CA 4 over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbetts Pass

Started by Max Rockatansky, August 02, 2018, 08:01:28 PM

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Max Rockatansky

Back in 2016 the snow storms hadn't happened until late in the fall season which gave me a chance to drive over CA 4 along Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbetts Pass:

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/08/trans-sierra-highways-california-state.html

What I found interesting in my map research was that CA 4 was extended to the Nevada State Line and stayed there multiplexed with CA 88 until the 1964 renumbering.  Even by the standards of the time I would suspect that very few would find CA 4 over Ebbetts Pass with those massive 24% grades to be a viable route over the Sierras.


Max Rockatansky

I blew up our existing article on California State Route 4 over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbetts Pass.  The new version of the article is hugely expanded to include a vastly more comprehensive history of CA 4 over Pacific Grade Summit/Ebbetts Pass in addition to a full road log from Stockton to CA 89 in Alpine County.  The present route of CA 4 over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbetts Pass is mostly the same that was open as the Big Trees Road which opened in 1864.  The Big Trees Road was largely spurred by silver mining interests in Alpine County which have largely disappeared since the 1870s.  The Big Trees Road was adopted as part of Legislative Route 24 in 1911 and was expanded west to Angel's Camp by 1924.  In 1934 Legislative Route 24 was signed as CA 4 over Pacific Grade Summit/Ebbetts Pass and not a ton has changed in the intervening years.  CA 4 over Pacific Grade Summit and Ebbetts Pass is mostly known for a long one-lane segment which includes grades as steep as 24%.  If you're into ghost towns the route of CA 4 east of Stockton in general is a good place to go as it has numerous gems such as; Telegraph City, numerous existing Gold Rush towns, Silver Mountain City, Centerville, and Monitor.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2018/08/trans-sierra-highways-california-state.html




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