8/28/2010: New Grouse Grind record: 23:48! On 8/24 Sebastian Salas of Vancouver broke Jonathan Wyatt's six-year old record of 24:22 by 34 seconds. Go to the Stair Video page to see the CBC video announcing the new record. Also, remember the Grouse Grind race is 9/19.
8/13/2010: Added our first European stairway: the Muckle Flugga Lighthouse Stairway in the Shetland Islands. This stairway was featured on the PBS show "Islands of Britain: The North" by Martin Clunes. You get extra credit if you climb this one!
8/8/2010: Professor Bob Regan of the University of Pittsburgh is the author of the book "The Steps of Pittsburgh". He recently sent me a list of all of the Pittsburgh stairways with 100 or more steps (stairs). Although he and I have different rules for counting steps I found an additional eight stairways to add to the Pittsburgh map. This makes the Pittsburgh total 117, extending its lead over Los Angeles in second place. Thanks, Bob!
8/6/2010: For those of you who like to do your stairclimbing indoors PJ Glassey recommends the American Lung Association's "Fight for Air Climb", to be held in Bellevue, WA, on October 23. If you want to join a group training for the event contact PJ.
7/26/2010: New Seattle S 8th Ave stairway found by Susan Ott Ralph. Thanks, Susan! Also, see Susan new web site: Seattle Stairs.
7/17/2010: Two new Seattle stairways found by Susan Ott Ralph have been added to the Seattle map. Thanks, Susan!
7/13/2010: Berkeley now has 15 major stairways, courtesy of info provided by the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association.
6/27/2010: To compliment this web site we have now started the Facebook group "Friends of Public Stairs". Join today!
6/9/2010: Added new Seattle stairway (Ferdinand-30th Stairway) found by Susan Ott Ralph. Susan is working on a very interesting project. See the Other Stair Resources page blog section for more details.
6/9/2010: Added 44 new Los Angeles stairways, based on information provided by Bob Inman, author of "A Guide to the Public Stairways of Los Angeles". With a total of 85 Los Angeles now moves into second place for the city with the most number of major public outdoor stairways in the United States, ahead of San Francisco (79) and behind only Pittsburgh (109).
5/31//2010: Added new stairways in Bisbee, AZ, and La Mesa, CA, courtesy of information supplied by Bob Inman. Thanks, Bob!
5/18/2010: The Grouse Grind in North Vancouver, BC, will remain closed until late June due to late spring snow and the need for repair work.
5/5/2010: If you are in Southern California add the Big Parade in Los Angeles on June 12th and 13th (prologue on Friday, June 11) to your calendar. Visit 101 Los Angeles public stairways. Don't miss this great, free event!
5/2/2010: Added the famous Dipsea Stairs in Mill Valley, CA, from info in the June 2010 issue of Runner's World (p. 76), which describes the annual Dipsea Race from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach.
4/14/2010: Jennifer Preston is looking for Sydney, Australia, public stairway info for her PhD on the subject. Contact her directly, and if you know of any Sydney stairway with 100 or more stairs sent the info my way also. Has anyone else written a dissertation on public stairways?
4/12/2010: For Seattle stairway explorers there is a great, new blog: Seattle Stairway Walks, by Jake and Cathy Jaramillo. Check it out!
3/21/2010: I discovered a new stairway in Seattle. Number 67: Spokane Stairway with 106 stairs.
2/25/2010: We now have stair videos, courtesy of PJ Glassey. Check them out on the Stair Videos page.
2/16/201: Another new stairway found by Goran Pocina. This one is in Weehawken, NJ, across the river from New York City. Thanks again, Goran!
1/21/2010: I have added six new stairways in Berkeley, California, courtesy of information provided on the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association web site.
1/18/2010: Through the generosity of Charles Brock (contributor to Adah Bakalinsky's book "Stairway Walks in San Francisco", 6th edition) I have completed adding San Francisco stairways. San Francisco now has 79 documented major stairways. If you are going to visit the San Francisco stairways I highly recommend buying a copy of Bakalinsky's book, as there is a lot of interesting history and other information in the book about the San Francisco stairways and their surrounding neighborhoods.
MORE NEWS: Harvey Lewis has found another Cincinnati stairway and a stairway across the Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky. I also have new stairways to add for Los Angeles, California.
CONTESTS: The Oregon and Washington stair finding contests are over. Congratulations to Pat Morley and Spencer Albin! For details go to the Stair Contest page.
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What U.S. city has the greatest number of documented major outdoor stairways? Which city has the longest (most number of stairs) stairway? Go to the Stairway Records page to find out.
What is a major outdoor public stairway? The simple answer is: It is a set of 100 or more stairs that are outside and open for public use. Go to the Rules page for the complete criteria.
Where can I find major outdoor public stairways? Go to the Map page and check out any of the stair maps. You are welcome to leave your comments about any of the stairways that you visit. Let us know what you think!
What do I do if I find a major outdoor public stairway that is not on a map? Congratulations! You are a stair seeker! Go to the Stair Documentation page for information on how to add your stair information to this web site. Once your stair information is added to the maps you will become an honorary stair seeker and your name will be included on our Stair Seeker page.
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WANTED: Volunteers to document known outdoor public stairways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Mill Valley, and Sausalito, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Cincinnati, OH. Become a stair seeker! Contact Doug Beyerlein for more details.
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The two stair finding contests are finished. Check out the winners on the Contest page. ***
For a little history on how this whole idea got started read my “Seattle Stairs” article, originally published in the June 1999 issue of Northwest Runner magazine.
Now go out and enjoy some stairs!
Doug Beyerlein
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Doug Beyerlein at the bottom of the Howe Stairway, Seattle
Do you have a group or organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting stairways in your community? If so, send me your information and I will post on this web site on our new Stair Community page. Email your info to Doug Beyerlein at beyerlein@clearcreeksolutions.com.
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Look for Friends of Public Stairs 