The John Shinnick 84 Street, 10 Path Pledge
August 13, 2018
I knew this piece would be a topological nightmare. I wanted to get started on the next leg of my project, the southwest portion of Alta Kensington. My printer wasn’t working, so I had to draw my own map, which actually served me well once I remembered to add paths to it. I mapped out a tentative route, which was promptly abandoned. Though only a quarter mile or so away, I drove to the Ace Hardware at the corner of Amherst and Arlington.
I started by dutifully walking the few feet from the parking lot to Arlington to be sure I got all of Amherst, then headed back the other direction. Very soon I got to Princeton Ave. There was a note on the KensingtonPaths.Org website that paths 7 (Princeton) and 10 (Upper Beloit) were closed. If Marchant Path (see the August 5 walk) was open, these must be in real bad shape. I descended a few yards to see the remainder closed off, so I continued on Amherst until it ran into Oberlin where I turned left onto Arlington to a) do another segment of that street and b) find the other end of Princeton Path. I succeeded in both, and then retraced Arlington turning right on Wellesley Ave.
And I thought Berkeley Park Blvd. was steep! I walked the length of Wellesley to where it met Kenyon. I turned left going only to Willamette. This was a minor mistake. My hand-drawn map (my printer wasn’t working) made it look like a dead end, but no. No harm done. I also found the east end of Willamette Path. That would be another day. I retraced Kenyon to Wellesley and Wellesley to Cambridge Ave. where I turned left. When I got to where it intersected Beloit Ave. I noticed from my map that the east end of Beloit Path should be there. There was no sign but I ran into two ladies who pointed it out. But that was for later. I continued on Cambridge to its end at Yale.
To my left, Yale had an uphill dead end, so I took it and then went back down until I got to Stanford. That was just to be sure I got all of Yale by the end of the day. I turned around and quickly turned right on Vassar, leaving Kensington. I expected this to be a short walk in Berkeley, but the street I expected to turn right on never materialized! I found myself turning right on Kentucky, then on Maryland. I thought I was lost but suddenly I recognized my piano teacher’s house! Another few yards and I found myself turning left on Rugby, reentering Kensington.
When you think you're lost, there's nothing like a familiar landmark, In this case, though not in Kensington, my piano teacher's house looked way familiar. It turned out the street I was looking for dead ends instead of going through.
Rugby ends at Yale where I turned right, taking in another few feet of Yale to Stanford where I turned left. About halfway along Stanford, I found Beloit Path. For some reason there are two Beloit Paths, this one is Path 9 on the map. It crosses Stanford, itself thus having an upper and lower half, much like Ardmore Path crosses Ardmore Rd. I chose to turn right, heading up what turned out to be 89 steps to Cambridge, where I’d met the two ladies. Fortunately the path, though having no sign, is well maintained. I returned to find the lower half descend 166 steps. Yes, I counted ‘em! 255 steps in all, and I did all of them both ways! My walk up Wellesley had only been a warm-up!
I then continued on Stanford to its end at Wellesley. Here I turned around and went just a short distance before turning right on Oberlin. I walked down to Amherst to finish Oberlin, and then backtracked to Yale, turning right. I followed Yale, turning right on Princeton Ave., walking its short length to its intersection with Amherst. I then turned around and headed back to Yale, finishing it at Rugby. I turned around to retrace Yale until turning left on Yale Circle, a short cul-de-sac. Why this is a “circle” when the others are “courts” I don’t really know. I paused at the end to look between two houses and see the fog coming in.
I was exhausted. I had about a quarter of a mile walk to get to my car, which had me again walk Princeton Ave. My earlier trip was unnecessary, and in the course of the day I’d walked its length three times. Oops. As for Princeton Path, I’m giving myself a pass.
Completed:
Amherst Ave.
Wellesley Ave.
Cambridge Ave
Vassar Ave.
Rugby Ave.
Beloit Path 1
Stanford Ave.
Oberlin Ave.
Princeton Ave.
Yale Ave.
Yale Circle
Started:
Kenyon Ave.
Added to:
Arlington Ave.
The YIMBY Project
The view from Yale Circle. Where's my sunset?
What appears to be the east (uphill) end of Princeton Path at the intersection of Amherst Ave. and Princeton Ave. Although I walked Princeton Ave. three times, the path wasn't available. The barbed wire fence can't be seen from here.
The west (downhill) end of Princeton Path, at least I think it is. Perhaps there were stairs where the alcove is. I'm guessing Princeton Path is no more.
Beloit Path 1. Though well maintained, the 255 steps were a challenge. This is looking up from Stanford Ave. About half way down the lower half, some kind soul installed a bench. I'd have taken a picture of it but I was too busy sitting on it.