History of the unbuilt Piute Pass Highway, Fresno to Bishop

Started by Kniwt, September 14, 2017, 09:26:25 PM

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Kniwt

While reading back issues of California Highways (don't judge), I came across a report on a scouting party in preparation for building the Piute Pass Highway, which was essentially an extension of Kaiser Pass Road over the summit (11,423 feet) and down to Bishop.

A little searching led me to this, a 2015 six-page report from the U.S. Forest Service (pdf) that gives a detailed history of the highway and the various attempts to get it built over the years:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd499744.pdf

QuoteEarly California motor enthusiasts and business interests had plans to continue the road, up the South Fork of the San Joaquin River, along Piute Creek, and over 11,423' Piute Pass to the east slope of the Sierras and to the town of Bishop. This would be the High Sierra Piute Highway, a trans-Sierran road that would allow travelers to easily cross the Sierras, experience some country that was compared to the Swiss Alps, and boost the economies of Fresno and Inyo Counties. The highway was an idea that flourished briefly, and then withered, leaving the Sierran wilderness between Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks unmarred by concrete, asphalt, and motorized vehicles.



Max Rockatansky

Interesting to see that a lot of what I speculated on CA 168 and Kaiser Pass Road actually turned out to really true:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=20792.0

Really I thought that was an interesting read.  CA 203 kind of had similar ideas bandied about in regards to getting a highway up the San Joaquin River across the Sierras.  I don't think Piute Pass would have even been an idea at all without all that infrastructure built up there, that must have been a hellish trip on Kaiser Pass road in the 1920s.


sparker

Obviously some parties in the old Division of Highways took the Piute(sic) Pass concept seriously enough; the "stub end" segment of current CA 168 west of Bishop attests to that.  But a pass at 11,400 ft.+ would be by far the highest-elevation cross-Sierra facility on the state network, rivaling the many 11K+ passes in Colorado -- and would probably also have the longest winter closure as well!  Not surprising it was considered and then discarded; the maintenance costs would be prohibitive -- particularly for a road likely open barely 5-6 months per year (CA doesn't attempt to keep passes open like CO does -- likely due to lack of perceived necessity). 

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: sparker on September 15, 2017, 12:32:14 PM
Obviously some parties in the old Division of Highways took the Piute(sic) Pass concept seriously enough; the "stub end" segment of current CA 168 west of Bishop attests to that.  But a pass at 11,400 ft.+ would be by far the highest-elevation cross-Sierra facility on the state network, rivaling the many 11K+ passes in Colorado -- and would probably also have the longest winter closure as well!  Not surprising it was considered and then discarded; the maintenance costs would be prohibitive -- particularly for a road likely open barely 5-6 months per year (CA doesn't attempt to keep passes open like CO does -- likely due to lack of perceived necessity).

That coupled with the Sierras get way more snow fall than the Rockies do.   I've been on US 6 to the Loveland Pass Ski Area many times in the winter and there were times when the roadway was perfectly clear.  It's hard to get over even Donner Summit without some kind of chain requirement in the winter here.

kkt

Yes, keeping such a high road open would be a big expense.  Even if they followed the usual California practice of closing it in the fall at the first big snowfall, in the spring in order to open it they need to plow.  Then they discover potholes and landslides and spend the 3-4 months the road is open trying to get it all fixed.

I've been backpacking in the Evolution Basin.  I'm glad they didn't build a road across the pass.  There are quite a few Sierra passes that have roads, and not that many large roadless areas.


Max Rockatansky

Quote from: kkt on September 15, 2017, 02:31:41 PM
Yes, keeping such a high road open would be a big expense.  Even if they followed the usual California practice of closing it in the fall at the first big snowfall, in the spring in order to open it they need to plow.  Then they discover potholes and landslides and spend the 3-4 months the road is open trying to get it all fixed.

I've been backpacking in the Evolution Basin.  I'm glad they didn't build a road across the pass.  There are quite a few Sierra passes that have roads, and not that many large roadless areas.

Really realistically there was never going to be a highway above 10,000 feet in this state.  The only reason the really high passes like Tioga, Sonora, and Ebbetts Pass got built up at all was that they were established routes either for wagons or mines.  As far as I know Sherman Pass was the only completely new avenue of travel over the Sierras and it was the Forest Service that built it up. 

I think that really only leaves 180 as the only route we really haven't ever found the full story on in regards to "would be" trans-Sierran routes.  Really though I think that has a pretty simple explanation with General Grant National Park becoming Kings Canyon National Park which led to all the land in Cedar Grove being annexed.  Supposedly the implied routing for 180 would have been take Onion Valley Road to come out of the Sierras....that would have been a wild ride for sure!

Speaking of wild rides, I would love to see how the Division of Highways would have tackled something like Kaiser Pass Road.  I think it would have to the roadway would have been at best something akin to Ebbetts Pass or something like that.  Either way not much road up there on Kaiser, really it might be the most difficult paved road I've ever been on....Blackrock Road and Mineral King Road not withstanding.

IMG_2657 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_2719 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_2720 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr



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