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Pedestrians and a car make their way up Valparaiso Hill, where a roadside memorial has been set up in remembrance of a teenager who died from injuries in a car crash at the location in January. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
Menlo Park s Valparaiso Hill is notoriously treacherous. Nicknamed Valpo Hill, the 0.2-mile stretch of curved road between Hallmark Circle at the top and Altschul Avenue at the bottom in the city s Sharon Heights neighborhood is steep.
One very rough calculation put the hill at about a 14% grade – one reason it draws walkers seeking a cardio workout going up and skateboarders seeking a stomach-dropping thrill coming down.