Berkeley’s paths and stairways take walkers along some of the city’s prettiest neighborhoods and streets. But there’s one that might well surpass all the others in terms of history and architectural interest: If you’re looking for a path to share with visitors to demonstrate the richness of Berkeley’s culture, look no further than Rose Walk.
Indian Rock is one of many volcanic rhyolite rock outcroppings found across the Bay Area that are estimated to have occurred between nine and eleven million years ago. Anyone who has climbed the steep steps in its face has also seen the depressions of mortar holes still evident here, especially in the aptly named Mortar Rock, where the Ohlone people used the bedrock as a grinding surface for food and medicine.
BPWA welcomes two new board members: Nancy Graham, treasurer, and Jen English, walks co-coordinator. Three days a week Nancy, her husband, and dog, Dinky, get their aerobic exercise by walking uphill and hitting as many paths as possible. Jen joined the board in 2008 for her first term. Jen’s also been learning the ropes of emergency response, taking community emergency management (CERT) courses and other preparedness training and is excited to be involved with BPWA again because Berkeley's public paths and stairways are a key component of the city's emergency response network.
Saturday, September 21, 2024 offered a beautiful “Second Summer” day as about 40 people gathered to attend the annual meeting of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association at Live Oak Park. The event followed a well-attended morning Path-a-thon.
With the recent uptick in pedestrians and bikers being hit by cars, we’d like to remind everyone to be as safe as possible while walking in Berkeley. Drivers are more distracted than ever so walkers need to be proactively defensive pedestrians. This time of year with shorter hours of daylight presents additional risks.
Whether it’s by donating, volunteering on path maintenance days, or cheering us on social media, your support for the paths continues to sustain us. If you value the paths as a local source of inspiration and restoration during these times, I hope you will support our group’s work into the new year and beyond.
Berkeley Path Wanderers Association’s intrepid team of path builders is putting the finishing touches on Hilgard Path, a dirt path winding through oaks and redwoods in the North Berkeley Hills between two historic, landmarked homes.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a junior at College-Prep, the same school that Jacob, a previous board member, went to.
How did you become interested in Berkeley's paths?
A few years ago I started taking walks throughout the Berkeley hills, trying to find all the different hidden paths. A friend of mine told me about BPWA and it sounded just like what I'd been interested in exploring.
What do you hope to achieve as a BPWA board member?
I am really excited to join the board and work on making the Berkeley paths even better and learning more about them!
In the photo above, Petra takes a break from walking Angel, Honey, and Piper at Pt. Isabel.
