The Great Highway / Dispatch II from the shrinking Front Line

Took a drive down to Sloat Parking lot at the end of the Great Highway right where they detour traffic to avoid the eroding roadway. I wanted to get a first hand update on what is taking place. A good couple weeks ago I saw large earth moving machinery in the area and they were starting to dump rocks over the side to try and slow Mother Nature. After parking I walked down to where most of the work was being done.

My last post I mentioned that this would be a very interesting situation to watch as all the "players/stakeholders" have their own agendas and perspectives on how this roadway should be fixed - or not fixed for that matter.

Let me introduce the "players/stakeholders":

CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Obviously the City does not want to loose any major infrastructure and I'm not talking about the Great Highway! Just across the street, literally 100ft, lies one of the City's largest waste treatment facilities that was built back in the 90's. They cannot afford to shut down this plant. When it was built, evidently a lot of people questioned the desired location due to the cose proximity to the ocean. Oooppps.

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION / ENVIRONMENTALISTS

Have a close watch on this project and obviously oppose anything that would be done to the coastline that would hinder access or destroy what many consider one of the best waves at the beach. They'd prefer less rock dumping and try more sand treatments - actually dumping major amounts of sand off shore to quell the erosion. The City wanted 950ft length of rip-rap dumped and evidently agreed (through pressure of the Surfrider Foundation) to only dump 400-500ft.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The area in question is within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Interesting perspective from what I hear... they basically are somewhat indifferent to the loss of the parking area and or roadway. If there are manmade elements that are being reclaimed by Mother Nature (especially parking lots) they might favor letting her take it.

RESIDENTS OF THE SUNSET DISTRICT

Hard to say where people stand on this, I have not talked with enough people around the hood. I for one find that it cuts down the crowds at this end of the beach which one could look at in a favorable manner. I can also see that it is making traffic through the area pretty darn difficult so it may be making some residents commute difficult. I will say that I do like my toilet flushing and that when flushed it does not go right out into the water I swim in.

May still be too early to call what is the best solution and it may be too late as they are starting to drop rocks over the side. Somewhat of a "perfect storm" situation - literally!

The Great Highway / Dispatch from the shrinking Front Line

It is BIG news around these parts. A portion of The Great Highway has been shut down. Not just a lane - all Southbound lanes have been blocked off to vehicular traffic (northbound lanes are open) due to storm and erosion damage. For those that are unfamiliar, The Great Highway runs the length of and parallels Ocean Beach, which is located on the far western edge of the San Francisco Peninsula. So with all the hub-bub going on I decided to take a walk down and take a gander for myself. What not a better mission to bring my trustful companion and fellow adventurer - my daughter. And as it turned out, we were blessed with a beautiful day!

As we made our way down (we walked and took the stroller) an immediate observation was the extraordinary amount of flotsum along the length of the beach. Logs, branches, trash, telephone pole parts, foam, sections of docks, old x-mas trees and lots of exposed random rocks. Not too much of a surprise since we have recently gone through some good stormy wet weather cycles. But still more than I have seen in a long time.

A second observation was the amount of sand eroded off the beach. Many of the dunes that have been built up over the years are taking a real hammering. Yesterday I ran into Carol Schultz, "Queen of the Beach" in Golden Gate Park. One of her comments to me was, "Jeez DAK, I have never seen so much sand missing off the beach". I concur.

Sure enough, there is some serious havoc that Mother Nature is unleashing at the southern end of The Great Highway. The Sloat Parking Lot's (1st Parking Lot) egress point is completely been compromised due to high surf. And the the 2nd Parking Lot is also in bad shape due to some serious hydrodynamic activity.

While I'd love the opportunity to delve into the very interesting battle that will soon unfold regarding how to resolve this problem and the various stakeholders involved, I need to cut this short and catch some shut-eye.

So tomorrow, THE WHAT, THE WHO, THE WHERE, and THE WHY of this battle between Mother Nature, a City, a National Park System, Environmentalists and the residents of the Outer Sunset.

I almost forgot my 3rd observation. No Sloat Parking Lot means less crowded surf. My daughter and I watched some seriously good surf come through with only a handful of guys on it. Typically there would be twice the amount of people out in the water.

Have you been down there yet? Tell us your observations and your ideas of how to handle The Great Highway erosion issue of 2010!

True Wilderness VS. Metropolis

It is really easy to get boxed into the urban fabric of the City. Sometimes it is important for us City dwellers to obtain a vantage point that takes us outside the confines of our concrete environment. There have been several vantage points I have been recently poking around to get some shots of the BIG surf showing up this Winter Season - like the shots above and below.

What I appreciate most about this vantage point is how it clearly illustrates the close proximity of true wilderness to the Sunset District's western edge. It is easy to forget that whales, dolphins, great white sharks, orcas, seals and a whole multitude of marine life not listed, ply the waters just off shore. What really separates us from the wilderness is just a Great Highway, sections of dunes, a concrete seawall, a large sandy beach and for most, cold water.

Think about it.

We live in a very unique and special place.

Jessica Dunne, an artist with an eye for San Francisco's Sunset District

"Sloat at Sunset", Jessica Dunne

I recently stumbled upon a book highlighting the artistic work of Jessica Dunne. I found the book at Mullosk Surf Shop (they do not list it in the books section, it is at the shop though). What I was most struck about Jessica's work was her obvious close connection to our fine neighborhood the Sunset. I have yet to see any artist capture the feeling of our neighborhood quite as well as she has. The landscape/streetscape, the color, the dampness, the lighting, iconic Sunset subject matter, it is all there and impressively done.

Much of her work that interests me centers around The Great Highway, specific homes in the hood and beachscapes that often include the beautiful waves that wash up on our beach. I've also stumbled upon a book that focuses on her paintings of a local surfboard shaper. While I appreciate this collection it does not capture my attention as much as her Sunset-centric work. She has quite a bit of San Francisco-centric paintings as well - obviously a bi-product of just a portion of her education at San Francisco State.

If you'd like to see more of her work, check out her website:

http://www.jessicadunne.com/

Are you familair with Jessica Dunne? Have you met her? Do you own any of her artwork? If so I'd love to hear first hand information on this talented artist.

"Feinstein's Legacy", Jessica Dunne

"Mercury Vapor", Jessica Dunne

Anchor Steam 2009 Christmas Ale: Good Beer & Classic Design

I recently read an article in the Chronicle Newspaper (actually on SFgate.com) that was a small expose on the Designer of the Anchor Brewing Company's beer labels, Jim Stitt. This is a gentleman who has been designing the labels for roughly 4 decades! A true graphic artist. In his own words, "It is a hand made beer, so the label should be hand drawn.". This in the age of computers - very refreshing.

Each year Anchor Brewing Co. comes out with a slightly different recipe for their "seasonal" Christmas Ale and a unique label that typically highlights, illustratively, a specific tree type. In the past they've had Redwoods, Pines, Palms and Birch Trees. This year, to commemorate their 35th season of their Christmas Ale they chose a very special tree. They chose the Cuppressus Macrocarpa, or the Monterey Cypress (pictured below).

Now this is not just any old Monterey Cypress that Jim Stitt chose to draw, he selected a very special one. This year he drew the Cypress that is located at the intersection of Stanyan and Fell streets here in the City. A tree that is lit up every year just after Thanksgiving and known as the unofficial Christmas Tree of San Francisco. This basically is the Gateway into the Sunset District and I pass by this tree every night - saw it about 2 hours ago!

So you might be saying, that is a lot of typing without any mention of the brew itself. Well it is the season for darker heavier beers (at least for me) and this one does not disappoint! A spicey brew that is about as dark as they come. I could barely get the kitchen light to show through my pint glass when held up to it. I find it to be best when poured into pint glass and let sit for a few, warm up a bit and let the spicey flavor come out. If too cold, I find the full flavor can be a bit masked. It has a mild carbonation that enables the brew to go down smooth.

There you have it, good beer and good design coming together with a dash of Sunset Pride!!! Happy Holidays to you and yours.

DISCLAIMER: This in no way nullifies my declaration of beer loyalty to the BOONT Brewery out of Anderson Valley who by far crafts the most sublime beers on Earth. Sorry Anchor, you are my home town brewery, but only a close second to BOONT!!!

 

Summer has arrived!

This past weekend Summer arrived in the Sunset District, for San Francisco in general. I was in charge of my daughter over the weekend, my Wife declared a "staycation" weekend - a break from the family to focus on and pamper herself - she deserves it. So with all the good weather (and good waves) my daughter and I hung out around the neighborhood. We walked to the beach, did some dune climbing and snapped some pictures together. Turns out an 18 month old can be pretty handy in pointing out the good set waves as you can see below.

I took my daughter down to the Sloat parking lot. Wanting to make sure she did not either fall off the cliff edge or get run over, I kept her in the car with the windows rolled down. It actually worked well and she was content for all of 10-15 minutes. Just enough to snap off a few pics of the "Choi Wan" super typhoon swell that originated just off central Japan last week.

My wife was kind enough to let me sneak out on Sunday for a quick paddle out. Had a great time, saw a lot of good waves come through but did not connect with anything to write home about. Hung out with the dolphins/porpoise for a short time - neat to see them out there.

Summer/Fall is here and life is good.

FOG of a World Class nature

DAMN!!! There it is again, lazily hanging and ever so slowly creeping into the contours of the City, almost tar like in it's consistency. The past several days, while the entire Bay Area "suffers" from a heat wave, us hearty residents of the Sunset District have been dealing with some truly World Class FOG.

This is not the wind whipped FOG that we typically get pushing through to the East Bay, this FOG bank has just hung over the City's low points and through the Gate. Talk about a change in climate - 60s, wet and dewy when I start my commute to the East Bay, arriving to clear sunny blue skies already tipping into the 70s. Fantastic example of the Bay Area's micro climates.

Carol Schulz, Queen of the Beach, recently stated, "Jeez Dickson, I'm usually a pretty positive person, but this Summer has been pretty bad with the FOG.". This is someone who has lived in the Sunset her whole life and knows it like the back of her hand! You know it is bad if Carol complains about it. Typically by this point in the year we have shaken off our FOGGY weather.

All I can do now is pray for a cold front to sweep through the Bay Area, dust the Sierras with a layer of the Winter Season's first snows and then it will be on... yes our (San Francisco's) Summer will then arrive being blown in via the East! Bye, bye FOG don't let the Gate hit you in the ass on your way out!!!

SUNSET PRIDE: Carol Schuldt, Queen of the Beach

In my continued effort to highlight what makes the Sunset District so great, I'd be in error if I were not to mention Carol Schuldt, "Queen of the Beach". At one point in my life a few years back, she was my landlord (a story for another time).

She has been a fixture, better yet a foundation, out in our neighborhood for years. One of the original locals to hang out at Kelly's Cove back in the day. Describing Carol is really tough to do. Much of who she is can be best described by her actions. Here are just a few I can rattle off (keep in mind that she is in her 70's):

- Bikes to most of her destinations on a daily basis

- Body surfs damn near on a daily basis on the very south end of Ocean Beach - NAKED!

- Recently completed a hike up Mt. Shasta (I don't think that she summited but close)

- Has biked Death Valley not too long ago

- Has (2) hip replacements

- Retains a keen eye on her environment (especially the ocean)

- Has a kick ass garden in her backyard (not neat and orderly but just thriving and beautiful)

- Raises chickens 

I believe that most people who cross paths with Carol find her on the "eccentric" side and to their credit she does dress a bit tusseled (the dirt is typically from her garden). She can be a bit in your face if you are not used to her demeanor. And certainly if she is standing in front of her house on La Playa (her domain) you really get a sense of her eclectic style in the form of the bright colors, painted murals, stuffed animals, buoys, statuary and random found artifacts that she utilizes to decorate the exterior.

I'll end this by saying that she is truly one of a kind. One of the unique personalities that make the Sunset District so great. I truly enjoy talking with her and catching up. She has greats stories to tell. If you pass by her in front of her house, I'd encourage anyone to stop and say "hello". If you have time ask, "I hear you have a terrific garden in back?". Chances are she'll invite you to take a look. Time worth spent from my perspective.

Here is a link to The Surfers Journal which recently highlighted her lifestyle and body surfing in an article. Worth the read.

Eureka! The GREEN RUSH is on!

So I'm speculating that some day I might look back at my life and say to myself, "you damn fool why on Earth did you not grow weed (marijauna, cacker, green buds, da' kush, buddha, ganga) when you had the chance to make a fortune?". Well of course being the law abiding parent and citizen of this great state of CA, the risk is not worth it. 

Not so for everyone in this City or even this neighborhood I choose to raise my daughter in. You heard it here first the Sunset District can now be referred to as Sunsetsterdam! There have been several articles recently on the growing number of busts on "grow houses" within this neighborhood. Just today an article in the San Francisco "Chronic"le caught my attention and focused on this very subject:

Pot Growers settle into the Sunset District

Tough one to call. Having spent five years of my life in Humboldt County as a student at Humboldt State University (Art Major / Speech Comm Minor / '94) I have learned to live around and respect those who choose to indulge in the ever so fragrant weed known as Mary Jane. But then again, not sure if I need my daughter walking past a "grow house" run by individuals not necessarily "our neighbors".

One thing is certain though, people are currently making a FORTUNE and those who wish to get in on the GREEN RUSH better hurry up before our local governments start to legalize it, tax the hell out of it and drive the selling price down significantly. This will be very interesting to watch as it unfolds and I'll just be watching from the sidelines.

If you by chance have never run into marijauna before and are curious as to what it looks like and the culture surrounding it I suggest that you go to High Times, a leading periodical on the subject.

SUNSET PRIDE: UFO Response Team

I live with my family in the Sunset District of San Francisco on the far western edge of the United States. I love this neighborhood and have lived here off and on 8 years - I think. Hard to pin-point exactly what I love about this neighborhood, so many different facets. The people, the fog (world class), Golden Gate Park, the ocean... So I'll try and write about my hood whenever inspired.

What not a better way to start off this series than with the UFO Response Team. Yeah, they are headquartered right down the street from our apartment. I know this because their response vehicle is always parked a few blocks down the street. Can't tell you how nice it is to have them close by. After all there are a lot of unexplainable activities going on inside Golden Gate Park and around the hood these days.

Are you a believer? Have you run into the UFO Response Team? Do you know what to do if you run into a UFO? If not go here and find out more about UFOs.