Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Hills of San Francisco - Mint Hill

Name: Mint Hill
Neighborhood: Duboce Triangle/Lower Haight 
Elevation: 150 feet

The history of Mint Hill is the history of the San Francisco Mint...or mints...there have been three in San Francisco so far, the last of which is the one on Mint Hill.

The need for a mint in San Francisco came about due to the Gold Rush. At the time, there was so much gold flowing through the city that President James Polk asked Congress to allow for a new Mint to be built in the city, so that gold from California would no longer have to be sent to Philadelphia or New Orleans to be turned into coins.

Congress voted for the creation of the new mint in 1852, and it was opened in 1854. The coins all bore the letter "S" for San Francisco. The mint remained in operation for just 20 years and was replaced wiht a second one in 1874.

Then the second mint was then deemed too small in the 1930s, so a third mint was built in 1937 on a hilltop that's now called Mint Hill. This third mint closed down in 1955. It was opened again in 1965 when the US was experiencing a coin shortage. 

Today, the San Francisco Mint no longer create coins for general circulation. It's still used, however, for printing proof coins, including regular proof coins and silver proof coins. The mint is closed to the public as all of its floor space is dedicated to printing coins.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Four Quick Steps For Identifying Poison Oak

It's that time of year again, and poison oak leaves are sprouting out all over the Bay Area. Getting poison oak is no fun, so if you don't know what poison oak looks like, today is your day to learn! 

Poison oak, you say...
So first, why is poison oak so poisonous? It's not that it's actually poisonous, but it does contain urushiol, an oil that can irritate the skin, causing rashes or blisters. The frustrating thing about poison oak (well, one of many frustrating things) is that it's hard to know immediately if you've had contact with the plant. It normally takes 24-36 hours for any skin irritation to appear.

You can download this comprehensive PDF on poison oak identification here: The Sure-Fire Poison Oak Poison Ivy Identification System, but my quick 4 step system below has worked for me for avoiding poison oak so far. Remember, I am not a medical professional. This is not medical advice. :)

The four-step system

Step 1: Listen to the old adage, "Leaves of three, let it be." Poison oak has clusters of three leaves on the entire plant. While many plants have clusters of three leaves, poison oak always does. 

Step 2: Shiny leaves. Poison oak leaves aren't always shiny, but they can be. They can red red and shiny, green and shiny, or not very shiny at all.

Step 3: To distinguish poison oak from other plants with clusters of three leaves (like blackberry), remember that poison oak leaves have smooth, rounded edges, rather than jagged ones.

Step 4: Poison oak has smooth branches with no thorns. If you're looking at a plant with thorns, it's definitely not poison oak.

While just one of these steps can't help you decide whether a plant is poison oak, combining all four steps together can get you well on your way to preventing a very un-fun rash.

So what if you've been exposed? 
On official trails, you are unlikely to come into direct contact with poison oak. If you think you have been exposed, wash your clothes and your skin as soon as you can. Products like Tecnu are also handy to have around as they can remove poison oak oil from your skin. 

Stay safe out there, urban hikers! Now you can impress others with your poison oak identifying skills.