In 2021, photographer John Abramson ventured across all 71 miles of the Canal on behalf of the Conservancy to capture the stories and faces of those who love the old Canal. We are pleased to share some of these stories with you.

Many members of the “Walking Group” were friends even before the group began. We volunteered together at our children’s schools and for other nonprofits during the late 1970s and 1980s. Sometimes we walked together in twos or threes, not always on the High Line Canal, leaving very early in the morning so our husbands could be home with the kids.

The Walking Group began in its current form in 1991 with daily walks on the Canal early every weekday morning. Established originally by Kaye and Janet, we added friends over time until we reached 23 women committed to walking regularly, some showing up faithfully five days each week and others less often. Most lived near our meeting place – the parking lot near the bridge at Quincy and Dahlia. We usually walked to Belleview and back, a little short of three miles, but sometimes we added the extra distance to Quincy. The High Line is easily accessible and has provided a place to get away and even find some solitude in the middle of the city. We’ve even celebrated a surprise birthday breakfast at a bridge with frittatas and other treats.

In addition to enjoying the natural beauty of the High Line Canal and the ever-changing seasons and getting our daily exercise, we’ve shared our joys and sorrows with each step of the way. Our children have grown up, married and had families of their own. We’ve battled serious illnesses and those of close family members. Some of us have lost spouses to divorce or death, and we lost two members in 2014 and 2017.

Through it all, our friendships have deepened, and the bond has grown stronger, supporting each other through the passages of life. “What’s said on the Canal, stays on the Canal,” and we respect the confidentiality of what has been shared among us. In addition to our walks, we have developed other traditions over the years, such as:

• Celebrating birthdays with flowers and cards, each member bringing a flower or two to make incredible arrangements for the “birthday girl”
• Commemorating milestone birthdays with special gifts, like a silver charm bracelet with charms especially selected for each Walking Group member
• Honoring first-time grandmothers with a “Grandmother’s Book Shower” when a member has her first grandchild
• Taking wonderful group trips to places near and far – Maine, Hawaii, Charleston and the Aspen Music Festival, to name a few
• Gathering for book discussions
• Holding Christmas ornament/gift exchanges and including mothers, daughters and granddaughters in the festivity

Over the years, the group has changed. Although 30 years ago, we began as a group of friends who lived near each other and to the High Line Canal, many members have moved to new homes farther away from our meeting place. For those of us who still walk regularly, our walking pace has slowed a little, but we still try to get our heart rate up. For all of us, the bonds of our friendships remain as strong as ever. Our Mile Marker, mile 28, says it all – “The Walking Group: Friendships on the High Line.”