The John Shinnick 84 Street, 10 Path Pledge
August 18, 2018
I originally guessed twelve to fifteen walks would complete this project, but it’s now looking like nine or even eight will do it. It isn’t that I overestimated the length, but rather that I underestimated my energy. I originally figured an hour to an hour and a half per walk, but I’m doing more. Today’s was about two hours and fifteen minutes.
Again, it was a beautiful day, though I was happy I went to short sleeves. Checking my map I decided to handle the middle part of Alta Kensington, which has a natural break with the northern portion of the eastern half of the town, with no roads connecting them east of Arlington.
I drove out to the library at the corner of Arlington and Kensington Park Rd., and immediately misread the map! I started north on Arlington expecting to find Kensington Park, but instead found Arlmont. Still, this would help in the next walk. I went back to Kensington Park Rd. and turned left. I immediately had another map problem. Kensington Park Rd. split, which didn’t show on the map, and there was no sign! The left fork followed the direction of the map better, but had the drawback of having vertical posts blocking the way. I took the right fork, which turned out to be a parking lot for what I figured to be Kensington Park. Though closed off by the posts, this turned out to be the correct route. Go figure.
Coming to the top end of Kensington Park Rd. I found yet another problem with the map: it showed a small dead end portion of Highland Blvd. to my left, but it looked like the school parking lot to me. True to my quest, and given its short length, I took it until I got to the school itself before returning to the intersection and continuing on Highland to its end at Willamette Ave. I was to find out later that this didn’t finish Highland, since it picks up again to the north of today’s walk.
I turned left on Willamette Ave., ignoring its short length to my right. I’d have to retrace everything to this point anyway. Willamette ended at Purdue, which I’d finished to this point from the south on the previous walk, so I turned left, for what turned out to be the highlights of this walk. I got to Garden Dr. and met a lady walking her curious dog. As I was passing her, she asked if I would pet her pet so she could get on with her own walk! It turned out that she lived on Camelot Ct., near my own house. I told her I knew where that was because of my project.
She asked if I liked dogs as much as dogs seemed to like me. I told her I’d love to have one if I wouldn’t have to leave it alone so much. We also had a laugh about the signs along this segment of Purdue.
I turned left on Garden continuing to its dead end and on the way back had to admire some unexpected spectacular bay views. Returning to Purdue I turned left and got to Dewey Rd. where another dog walker assured me that my map was right. It looked like Dewey actually crossed Purdue, but the stretch to the right was just a high-class driveway. I turned left to Dewey’s dead end and returned to Purdue and, turning left took it to its end. The map shows the end as a short hook, but at the end of that is a very short stretch that doesn’t appear on the map and may have technically been a driveway for four houses. True to my mission, I followed it before turning back, retracing my way all the way to Willamette and Highland where I stayed on Willamette to its end at Kenyon.
Can you blame me? The left fork had posts and couldn't be Kensington Park Blvd. In the end, it was. Two of the middle posts are easily removed. The right fork turned out to be the wrong fork.
I turned right on Kenyon and walked to where Westminster Ave. intersects to the left, and the unmarked Westminster Path goes to the right. I took the path, expecting to retrace is back down the rather steep hill. I found it so steep that when I got to its Highland end I chose to re-retrace that last segment of Highland, Westminster, and Kenyon! I continued on Kenyon this time to its end at the intersection of Highland.
Turning back, I got to Westminster Ave. and turned right. I walked down half its length to Windsor Ave., which crosses it. I took the right turn to its end and came back to Westminster Ave. turning right, following it to its end at Arlington. I turned and trudged back uphill to the first of three streets on the right side that the automobile map showed as dead ends, but which the path map showed my final path intersecting at their ends. I met another nice couple with their dog and had a short conversation mostly about Kensington paths. I then turned right onto York Ave. hoping to find an accessible Willamette Path at the end. I did.
Willamette is easily the longest of Kensington’s paths, having four segments. I took the second segment up to the southern dead end of Windsor, taking it back to Westminster finishing its length. A right on Westminster took me quickly to St. Albans Rd. I turned right to its end. I still had two uncovered segments of Willamette Path, so I turned left, heading uphill to its east end at Kenyon. I then turned around and took in the whole length of the path to Arlington. Each segment turned out to be different, from narrow dirt trail at the top to wooden stairs to bark ground cover to concrete stairs. I was glad I wouldn’t take its length uphill!
I made a left on Arlington a short distance back to Wellesley to meet with my previous northern point on that Avenue, then returned north to the library and my car. I never realized how uphill this stretch of road was. Between that, the heat, and two hours of walking already completed, it made for a difficult finish. At one point I stumbled and, though I kept my balance, my camera popped out of my pocket. It seems to have survived the ordeal. I returned home, drenched in sweat and ready for a relaxing evening.
Completed:
Kensington Park Rd.
Garden Dr.
Dewey Rd.
Purdue Ave.
Willamette Ave.
Westminster Path
Kenyon Ave.
Westminster Ave.
York Ave.
Windsor Ave.
St. Albans Rd.
Willamette Path
Started:
Highland Blvd.
Added to:
Arlington Ave.
The YIMBY Project
The beautiful overlook to the Bay from Garden View. I never get my camera at the right angle!
Someone created this on the road from which I took the overlook picture
The entry to the last part of Purdue didn't look inviting. First question? Who do I see to become "authorized?" This is why it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. I wound up doing neither.
But not all signs were so uninviting. This was only a few yards beyond the other, less friendly sign.
I don't know who Shaner might be. Somehow I don't think the U.S. Geological Survey put this sign on Purdue!
The view from Kenyon Ave. down Willamette Path, the most difficult of its four segmants only because it's narrow. A little trimming on the right and it would be fine!