These are the Filbert Street Steps in San Francisco, California. They are the continuation of Filbert Street, where the terrain rises so steeply that no road can be constructed. On their far end, Filbert Street continues on as if it never had this break. This view shows only the very lowest portion of the stairs, which number somewhere around 600 total steps. At the top of the stairs is Telegraph Hill and its famous landmark, the Coit Tower, over 300 feet above this spot and obscured by the thick vegetation around the steps. While in the lower portion here it is mainly ivy clinging to the almost vertical landscape, just above this the vegetation turns into lush gardens full of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees. The flower garden section was inspired by and named after Grace Marchant who lived here from 1949 onward and cleaned up and beautified the area. Another interesting set of residents in the area are the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. These are actual parrots, native to Peru and Ecuador, but somehow a flock of them have established in this area and now number over 200 individuals. It is assumed that they were released pets that began the flock, but no one knows for certain where they came from. The Wild Images Team heard the parrots in the area, they do have a loud squawk, but we did not encounter one for a good image. At least not yet. We hope to return here again soon! The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos from California such as the scene of a blooming thunderstorm over Joshua Tree National Park, the lava flow created streaked ridge in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the high altitudes where a giant sequoia is larger and redder than others, the steep Hyde Street view of Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Bay, the drastic slope of the abrupt drop off of Taylor Street, the Pine Street colorful terraced houses with background buildings, the historic looking beautiful terraced houses and a Classic VW Beetle, and the Asian inspired intricately ornate Chinatown scene, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from California have documented the long and winding road climb to the giants of Sequoia National Park, the size comparison of The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina and the giant tree, the massive view where giant sequoias maintain their diameters over hundreds of feet, an overlook into the Merced River Valley with Liberty Cap, the road heading towards the sheer monolith of El Capitan, the road heading towards desolate ridges of Joshua Tree National Park, the location where the road rises out of Bumpass Hell, a beach dune covered view of the secret underground World War II bunker, the reflective tower of the Marriott Marquis over the Yerba Buena Gardens, the distinctively ornate Asian architecture and decor of Chinatown, the musically inspired melting records with album covers mural, the long strange trip of the Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia mural, the places where steep sidewalks have stairs cut into them, the street where a tree gives a sense of the steepness, the expansive view of Nob Hill from Telegraph Hill and the oppositely directed view from Telegraph Hill to the northeast, the descent in the upper portion of the Filbert Steps, followed by the middle portion of the Filbert Steps with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator on the steps, followed by the lower portion of the Filbert Steps, and at the bottom a view up the Filbert Street steps again with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator below the steps. From our travels in the nearby Oregon and Washington, we have captured photos such as the deep blue hues of swirled clouds and rim peaks reflected in Crater Lake, the Hoh Rainforest green moss covers every possible branch, and the right place at the right time rainbow over the Mt. St. Helens remnants, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Oregon and Washington include the sharp looking view through the Lava Cast Forest, the optical illusion of blue waters and white streaks in Crater Lake, the starkly colorful rainbow rises over the devastation of Mt. St. Helens, the moment The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina is imprisoned by rainforest tree roots, the interesting story of the Port Angeles waterfront Rocktopus Sculpture, and its accompanying bronze plaque of charitable organizations.
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