Hike towards Red Hill Valley

For some weird reason, I almost never head out towards the east end of town. Given all the great places to explore just on this end, I just never get out that way. There is a rail trail that I have walked at night a bunch of times out there. Last Sunday was the most spectacular day imaginable and I really needed to get out and go wandering. So, off to the much neglected eastern part of town it was.

Looking back the way I had come, at Wentworth Street.

Freaky place to cross since cars come whipping down the mountain and race around the corner.

The dreaded Wentworth Stairs. (A view from above.{You can also scroll across to the right to see the whole route I followed.})

498 steps.

Looking east.

Looking west.

Looking east.

Not sure what purpose this chimney served. Something to do with the railway I guess.

The terrain once you step off the trail. The area that skirts the rail trail is surprisingly large.

Looking east. Despite it being a spectacular day, very few people passed me by. A bunch of cyclists, one other hiker, ie, he had a big pack on, but other than maybe two or three dozen people, that was it. But I’ll bet the malls were packed.

The brickworks along Lawrence Road.

The old railway bridge crossing the Kenilworth Access.

Looking west, back towards the bridge.

Looking east.

Stairs at Margate Avenue.

A bit further on from these very official, well engineered stairs, is a set of set of stairs I’ve known about for a while, Uli’s Stairs. I was under the impression that they had been around for decades, since the 20’s or 30’s. But no, I got to meet the builder and found out that they had been completed in 07.

Built entirely by hand by one man out of 305 stone slabs. And no that guy sitting there didn’t build them. ;-)

The steps leading down the Rail Trail to Greenhill Avenue.

Hand rail detail.

Hand rail detail.

The steps leading up from the Rail Trail to Mountain Brow Blvd. & Fennell Ave E.

Looking back down the steps. It’s fair to say these steps are a bit of a challenge to climb.

I could hear a bucket banging around up ahead and it was Uli tending to the flower beds he thoughtfully built into the stairs. 

And there he is. Had a nice chat with him. His name is Ulrich and he owned a steel company. I gather he found retirement rather dull, so for excitement he built some stairs. Took him about 4 to 5 years, an hour or two here, an hour here.

I found going up them a little hairy, but the old fella just gambols up and down them like a mountain goat.

The view at the top.

There is also a big sign at the top stating that the city is not responsible for these stairs, and actively discouraging people from using them at all.

From there I continued on along Mountain Brow Blvd. (I think I know where I want to buy a house when my career as a rock star takes off.) 

 Looking out across the Red Hill Valley to the Niagara Escarpment on the other side.

Watched raptors swooping along the currents, some of them whipping past at eye level, but they were always ahead of me, and by the time I got to the spots they had been, they had moved further along.

Did meet a totally friendly cat resting in the shade.

Cute little critter.

Looking out across east Hamilton, with Lake Ontario in the distance.

The view from Mountain Drive Park with Gage Park down on the right.

Looking out from the Juravinski Cancer Centre.

Nice day, nice hike.