Gun Battery Townsley was a World War II 16" gun emplacement, located at Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands: 7 February 2016

I have visited Gun Battery Townsley several times. The underground rooms of the gun battery were always closed and off-limits. About four months ago, I learned that the underground rooms are now open on the first Sunday of every month. Sunday, 7 February, was my first opportunity to explore the interior of Gun Battery Townsley.

I began this ramble at the Tennessee Valley Trailhead in Mill Valley. I started at Tennessee Valley because before visiting Battery Townsley, I wanted to traverse over the proposed site of the city of Marincello. Marincello was a town of approximately 20,000 people, complete with a landmark hotel atop the highest ridge-top, some 16 story apartment buildings, an industrial area, and a full range of commercial businesses. The city was to cover 2,138 acres within the Marin Headlands. Initial infrastructure construction began on Marincello, but the area's residents fought fiercely to retain the Marin Headlands as open, undeveloped land; they succeeded. Construction of Marincello was eventually canceled. 

I visited Gun Battery Davis on 14 February 2016. It was constructed at Fort Funston in San Francisco during the same time that Battery Townsley was built.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph.

A view of Battery Townsley as seen from the location of the SF-88C radar site located on Wolf Ridge.

The approximate distance traveled was 8.4 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 1,864 feet. Mile markers are shown on the GPS-generated track. 

This is the starting point of the Marincello Trail. It was initially constructed as a two-lane paved asphalt road for the Marincello development, which was never built. 

Here is a view looking north from the upper portion of the Marincello Trail. The Tamalpais-Homestead Valley area of Mill Valley is closest to the camera. 

Tiburon and the Tiburon Peninsula are straight ahead across Richardson Bay. The tiny peninsula in the center is Harbor Point. Marin City is on this side of Richardson Bay. During World War II, Marin City had the honor to be the home to Marinship, a shipyard component of the war effort. Founded in 1942, Marinship built 93 government-owned cargo ships and oil tankers. It ceased operation in 1945. The shipyard site is just off of the right side of this picture.

A Federal Aviation Administration antenna site is located adjacent to the Miwok Trail and is at a 1,029-foot summit. 

This picture was taken from Wolf Ridge Trail. Tennessee Valley is straight ahead. Fox Trail can be seen wending its way up to Coyote Ridge. Mount Tamalpais is in the background. 

This guardhouse is located at the Nike Missile SF-88C radar acquisition site entrance. 

SF-88C. The platform on the right was for a target-tracking radar. The platform on the left was for an acquisition radar. Both radars were housed in geodesic domes. 

SF-88C. I believe this building was a rest and recreation area for off-duty soldiers. 

The construction in 1938 of Battery Townsley gun emplacement #2. Battery Townsley was completed and ready for operation in 1940. The view is looking south. San Francisco is in the distance.

Gun emplacement #2.

Test firing Gun #2 during July 1940. Battery Townsley became operational in 1940 and was closed down in 1948. 

Ready for action. 

Gun #386 was manufactured in 1943 and it was initially installed on the USS Missouri, a battleship. 

Gun #386 as seen on the Battleship USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. 

Battery Townsley is located within the site of Fort Cronkhite. This is the entrance to the firing position of Gun #2.

The top-secret battery was camouflaged and off-limits to unauthorized personnel during the war. Here is a wartime picture of the above Battery Townsley gun entrance covered with a material that gave the illusion that it was a rock outcropping. 

This photo was taken inside the underground quarters of Battery Townsley. 

These are armor-piercing shells that were used by the 16-inch guns. Each shell weighs approximately 2,100 pounds. 

The armor-piercing shells were brought to the guns via the tracks attached to the ceiling. 

This is the location of the diesel-powered electric generators which were used if and when conventional electric power was unavailable. 

The diesel-powered electric generators are installed and ready for operation. 

Fort Cronkhite was an Army base established in the late 1930s. The enlisted men's barracks are visible, as are Rodeo Lagoon and Rodeo Beach. Fort Barry is on the far side of the lagoon, and San Francisco is in the distance. This is a view from Battery Townsley looking south. 

Tennessee Cove. It was named after the "SS Tennessee," a steamship that ran aground near here in 1853. I had to get down this hill to reach the beach; it was not easy; I do not recommend taking this route. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

San Francisco – the Haight-Ashbury: 24 January 2016

I joined a group of friendly hikers. We toured the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Nikki was the knowledgeable leader of the group. 

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph.

Janis Joplin lived at 635 Ashbury Street in the late 1960s.

This picture of Janis Joplin was taken in 1967. The location is Haight Street at Cole Street. Photograph by Peter Larsen. 

The approximate distance traveled was 7.6 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 945 feet. Mile markers are shown on the GPS-generated track. 

  Hunter S. Thompson lived at 318 Parnassus Street while writing Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in 1967. 

Hunter S. Thompson and his IBM Selectric typewriter. This picture is circa 1967 Photographer unknown. 

The Hell's Angels Frisco Chapter was ensconced at 719 Ashbury Street in the late 1960s. 

On the road with Hell's Angels Frisco members. The picture is circa 1967. Photographer unknown. 

Kezar Stadium, located in Golden Gate Park, is an outdoor sports stadium with a long illustrious history. 

The Sharon Building. It was constructed to provide a food and rest stop for mothers and children who are visiting Golden Gate Park. The original structure was built in 1888. It was destroyed in the Great Earthquake of 1906. The structure was rebuilt and then badly damaged in a fire during 1973. It was rebuilt yet again. It is San Francisco Landmark #124. 

A view of the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.  Mount Sutro is behind the medical center and Sutro Tower rises above all. This photo was taken from Golden Gate Park. 

This is a view of the famous Painted Ladies. The 50th anniversary of Super Bowl, a football championship game, will be fought at Levi Stadium, which is located about 46 miles south of San Francisco. This photo was taken from Alamo Square Park. 

We are cranking up Buena Vista Avenue West which is adjacent to Buena Vista Park. This view is looking north. 

Graham Nash and his family lived at 731 Buena Vista Avenue West in the late 1960s. Nash commissioned the iron gate entryway. He was a member of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. 

Graham Nash in the early 1970s.

Jack London lived at 737 Buena Vista West Avenue while he was writing White Fang. Jack London also wrote: San Francisco Earthquake: The Story of an Eyewitness (scroll down to read his essay). It is a first-person account of the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. It was published in Colliers Magazine on 5 May 1906... a month after the earthquake. 

Jack London as seen in the early part of the Twentieth Century. Photographer unknown.

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Sausalito to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf: 21 January 2016

The weather forecast for Thursday 21 January was overcast and cloudy, but without rain in the forecast. I put together a last-minute ramble to take advantage of the rain-free forecast. 

Here was the plan: We would take BART from Berkeley to the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Then we would go to the Ferry Building and board the ferry leaving at 10:00 am for Sausalito. After which we will walk from Sausalito to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. After arriving at Fisherman's Wharf we will board a streetcar going to the Embarcadero and then get on BART for the ride back to Berkeley. It proved to be a successful plan.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph. 

The western span of the Bay Bridge. Yerba Buena Island is on the left.

The approximate distance traveled was 9.7 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 650 feet. Mile markers are shown on the GPS-generated track. 

This beautiful brass statue of Mahatma Gandhi is located on the site of the San Francisco Ferry Building. 

We boarded the Golden Gate Ferry 'San Francisco' for the trip to Sausalito. 

And we are off! 

Donna and Lindy joined me on this ramble. 

Here is a view of a portion of Angel Island. The brick building at sea level is an old Army warehouse which is located on the site of Camp Reynolds. Camp Reynolds was established during the Civil War. 

Belvedere is in the center, and the Tiburon Peninsula is on the right. Mount Tamalpais can be seen peeking through the clouds. 

Sausalito is straight ahead. 

A fountain located in Vina del Mar Park, Sausalito. 

In Sausalito. 

Here is a part of the remains of Battery Yates, which is located at the site of Fort Baker. 

Battery Yates.

Another view of Battery Yates. 

We are crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, heading towards San Francisco. 

Lindy is taking a picture of the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge from the walkway on the Bridge. Yes, she is using the ubiquitous iPhone. 

The Golden Gate Bridge is seen from San Francisco. A portion of Fort Point can be seen under the bridge. 

One more view of the Golden Gate Bridge. This view is from the Crissy Field Marsh area. 

Here is a view of downtown San Francisco as seen from the Crissy Field Marsh area.

A view of the Palace of Fine Arts, which was a part of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

 These photographs were taken with a Sony camera.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com