Now a freshman at Williams College, Jacob Lehmann Duke enjoys wandering the nearby trails around Williamstown, Mass.
When 14-year-old Jacob Lehmann Duke joined the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association board in 2016, he was our youngest member ever — by decades. He and his friend Aviva Gerwein were, by then, famous among local path lovers following their epic, awe-inspiring, 36-mile, 13-hour marathon walk in 2014 that had covered every Berkeley path.
Ever since, Jacob has been a stellar board member, bringing his bountiful energy and youthful enthusiasm to everything he did. Jacob came up with two great new path-oriented activities: the all-the-paths-in-one-day walk (broken into segments) and the Paths and Parks Challenge. Plus, our handrail corridor was his idea!
Jacob also has been a terrific walks co-chair for the last 4 years, always well organized and professional. And he often brought his wonderful family along: Jacob’s mother Sophia served on the board for several years with him, and his father and sister came to most of our events and led or co-led walks.
This year, Jacob and Aviva donated their terrific book, Step It Up, to BPWA. It contains 40 original walk routes throughout Berkeley, which you can find on our website.
Now a freshman at Williams College, Jacob has been exploring the hiking trails around Williamstown, Mass., including the Appalachian Trail. We asked him 7 parting questions:
BPWA: When/how did you first become aware of Berkeley’s paths?
Jacob: I live a half block from a path, so I’ve always known they existed, but I first became aware of how extensive the path network is in 5th grade after my parents bought me a copy of the BPWA map to aid in explorations of the North Berkeley hills. By the end of that year, I had walked every path, methodically checking each off from the list in the corner of the map, and I’ve been an avid path wanderer ever since.
BPWA: How did you get involved with BPWA?
Jacob: When I was 11, a friend and I walked every path in Berkeley in one day, a 36-mile adventure that neither of us entirely expected to complete successfully. We emailed the Berkeley Path Wanderers about the accomplishment, and were delighted to get a response inviting us to lead a series of walks for them. I’ve led or co-led about 20 walks since then, and in 2016 BPWA decided to lift their unofficial age limit and let me join the board as walk coordinator, which has been my role these last 4 years.
BPWA: What is your favorite path, and why?
Jacob: I have a lot of favorites, including Indian Trail, Atlas Path, and Acacia Walk, but Lower Covert has always topped my personal list. I love the little stream crossing in the middle and the redwood trees the path climbs through. It’s a few blocks from busy streets and major intersections, but it feels totally removed from the bustle of the city and provides a lovely escape into the woods while being a short walk from home.
BPWA: Which path(s) do you like to show visitors from out of town?
Jacob: It depends on the visitors of course and how much time and stair-climbing inclination they have, but one favorite loop of mine goes up Oak St. Path and Redwood Terrace, takes Northgate, Glendale, and Atlas paths to the Selby Trail, descends via the Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail, and returns across town on streets. The loop has a bit of everything: good views, steep climbs, nice paths, trail walking, etc, and it ends with passing the Campanile and various Gourmet Ghetto restaurants, which are fun stops for visitors as well.
BPWA: What is your proudest accomplishment as a board member?
Jacob: I proposed the idea of a handrail corridor, so it was really terrific to see that idea actually implemented. BPWA funded handrails on Upper Covert, Whitaker, and Ina Coolbrith Paths, completing a route that connects Euclid and Grizzly Peak entirely via paths with handrails. It’s useful both for increasing accessibility to the paths and for improving path safety in case of emergency evacuations. It’s very gratifying to see the progress on handrails and know we are facilitating increased use and enjoyment of the path network.
BPWA: What have you enjoyed most about being a board member?
Jacob: I like seeing the inner workings of the organization and getting to be involved in the decision-making processes, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to be a part of the path-wandering community. The board is full of terrific people and the guided walks are as well, and I’ve heard lots of great stories and learned tons of interesting bits of local trivia and history from my fellow walkers.
BPWA: If you could have one wish come true for the paths, what would it be?
Jacob: Right now my wish is that it be safe to walk in large groups on paths again. Longer term, I’d wish for increased awareness about how easy it is to access nature from home. Too often, people feel the need to get in a car and drive to the start of hikes, and the paths provide a far more fuel-efficient alternative that allows equally easy access to some of the best trails and longer hikes the East Bay has to offer.