Turn right on Mission St. and continue east across the bridge built in 1939 as a project of the Public Works Administration under FDR. After the bridge is the Mission Pumping Station circa 1900, which delivers water into the neighborhood and adjacent areas. The water pressure coming out of this building is so high that many residents on the adjacent streets have two water pressure reduction valves to prevent their water lines from blowing out. Walk across the second bridge to Sterling Street and former St. Josaphat Chapel. Please turn to the Black Route narrative for directions.
StepTrek Route: Gold Route 2023
Gold/West Route 2023
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Mission St.
Make right. From here, trekkers have the option of returning to the registration area or joining the Black Route. To join the Black Route, see entry #43. To return to the registration area, descend the 102 steps behind the bus shelter to South Side Park. Follow the walk at the bottom of the steps to the paved street, which is 21st Street. Turn left and descend the gentle grade to the registration area on the right.
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S. 18th St.
Cross to opposite side and make left. Keep to the right and follow the broad sidewalk past the metal railing to Mission St. Here and elsewhere along S. 18th St., the street signals and adjacent sidewalks are being upgraded. Descend to stop light and Mission St.
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St. Leo St.
Turn right and continue past narrow, century-old brick homes to where street meets Crossman St.
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Roscoe St.
At bottom of steps, cross lane and make right on Roscoe St. Ascend 9 steps on left side. Continue past Crossman St. to St. Leo St. Notice the tight yards on the right.
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Oporto St. Steps
Make right and descend 10 steps. Turn right again and drop down 115 steps to Roscoe St. To the right of the steps was the site of the Sankey brick yard that was active in the Slopes until the 1950s. Many a yard in the slopes has a stash of Sankey bricks buried under the soil.
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Oporto St.
It’s a steep drop to S. 18th St. below. A landslide in spring 2021 had closed this section of Oporto. The neighborhood is in a constant negotiation with the city to maintain the infrastructure of its hillside community. Take left and walk to Baldauf St. and Oporto St. Steps.
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Shamokin St.
Here you’ll find a water stop. When ready, make a left. Between homes on the left are views of Uptown, Birmingham Bridge and Oakland. Continue to Oporto St.
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* Billy Buck Hill
Founded by Germans, its homes – like many on the South Side – have passed through generations of families. The name Billy Buck comes from goats once kept in the yard of a local store. Bordered by cliffs and rugged terrain, the area is accessible by steps and a single street. According to the Post-Gazette, there have been a couple of famous mishaps here. Once a milk truck flipped over while making deliveries on its hilly streets. Another time, a horse and wagon, hauling waste from neighborhood outhouses, tumbled over the hillside.
