Posts Tagged ‘Mount Washington’
Diagonal Scuttling – Emerald View Trail 1
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of the scuttling paths which I had been ‘saving,’ throughout the broken ankle nightmare and for future ‘stupid fun,’ played out along the ‘Emerald View Trail’ here in Pittsburgh recently.
This walk started off right here (Google Maps link).
Essentially, this is a wooded and natural surface hiking trail, one which proceeds diagonally down the face of Pittsburgh’s very steep Mount Washington. The path I was taking would carry me in a ‘westerly and ‘down’ direction. If I had to rate this one for difficulty or danger, it would be a 3 out of 10. I wouldn’t recommend walking this pathway if it’s rained, at all, in the previous 48 hours, due to mud.
Ain’t a walk across a bedroom carpet, but it wasn’t exactly a stroll through Ypres either, this scuttle.
The landmark for the trailhead is called ‘Point of View Park,’ and you’ll know you found it when you see a monumental bronze sculpture of George Washington staring down a Seneca Chief called Guyasuta.
Via Google – The bronze landmark on Grandview Avenue in Pittsburgh is titled ‘Point of View.’ and was sculpted by James A. West. The art was installed in 2006, a 750-pound artwork which sits at ‘Point of View Park’ on Mount Washington. It depicts George Washington face-to-face with Seneca leader Guyasuta, looking out over the city’s rivers and Point State Park.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the trailhead, pictured. The elevation at this spot is somewhere’s around 600 feet over the Monongahela River, and its flood plain. In the distance, the waters of the Monongahela are mixing with those of the Allegheny, and forming the headwaters of the Ohio River.
It should be mentioned that the Newtown Pentacle time warp is still in effect, but a bit less severe as I kind of took it easy at the end of July and start of August. The photos were captured on July 14, and these words are being inscribed on August 5. If my scheduling is correct, you’re seeing this at the end of the second week of September.
How’d the near future work out? It looks pretty grim right now…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned, one has been ‘saving’ this one for when my busted ankle had fully healed up. It’s a natural surface, albeit one which has been ‘worked’ by grounds crews. The section with the gravel pictured above soon transmogrifies into a packed down and ‘formed’ soil path.
With palpitant heart, one entered the verge…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Not too bad, huh? It was humid up in there, amongst the trees. Lotsa swarming little bugs buzzing about too.
As I often say: There’s a reason our ancestors paved over everything. Nature wants to digest you.
Problem for me was that at this ‘high summer’ moment which I was walking through here, you couldn’t see much due to all the leafy growth. Time was passed, thereby, shooting pics of the woods while scuttling along.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Here and there, there would be a clearing where a tree went down, and a bit of sunlight would filter through the canopy. There were also a few spots where the trail was at best a couple/three feet across, as it traveled past a steep section of incline, and that was a little worrisome.
Balance issues continue to plague me, a lasting consequence of the ankle situation. Overall, I’m ‘recovered’ at this point, but…
Almost two years out from the injury, I’m still feeling arthritic ‘tightness’ around the joint whenever it’s raining or the sky threatens it, and my ‘proprioception’ of the space that my left foot is physically occupying is almost always ‘off.’ This tends to throw off balance, and is related to the PTSD symptoms I’ve been experiencing around steps and stairs.
Proprioception is one of your senses. It’s your body’s ability to sense its own position and movements in space. Proprioception is a complex automatic process that you can also fine-tune. Many conditions and injuries can affect it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, after about twenty minutes of diagonal dirt walking, a break in the trees allowed for a shot or two of the surroundings. There are a few different paths to explore in this section, which branch off of the main trail. Signage rates these alternate paths by difficulty, and apparently I was walking on the sort of path you’d take a child on.
I imagine that the more difficult ones involve climbing or something else that’s sweat inducing. No bueno.
Back next week with more from the Paris of Appalachia – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Reigning it in, a bit
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
‘Dude, every time you leave the house it doesn’t need to be the Bataan death march…’ that’s what I said to myself in the bathroom mirror on the morning that I set out for this latest scuttle.
One shlepped up a steep hill to the ‘T’ light rail, and headed into Pittsburgh from Dormont, where HQ is found.
The Newtown Pentacle time warp is still very much in effect, and growing more severe. These shots were gathered on the 9th of June, and these words are being written on June 30th. If my scheduling is correct, this will publish during the second week of August.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The T dropped me at the Station Square stop.
You get a free transfer to one of the incline/funiculars here, so I decided to take advantage of that service to get high up, on Mount Washington. It had been a while since I walked the ‘PJ McArdle roadway’ path, so that was my plan for the afternoon.
For the last few months, I’ve been intentionally pushing my limits, as far as endurance and overall length of walking and photo sessions. Big part of how I’ve managed to maintain a month of lead time here.
The busted ankle is still a background character in this story, and whereas I’ve reversed a great deal of the atrophy to muscularity caused by the injury, I’m still living with it and getting used to the aftermath.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Up top, and the scuttle gets started.
The goal for this day was just to kick a bunch of dirt, and not to explore new or novel places. It was about obliging a certain walking speed and maintaining a slightly above average heart rate. One walked a bit more urgently than normal – not ‘maximum boogie’ speed – but a couple of paces faster than my ‘usual.’ Close to 3 mph, as opposed to my more normal 2.3 – 2.6 mph.
It’s all downhill from here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One remains fascinated by that ‘Colors House’ on Cola Street, in the South Side Slopes. At least one of those other homes sitting on the cantilevers near it is an expensive AirBNB. Fun.
The camera was waved around for a minute or two.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot looks along the Monongahela River; with Smithfield Street, Panhandle, Liberty, South Tenth Street, and Birmingham Bridges in view.
In the distance is PITT’s Cathedral of Learning in Oakland, and closer to the POV is the uptown or Bluff neighborhood where Duquesne University is installed. Recent posts have wiggled about in the areas visible in the shot above.
Man… I do get around.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, one reached the pedestrian walkway of the the PJ McArdle roadway itself, a diagonally set double lane street which descends from the prominence of Mount Washington’s ‘Grandview Avenue’ down to the mean streets of the South Side Flats below.
Come with?
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Failure of intent
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Ok, I’ll admit it, I willingly attended a Governmental meeting here in Pittsburgh. I’ve been doing historic research about Pittsburgh, too.
I was talked into it, but there was food laid out for the meeting, so that’s a tax refund – right? It seems that Allegheny County, which is a Governmental layer more or less synonymous with the municipality of Pittsburgh geographically, was publicly releasing an environmental plan that’s been in the works for a few years.
I figured that I’d work a scuttle into the endeavor, and found myself starting said walk at the top of Mount Washington, and specifically use Sycamore Street for the descent. Fun.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This ‘plan’ wasn’t actually much of a plan, it was more of a wishlist visioning document without any mandated deadlines for its recommendations, which didn’t carry a budget along with them. Ambitious plans filled with terminology like ‘decarbonizing’ and ‘human powered’ populated its pages.
A presentation was given, and then attendees were led into a room with the easels and signboards, where people connected to the agency wanted to hear opinions and reactions to the plan. I saw the person who talked me into coming to this event, and made a bee line for her signboard.
I felt that I needed to point out that nobody but nobody is going to replace their gas stove with an electric one without some sort of tax incentive to do so. The expensive nuances of removing a gas system and having an electrician come in to pull new power lines up through the gas pipes isn’t something they thought of, nor is a funded mechanism to handle the tonnages of gas stoves and furnaces which would headed for landfills or recycling.
Also, that when a government says ‘we should do a thing’ without any sort of a timeline included in their statement, that’s just politicians talking about the ‘way things should be,’ and they don’t have any way to pay for this policy position they admire.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hey Now! CSX #104 was crossing underneath me while I was crossing the Smithfield Street Bridge, to get to the County building where the meeting would take place. I should mention something here…
I’ve given up. Nothing matters and nobody cares. The only thing which can stop people from pouring battery acid into water reservoirs is the threat of Police enforcement – and even then – not so much. I honestly believe that the best we can do at this point – environmentally speaking – is to try and manage the ‘new normal.’ It’s too late. We missed the window, as a culture, to do anything about the climate problem.
The County’s plan is solid in its logic. Its mandates are unfunded.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The cost of retrofitting the ‘installed base’ of water heaters, furnaces, stoves and so on is massive. Just doing the government’s buildings represents a price that would double taxes for a decade.
The only way to achieve a changeover to devices fueled alternatively to manufactured gas is to either mandate the replacement and create a tax scheme to forgive and absorb the expense, or to just change the zoning laws for new construction and gradually move over to the newer/‘cleaner’ technologies in the fullness of time as housing stock is demolished and rebuilt over the decades. The latter is the sort of approach that NYC is taking.
NYC is also embracing a farcical rooftop solar agenda, but that’s a different tale.
Suffice to say, I’ve seen a lot of environmental plans presented by lots of very smart people, and it’s ultimately always a wish list or a ‘vision’ plan that you’re consuming. Important to do, mind you, but still just a wishlist.
I wish that I was rich, taller, and better looking. That’s my vision plan.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The catering at the event was very political.
They had gluten free, and vegan, and all the other options which you’d need to have for a public ‘do.’ The food was prepared by a non-profit which specializes in providing the first steps for street people towards having a hirable skill set. Everybody I met was super nice, and friendly. I did my best not to talk to anyone, but that didn’t work as I was approached several times, and once they heard the Brooklyn accent…
I actually had to say it several times: ‘Hi, I’m Mitch Waxman…’ sigh…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I found the whole thing slightly depressing, as I often find such gatherings. They are very happy and peppy in public, however, the political people here in Pittsburgh. Genuinely nice in person.
I walked back across the river and caught a T light rail back towards HQ. Hope that this plan gets funded, and that they figure out a great way to sell it to those who will automatically be hostile to it.
Try this:
Hey, Y’see those people over there… whom you don’t like… well, those other people that are standing behind that curtain over there want to take something away from you, and give it to them. Me? I’m the only one who can stop that… even though I’m actually one of those people behind the curtain… I’m the ‘good one’ who cares about you, your kids, your dog, and Veterans – of course. Vote Quimby.
Back next week with something different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Sycamore Street too
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Well, happy summertime, I guess. The Newtown Pentacle Time Warp (patent pending) is still in effect, as your humble narrator has somehow managed to maintain his ‘good month or so’ of ‘lead time’ on these posts. The photos in today’s post were captured at the very end of April, and the words you’re reading were encoded at the end of May.
In yesterday’s post, the latest scuttle had begun, which saw my horrific countenance appear on Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington. The path for this day started on a particularly steep, and serpentine, street called Sycamore – which I’d only driven upon in the past.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Y’know, if this was NYC, I’d be able to say ‘east,’ ‘west’… all that… and then refer to something about the sun disappearing behind New Jersey. I’m of the opinion that the point of view in the shot above is ‘more or less’ north, but I’m often wrong about things. Ask anyone.
People just love to point out when I’m wrong about something or other. Not in the way I’d hope, where you point out something evidentiary that I missed and I’d offer Mea Culpas while presenting your evidence here in a seperate post. Instead: No. It’s not real, that’s AI. Used to be ‘that’s not real it’s photoshop.’
‘You said ‘such and such’ happened on July 1st, but it was 12:01 am on July 2nd, so thereby you’re wrong about every single assertion you’ve ever offered.’ I’m also a big fan of when somebody decides what my politics must be because I took a picture of a train or something.
Funnily enough, I don’t have any problem with being corrected, as that’s how you learn things that are outside of your experience.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
We seem to be living in a ‘no second chances’ stage of the American culture. The rules of morality shift and change every day, and what was ‘kosher’ last year may be heresy now. There is no room whatsoever for people to evolve, get educated, or earn redemption for past sins. You must be emotionally and politically perfect, from infanthood, and naturally.
If not – deeply problematic – as the Millenials would say.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Sycamore Street’s course consists of a series of switchbacks which carry it from the apex of Mount Washington’s ridge line down to the flood plain of the Monongahela River, coming to ground in the ‘South Side Flats’ zone.
There aren’t any sidewalks on this section, as it’s kind of a narrowed roadway path. What kind of a moron would actually want to walk this way, anyway? Why not just take the incline?
I should mention – It’s bad, between the ears right now.
A humble narrator finds himself existing in a constancy of annoyance. Cortisol levels are high, and internal rage is epic. A constant struggle is under way to ‘just pretend.’ Luckily, when out scuttling, I’m all by myself and don’t have to engage in the fantasy that World War 3 isn’t right around the next corner. Speaking of…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Along the route, elevated trestles carry other roadways.
The one flying through the shot above is called the PJ McArdle roadway, which I’ve walked down several times in the past. There’s a car lot nearby, for a park’s hiking trail I haven’t experienced yet. It’s something which I’ve been holding off doing, due to the lingering annoyances emanating from the orthopedic incident and the fact that it’s ‘natural’ ground.
The broken ankle was a profound injury, actually, which seems to have changed me in weird ways. Beyond the helplessness and crazy amounts of pain experienced during the injury’s immediate aftermath, and the severity of the PTSD symptoms which I’ve been bitching about related to stairs, it’s been a year since I’ve started really moving around again and yet – the recovering joint still offers periodic surprises.
On this day, for instance, a wicked cramp popped up in a calf muscle. Big whup, I know, but this was the kind of cramp you can plainly see playing out under the skin. Looked like a snake was moving around inside my calf! Yikes!
I needed a quick break.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Luckily, some truck based business located mid slope, on a carved out flat lot, seems to have exited the space and their parking pad was available to me for a quick respite. I found a quick ‘sit down’ spot, and rubbed my non camera holding hand upon the limb, until the blood started flowing in a predictable manner again.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Sycamore Street
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Grandview Avenue is a street which rides along the ridge line of Mount Washington here in Pittsburgh, offering visitors paramount points of view over the City. At either end of the landform, tertiary local streets drip down and away from Grandview, providing access to the surrounding hills, flood plains, bridges, tunnels, and the rivers.
This time around, my walk got started about a block back from Grandview Avenue, at one of the local roads ‘up there,’ which is called Shiloh Street. Shiloh, where a BID promotes several tourism focused businesses, leads down to Sycamore Street – which is a very interesting sort of pathway to one such as myself. Gotta stop saying that, as there really isn’t anyone else who is like myself. It’s a curse.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Sycamore Street is pretty steep in this section, and as soon as you leave Shiloh Street it transmogrifies from commercial to residential zoning.
Space is tight up here on Mount Washington, and the multi story buildings are practically built on top of each other, with only narrow alleys or driveways between them.
Behind me is a long residential section of Sycamore Street, but the section I was walking on this particular day is the fun part. To me, at least.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At Sycamore’s intersection with Wyoming Street, there’s a large undeveloped lot. I’ve driven by this lot several times and have always wondered what was going on there. As it turns out, not too much.
I’m unclear as to what’s going on here. I’ve seen online speculation that some big real estate development deal fell through, or something like that. It doesn’t seem abandoned, this property. Somebody mows the grass here, I’d point out. There aren’t middens of garbage, or illegal dumping.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s the remains of a public street there, pictured above, dubbed Vinecliffe Street. Notice the strip of sidewalk pavement, and the metal bannisters, on the right. One kicked his feet about, looking to see if there might be an interesting point of view, but when there was one it was largely obscured by the bush and I couldn’t justify getting closer due to my whole ‘I don’t want to fall off a cliff’ thing. That would be embarrassing.
Something used to be here, as there were large blocks of concrete and the remains of a few retaining walls spotted here and there. Additionally, there are the demapped streets like Vinecliffe.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That was the best view I could find, above. The bridge at the bottom of the shot is the Smithfield Street Bridge, spanning the Monongahela River between the ‘South Side Flats’ and ‘Downtown Pittsburgh.’
Not that anyone would really care other than me, but I was likely trespassing, so a heel spin was executed and I headed back over to the particular pathway which was my day’s early focus.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Steep, it’s steep I tell you… steep.
Back tomorrow with more.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 