Today: Honor MLK by Making Bernal Hill More Beautiful

January 21, 2013 / Todd_Lappin

Neighbor Brian invites all Citizens of Bernalwood to honor Martin Luther King Day by helping to clean up Bernal Hill today at 1 pm:

MLK Day of Service: Trash Pick-up on Bernal Hill, 1pm

4 years ago, at President Obama’s first inauguration,we held a Day of Service on Bernal Hill picking of trash and litter, primarily focusing on areas below the road. It was a unbelievable success. At least 30 people volunteered that day and we were able to clean out a ton up trash.

If you have the time and are looking for something close to home to volunteer you time meet us at 1pm at at the North Gate near Folsom for two hours of service and we’ll leave the Hill a better place.

Please bring your own gloves, trash bags, pickers, and anything else you need. Weather should be great.

PHOTO: khunter

Where to Buy Your Ski Bernalwood Season Pass

January 15, 2013February 1, 2016 / Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

Hello Skiers and Snowboarders!

It’s been cold, and it’s been wet, which means conditions have never been better at Ski Bernalwood, San Francisco’s finest wintersports resort destination. Right now we’ve got a 41″ base with powder and packed powder on top, so it’s a great time to strap on your boards and and explore all the terrain we’ve opened up on Bernal Hill.

Let’s go over some of the highlights on tap for Winter 2013.

Ski Bernalwood 2013 Season Passes Now On Sale

Ski Bernalwood offers plenty of challenging terrain for riders of all ability levels, with two charilifts for fast, convenient access to all areas of the mountain. But before you hit the slopes, you’re going to need a lift ticket.

This year, we’re proud to announce that Ski Bernalwood has partnered with several of the finest merchants in Bernal Heights to offer an our first-ever Ski Bernalwood Season Pass.

For reals! This is an actual adhesive-backed lift ticket, sold with a complimentary metal wicket you can use to affix it to your favorite jacket or outerwear. Ski Bernalwood season passes are available for purchase starting today at any one of Ski Bernalwood’s Authorized Lift Ticket Vendors: Heartfelt on Cortland, Secession Art & Design on Mission, or the Precita Park Cafe in North Bernal.

Now, you might reasonably ask, Why should I buy a 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass?

We’re glad you asked. Here’s why:

1) It’s a Superior Value
Have you purchased an all-day lift ticket in Lake Tahoe ski lately? Heavenly wants $102 for one. Squaw Valley gets $99 a day. Northstar is $105. But starting today, Ski Bernalwood is offering a full season pass for just $4.

That’s right! Four bucks buys a Ski Bernalwood Season Pass that gives you unlimited access to our trail and lift network for all of Winter 2013. Just show your pass to the lift attendants, and let our high-speed chairs whisk you up Bernal Hill to a world of gravity-fueled adventure.

2) There’s So Much to Enjoy
All your favorite Ski Bernalwood terrain features are back for 2013. There’s lots of powder to discover in the steeps of the 14 Limited and Stoney Grotto runs. Huck the cornice at Cornelio’s Folly. Or drop in at the Haunted House Terrain Park, where our engineers have just completed construction of a massive new tabletop jump. We predict it will leave you spinning:

Of course, you can’t go big on an empty stomach. That’s why we’ve put together a terrific lineup of tasty treats at the Sutrito Summit Lodge. Inside, you’ll find Off Piste, the innovative Swedish-style bistro that San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer says is “redefining what urban ski lodge cuisine can be.” To manage your thirst, don’t miss the two full bars serving artisanal cocktails and microbrews on tap. Outside, you can enjoy our Patio BBQ while taking in views of the city below.

3) It’s Devastatingly Fashionable
Your 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass opens the door to an entire winter of downhill fun, but it looks great on or off the slopes. No matter if you’re running errands on Cortland Avenue, or weekending in Chamonix, or rocking the red carpet at the Academy Awards — the Ski Bernalwood season pass attached to your jacket, hat, or shoulder bag represents Bernal Heights and tells the world that you demand superior downhill wintersports excitement.

4) Think Globally, Ski Locally
Each 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass is printed on rugged, self-adhesive vinyl, to handle any abuse you dish out on the slopes or around town. You’ll also be glad to know your pass was printed by your neighbors at Ellaprint on Precita Avenue, right at the base of Bernal Hill. So you won’t just look good you when wear your 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass — you’ll feel good.

Remember, you can purchase your 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass for just $4 from any of these Authorized Ticket Sales Vendors:

Just stop by Heartfelt, Secession, or Precita Park Cafe during normal business hours, and ask at the counter for a 2013 Ski Bernalwood Season Pass. They’ll set you up.

We’ll see you on the slopes!

Okay Ladies, Let’s Bernalcize!!!

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

I found this photo on the Instagram yesterday, and it came with some handy workout advice:

Try this pilates mat flow this morning to build heat and strength in your center.

Top photo: – Begin in Upstretch treading through your feet. Inhale float the right leg to the sky, exhale reach out of the heal to place it back on the mat. Alternate sides. 6 lifts on each side. Finish by coming forward into plank to hold for 8 long smooth inhales and exhales. Don’t lock/hyperextend your elbows 🙂

Bottom photo: – Begin with legs in table top, pelvis in neutral, and start pumping your arms up and down vigorously “hundreds” style. Keep the pump of the arms and move legs from table top to a high diagonal. Slowly move the legs down to hover above the floor 2 inches. Hold the hover for 5 rounds of hundreds percussive breath. Remember to exhale all of your air in order to build lung capacity. The more you exhale stale air the more you can breathe in new life. You must make space for new air! Joseph Pilates always said…”treat your breath like an internal shower.” A moment by moment cleanse of tension and toxins. How does it feel?! Don’t lie to me 🙂 Try it out and then write a comment. Come on now…Rome was not built in a day. Consistency is vital! Practice everyday to transform your body and mind. Once it becomes habit you will wonder how you ever lived without it!

Remember: make it burn!

PHOTO: @Epicself

Safeway Chic: An Elevated View of Our Local Supermarket

December 14, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

When shopping at our Taoist Safeway, I always find it comforting to look up through the windows from the checkout line to see Bernal Hill smiling at me from on high.

Now Instagram user @kslatz312 has done me the favor of capturing the view one sees from Bernal Hill when looking down at the Safeway. Do you see me waving back from the Express Checkout? Peekaboo!

Bonus: This view almost (almost!) makes the building look stylish.

PHOTO: @kslatz312

With Winter Rains, a Chair Sprouts on Bernal Hill

November 20, 2012November 20, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

Along with green grass and seasonal flowers, the winter rains have also spawned some unusual topiary in the Dominion of Bernalwood — including this chair, which sprouted overnight atop Bernal Hill.

I’m no arborist, but that appears to be a Wingback Beigeicus, an ancient species that’s native to this region.

Meanwhile, with typically keen insight, La Lengua rebel spokesblogger (and Sutro Tower fetishist) Burrrito Justice was able to ascertain the true reason why Mother Nature brought this chair into our lives:

Ah, I get it: the chair atop Bernal is in fact a Sutro viewing station. http://t.co/M7HY7rzd

— Burrito Justice (@burritojustice) November 20, 2012

PHOTOS: Burrito Justice and Mcnangus

Moon Over Sutrito Tower

November 6, 2012November 6, 2012 / Jobius (Joe Thomas)

This has been an auspicious moon, I think. It saw the Giants win the National League Championship and the World Series. It was nearly full for Halloween, and it looked great dancing with the fog in my time-lapse shot a week or so back.

The moon enters its last quarter this afternoon. Yesterday it was waning gibbous, setting mid-morning. I drove around the warehouses of Butchertown, then just past 280 to find the conjunction pictured above: Sutro and Sutrito Towers, with the moon setting behind.

Confirmed: Bernal Hill’s Verdant Transition Now Underway

November 5, 2012November 5, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

With the arrival of some recent rainstorms, we are pleased to report that the chromatic transition of Bernal Hill from parched brown to verdant green is now underway.

La Lengua’s rebel spokesblogger Burrito Justice recently noticed that Bernal is turning green as he enviously looked up at our hill (as he is wont to do):

Indeed, the change is so conspicuous, I even noticed it while waiting on the checkout line this weekend at our Taoist Safeway on Mission Street:

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics (top, bottom) and Burrito Justice (center)

VIdeo: Moon vs. Fog Over Bernal Hill

November 2, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Earlier this week, Bernalwood contributor Joe Thomas created this rather awesome time-lapse video that captures a dance of moon and fog taking place around Bernal Hill. It’s beautiful.

Joe didn’t add a soundtrack, however, so might we suggest pairing his video with a song? Your audio sommelier has selected “Sandusky” by Uncle Tupelo, and it compliments the visuals rather nicely. Start the song below, then start the video above, and enjoy the ride.

Happy Couple Enjoys Martian-Style Wedding on Bernal Hill

October 22, 2012October 22, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

The wedding took place early on Saturday, and the young couple looked lovely amid a morning fogbank and the Mars-like terrain on Bernal Hill. Yay! Congratulations!

PHOTO: @tamararadler

Lost Big Rig Uses Bernal Hill as Temporary Truck Stop

October 22, 2012October 22, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Oopsie! A lost semi truck got very very stuck in the upper reaches of Bernal Hill on Saturday night. Neighbor Mark tells the story:

A semi with a loooong trailer found itself unable to remove itself from the intersection of Bradford and Esmeraldo. A police car set up a barrier at Alabama & Ripley to keep people from going up the hill while a tractor-trailer tow truck was called to pull the semi out of its predicament.

Neighbor John adds:

Driver said he was given wrong directions. Guess he just didn’t see the warning signs all way up Cortland and Nevada streets.

PHOTOS: Top, John Cremer. Below, Blair Lapin

Off The Beaten Path: Photographs of Bernal Heights in the Harvey Milk Photo Center Exhibit

October 19, 2012October 19, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

“Off the Beaten Path” is a new photo exhibit curated by the Harvey Milk Photo Center:

San Francisco Recreation and Parks presents Off the Beaten Path, a photography exhibition showcasing the city’s signature parks and hidden gems. Off the Beaten Path is a “collectively shared impression,” inspiring the viewer to stop, take a breath, and fully experience the sheer beauty and quiet stillness that San Francisco’s diverse range of parks has to offer.

For Off the Beaten Path, photographers from all walks of life were invited to capture and share their own quiet, personal moments in various local parks, such as Golden Gate Park, John McLaren Park, Mount Davidson, and many more. Each image from the exhibition conveys a sliver of tranquility, a distilled moment in time, right here in our own back yards.

With that as a mission statement, it probably comes as little surprise that Bernal Heights — and a few of our most glamorous photographers — are represented in the show.

Ed Brownson (who is no stranger to Bernalwood) took the two photos at the top of this post; the first is called “Bernal in Winter,” and the second is “Bernal Dancer.”

Meanwhile, as we mentioned last week, the “Off the Beaten Path” show also includes a piece by Bernal’s hottest new photographer, Sarabeth Spector. Check it out:

PHOTOS: Top, Ed Brownson. Bottom, Sarabeth Spector.

Sunrise, Sunset: East and West from Bernal Hill

October 18, 2012October 18, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west, and both look rather fantastic from atop Bernal Hill. For example Arthur Chang took this stunning sunrise photo on the morning of October 8, 2012. It’s a very, very delicious image.

Then there’s this atmospheric sunset photo by New Neighbor Alex, who writes:

I just moved in above Liberty Cafe, and took this picture while running around the park the other night.

PHOTOS: Top, Arthur Chang. Below, Alex Bankoff

Stunning Tilt-Shift Video of San Francisco Includes Bernal Hill Cameo

October 8, 2012October 8, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

I’m grateful to creator Jeremy Williams for including a brief (and foggy) Bernal Hill cameo in his amazing amazing amazing new tilt-shift video of San Francisco, because that provides the excuse I need to share the video with you here. Here’s what he did:

I captured 30,000 photos over ten months of everything I love about San Francisco. The end result required 750 hours of rendering to generate 62 tilt shift timelapse sequences.

The finished piece is very WOW. Put the headphones on, and enjoy!

Hat Tip: SFCitizen