Trip #423 Straka Street, Sheraden, Pittsburgh took place on March 28, 2020, and was published on April 8, 2020.
In Richard Powers’ book The Overstory, two characters spend months sequestered high-atop an endangered Redwood tree while fellow “tree huggers” protest against a lumber company. During the seemingly endless string of days and nights, they discover a self-contained ecosystem that thrives all around them. For these plants, animals, and insects, the Redwood is their world, and it provides everything needed for survival. While my self-distancing practice hasn’t taken me to a tree-top, these days, I do find myself attending to nature as a way to quell my fears about the future. I’ve watched knotweed unfurling from cracks in the sidewalk and stared in awe at forsythia blooms covering deserted hillsides. The birds and insects that have returned to my backyard garden fascinate me to no end. And I can’t seem to get enough of the smells of flowing water, decaying leaves, and damp soil. The “human huggers” of the natural world provide us great comfort if we allow them to.
Field Notes: No railings on this flight – just a stairway path through the woods. It was kind of magical when I visited as the forsythias just started blooming.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
Like watching videos? Check out PCTV21’s 100 Things to Do in Pittsburgh YouTube channel. Hosted by author and journalist Rossilynne Culgan, there’s even an episode where she interviews me about City Steps. When you’re stuck indoors and want to start planning warm-weather excursions, this series will do you right.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling.
