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| In case you don't know how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge, it's on U.S. Highway 101. |
Traffic on the bridge on a sunny Saturday was quite heavy, and the walkways on either side were packed with pedestrians, but I wasn't interested in joining the mob. I crossed the span, exited Highway 101 after the viewpoint parking area (which was totally backed up), zig-zagged up a steep hill, parked in a dirt lot, and ended up with this view:
But that wasn't my end point either. I took off down an unmarked trail, through the brush, across the road, and up, up, up.
No one else was on the trail...
and this was the payoff:
After the first few minutes of snapping photos and being amazed that I seemed to be the only one at this spot, I noticed a family who had been picnicking a few feet down in a clearing in the brush, two young kids playing while parents were semi-snoozing -- we were the only ones up there. After snapping a bunch of pictures, I headed back down the trail and passed the only other people who seemed to be making their way up that day, a father with two teenaged daughters. The girls were scampering up and didn't look too strained, but the dad was red in the face, dripping with sweat, and very clearly wishing he was sitting by a pool with a cold beer. I knew exactly what he was going to say to me when we passed each other, and when he predictably asked me, "is it worth it?" I said to him, "I knew you were going to ask me that and I have my answer prepared, it's absolutely worth it and you're very close to the top." I'm sure he made it, I hope he agreed.
