Upton Lane, BEFORE sweeping by John Ford
It took falling down twice on Upton Lane — once on wet leaves and another on dry — for John Ford to choose the path for adoption.
“I was looking for a path to adopt. I thought about some of the longer ones, but I didn’t want to get into construction,” says Ford, a board member of Berkeley Path Wanderers Association. “But I can sweep pretty well.”
Ford brings his broom to Upton Lane, a short path between San Diego and San Luis roads next to John Hinkel Park, every month. The path starts with a gentle incline then 3 sets of concrete stairs to the top. Eucalyptus and bay laurel trees lining the path drop lots of debris on the stairs.
Upton Lane, AFTER sweeping by John Ford
“After the recent storm, quite a bit of dirt and rocks had washed onto the path,” says Ford, who coordinates walks for BPWA. “It takes me 2 to 3 hours to do a complete cleaning.”
Path wanderers often eagerly express their gratitude. “People who come down the path while I’m cleaning generally say thank you,” Ford says, “and some of them are more effusive than that.”
Path walker
Upton Lane is on one of Ford’s regular walking routes up through the hills. The retired (recovering, he quips) attorney, who lives near Oxford and Vine streets, goes on 10- to 12-mile walks up into the hills 3 or 4 times a week, mostly taking paths.
“I prefer not to have to drive anywhere to go for a walk,” Ford says.
These regular forays along the paths led Ford to join the BPWA board, and to adopt Upton Lane.
“One wants to support this wonderful resource,” Ford says. “I encourage anyone to adopt a path. There are a lot of paths that could do with sweeping. I wish more people would do it.”
While many of his walks are solo, Ford hosts a small, informal walking group on Wednesdays. The group often visits East Bay Regional Parks such as Chabot, Redwood, Briones, and Tilden, in addition to long walks via Berkeley’s paths.
“I love taking people on path walks,” Ford says. “I have three rules for my walks: look both ways before crossing the street, don’t leave anyone behind, and don’t talk about politics — you might trip.”