El Camino Viejo

[Max Rockatansky]

While I was researching the Ridge Route and the roads that pre-dated it I found out there was an El Camino Viejo (The Old Road) Trail in San Emidgio Canyon in Southern Kern County which is managed by the Wind Wolves Preserve.  For those who don't know the El Camino Viejo was the original Spanish Highway that traversed north from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay.  I detailed much of the path of the El Camino Viejo compared to the later Stockton-Los Angeles Road and Ridge Route in this blog:

https://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/11/legend-of-ridge-route-history-of.html

I'll likely be adding a Chapter 9 to the above blog regarding the (yes I'm aware this is technically bad grammar) El Camino Viejo in San Emidgio Canyon this week.  For now my photos can be viewed at the link below, suffice to say San Emidgio Canyon definitely competes with Grapevine Canyon for scenery:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmym9Wib

Note; I noticed an error on my map showing the alignment of the El Camino Viejo and the Old Tejon Pass/Tejon Pass routes of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road...I'll have that fixed some time this week.  For now this 1857 map of California shows the path of the Stockton-Los Angeles road over Old Tejon Pass/Tejon Pass, the El Camino Viejo would have been along San Emidgio Creek north to Kern Lake:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~188~10036:Britton-&-Rey-s-Map-Of-The-State-Of?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:california%201860;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=30&trs=286

[Max Rockatansky]

I made a new map showing the differences in the routes crossing from San Fernando Pass north to San Joaquin Valley before the Ridge Route.  All routes prior to the Ridge Route traversed north from San Fernando Pass through San Francisquito Canyon to Antelope Valley.  The red line is the original path of El Camino Viejo through Cuddy Canyon and San Emidgio Canyon to San Joaquin Valley at the foot of Kern Lake.  The blue line is the original path of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road over what is now known as Old Tejon Pass.  The green line is the path the 1854 path of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road through modern Tejon Pass and Grapevine Canyon.

X1 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

I updated the previous Ridge Route Legacy blog.  First and foremost the largest addition is photos of the El Camino Viejo Trail which is located on the Wind Wolves Preserve in San Emigdio Canyon.  I added several more links to relevant information regarding the El Camino Viejo, Stockton-Los Angeles Road in addition to useful State Highway Map references.  I plan on one final revision of this blog which I'm hoping will be complete in the next couple weeks once I get an opportunity to drive through San Francisquito Canyon.  San Francisquito Canyon holds significance given it was primary path of travel on the El Camino Viejo and Stockton-Los Angeles Road until the Ridge Route was completed. 

https://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/11/legend-of-ridge-route-history-of.html