Roaming Zen

If your new year resolution is to get fitter and stronger, the first roam of 2026 is just what you need!

I spent some time over the summer trying to puzzle out a route that incorporated all the staircases in Golden Gate Heights and Forest Hill, without duplication or too much meandering - and I think I managed it (there may be a set that I missed in my planning).

We will be either climbing or descending twenty four sets of stairs between West Portal and Kirkham Street - visiting the longest ones, on the west of Golden Gate Heights first. Naturally this includes the three tiled staircases on the Inner Sunset side.

This will be a little longer than the average roam, at five and a half miles, and also a lot tougher than many. Obviously, if stairs are not your thing, this is not the roam for you!

Bringing water, snacks, and layers for all the microclimates is the way to go.

Roams over the winter months are somewhat weather dependent, and this may get rescheduled depending on the forecast. I will send an email to everyone who has signed up if we have to postpone or cancel.

These roams are offered by donation. They are one way I am able to pay my rent in San Francisco.

Punctuality is always appreciated. Please send a message on the app if you are running a little late. I can usually respond to messages before we get underway, but then I won't be checking my phone. Meetup has now added a "share location" feature, so you will be able to catch up.
I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers (we do talk to each other!), but I do track those who regularly drop off or no-show, and have disinvited several people with dismal attendance records, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend.

The first Friday roam of 2026, on the 10th, will also be a challenging one, as we tackle Mount Sutro the hard way.

We will start at the Kezar Stadium (meeting at the corner where Frederick meets Willard), and head up Stanyan - including one of the steepest blocks in the city, and take some less well-used trails to the summit (also steep in places) before we drop back down again to our starting point.

There will be plenty of off-roading, so if it rains a lot before then, we may have to postpone.

Bringing water, snacks, and layers for all the microclimates is the way to go.

Roams over the winter months are somewhat weather dependent, and this may get rescheduled depending on the forecast. I will send an email to everyone who has signed up if we have to postpone or cancel.

These roams are offered by donation. They are one way I am able to pay my rent in San Francisco.

Punctuality is always appreciated. Please send a message on the app if you are running a little late. I can usually respond to messages before we get underway, but then I won't be checking my phone.

Meetup has now added a "share location" feature, so you will be able to catch up.

I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers (we do talk to each other!), but I do track those who regularly drop off or no-show, and have disinvited several people with dismal attendance records, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend.

One aspect of Roaming Zen for me is to set foot in neighbourhoods which we might not otherwise think about visiting, to find the beauty and interest there.

There is a new one-way roam on Saturday 10th, to Yosemite Slough and Candlestick Point. I have been riding around this area a certain amount recently, and found not only a relatively under-used portion of the Bay Trail, but also expanses of waterside open space that are fairly neglected.

We will meet at the Bayview Library, on 3rd St at Revere, and end at the Arleta stop of the T streetcar (which is also close to Bayshore Caltrain and the #8 bus). This is very flat, and there will be some off-roading.

This part of town is also home to some grimy industrial streets, and a number of RV dwellers, so be mindful of this.

Bringing water, snacks, and layers for all the microclimates is the way to go.

Roams over the winter months are somewhat weather dependent, and this may get rescheduled depending on the forecast. I will send an email to everyone who has signed up if we have to postpone or cancel.

These roams are offered by donation. They are one way I am able to pay my rent in San Francisco.

Punctuality is always appreciated. Please send a message on the app if you are running a little late. I can usually respond to messages before we get underway, but then I won't be checking my phone. Meetup has now added a "share location" feature, so you will be able to catch up.

I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers (we do talk to each other!), but I do track those who regularly drop off or no-show, and have disinvited several people with dismal attendance records, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend.