjoying a renaissance. From rescuing marine mammals, tracking raptors, restoring plant habitats and creating art, people are actively working together to make a difference, in this place and for the planet. With its incomparable views, trails, soaring eagles and volunteer park stewards, the Marin Headlands delight and inspire me in every season.
