CA 89 from Lassen Volanic National Park to US 50 at Lake Tahoe

[Max Rockatansky]

This is kind of my work in progress album as I haven't finished uploading it yet:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm38Gq3Y

Presently all of the photos from Lassen south to Quincy at CA 70 are up.  There is quite a bit here with alignment shifts and pretty much everything so this will be a longer thread once I get a chance to look at state highway maps.  I did go over Emerald Bay which was something I've never done before and was what I needed to clinch all of 89.  I actually overheated by brakes slogging south in a six mile long back up approaching CA 28 and had to stop for a lot longer than I wanted to let them cool....serves me right for coming anywhere near Tahoe on a Saturday.

[gonealookin]

Tahoe City and the west shore, past Emerald Bay and down to Camp Rich, are calamitous for traffic on weekends.  The east shore, from Incline Village down NV 28 and US 50 to Stateline, usually moves quite well.  Certainly anyone wanting to get from Truckee to South Lake Tahoe quickly would want Brockway (CA 267) to CA/NV 28.

If that was your only chance to go around Emerald Bay you had to do it, though.  The hogback on the south side, captured in a couple of your photos, is great fun unless you're an acrophobe.  I can't say I've ever driven it in nasty winter weather.  Often the Emerald Bay stretch is closed during and for several days after winter storms, mostly due to the avalanche risk in the area of the huge 1950s rockslide.

[Max Rockatansky]

Tahoe City and the west shore, past Emerald Bay and down to Camp Rich, are calamitous for traffic on weekends.  The east shore, from Incline Village down NV 28 and US 50 to Stateline, usually moves quite well.  Certainly anyone wanting to get from Truckee to South Lake Tahoe quickly would want Brockway (CA 267) to CA/NV 28.

If that was your only chance to go around Emerald Bay you had to do it, though.  The hogback on the south side, captured in a couple of your photos, is great fun unless you're an acrophobe.  I can't say I've ever driven it in nasty winter weather.  Often the Emerald Bay stretch is closed during and for several days after winter storms, mostly due to the avalanche risk in the area of the huge 1950s rockslide.

You don't even know the half of it.  I got my brakes hot going up Donner Pass and coming back down Donner Summit.  I ran into that huge backup at CA 28 and never got a chance to cool my brakes...talk about fade and poor pedal response.    I found a nice cozy spot on Emerald Bay and just hung out there with the hood open for a good 35 minutes letting everything cool down.  I haven't roasted the brakes like that since Ebbetts Pass last year (which was WITH using copious amounts of 1st gear).  Suffice to say I might have to rethink taking the Sonic over the Challenger on some of these extended Sierra Pass trips or at least stop for 30 minutes after each pass in the future.  Really the Sonic is designed around commuting and not for high grade mountain passes, it really takes a lot of effort not to melt the thing down sometimes....at least I didn't warp the front rotors again after I got them machined a couple weeks ago.

But yes, I'd say 89 was worth the trip just to go over Emerald Bay.  That whole saddle back on 89 was spectacular and definitely worth the view.  Wasn't 89 shut down around Tahoe most of the winter this past year?

[gonealookin]

But yes, I'd say 89 was worth the trip just to go over Emerald Bay.  That whole saddle back on 89 was spectacular and definitely worth the view.  Wasn't 89 shut down around Tahoe most of the winter this past year?

I wouldn't say the Emerald Bay segment was closed for "most of the winter", but it probably did approach 50% closure time in January and February (which is a lot more than average).  They had to repeatedly clear snow slides there.  A sample Caltrans photo from January:



Bear in mind that as to the Tahoe City area, your clinch will be invalidated by late in 2018, as the existing Fanny Bridge over the lake outlet there will be replaced by a new bridge several hundred yards downstream.

[Max Rockatansky]

No kidding?  I was actually wondering about that particular bridge, I noticed the Art Deco design was probably very early state highway as I was passing the Truckee River.  What's going to happen to the Fanny Bridge?  I would imagine that it would probably stay in local service given the location and motif the design probably brings.

[gonealookin]

No kidding?  I was actually wondering about that particular bridge, I noticed the Art Deco design was probably very early state highway as I was passing the Truckee River.  What's going to happen to the Fanny Bridge?  I would imagine that it would probably stay in local service given the location and motif the design probably brings.

After the new Highway 89 bridge is open, the existing, structurally deficient Fanny Bridge, built in 1928, will be replaced.  I think the project is closer to "demolition and total reconstruction" than to "rehabilitation" but I'm sure they will retain the quaint aesthetics.  The new Fanny Bridge will carry cars but the focus there will be pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

[Max Rockatansky]

No kidding?  I was actually wondering about that particular bridge, I noticed the Art Deco design was probably very early state highway as I was passing the Truckee River.  What's going to happen to the Fanny Bridge?  I would imagine that it would probably stay in local service given the location and motif the design probably brings.

After the new Highway 89 bridge is open, the existing, structurally deficient Fanny Bridge, built in 1928, will be replaced.  I think the project is closer to "demolition and total reconstruction" than to "rehabilitation" but I'm sure they will retain the quaint aesthetics.  The new Fanny Bridge will carry cars but the focus there will be pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Sounds like it might be a worthwhile project looking into when I get home. Hopefully it's more of a rehab project since modern bridge design often emulates the older Art Deco designs really poorly.  Kind of begs the question of why not just close the older bridge to all but pedestrian traffic if a new highway bridge is being opened such a short distance away?

[roadfro]

Info on the Fanny Bridge replacement project / SR 89 realignment in Tahoe City:
https://www.tahoetransportation.org/fanny-new-1

Building a new bridge and diverting SR 89 traffic away from the current SR 89/SR 28 intersection should be good. It'll alleviate much of the backups that occur NB on 89 where traffic waits to turn left to continue on NB 89. Should also make things a bit nicer in that area for pedestrians and local businesses–such as allowing the existing roadway to be closed for public events. I just hope that roundabouts will be sufficient for the traffic.

I was through there last weekend. I don't recall seeing much, if any, construction on the roundabouts or new bridge. The website says that this should have been starting spring-fall 2017...

The site says

[Max Rockatansky]

Nice, I was wondering if the 89/28 project would include roundabouts...that will help a ton.  I don't recall any evidence of construction at all anywhere on 89 which was why I was surprised to hear the Fanny Bridge was being replaced in the near future.  Anything is probably better than the current junction, Caltrans ought to look at getting rid of some of the lights between I-80 and 28 as they were causing long back ups as well.

[gonealookin]

I was through there last weekend. I don't recall seeing much, if any, construction on the roundabouts or new bridge. The website says that this should have been starting spring-fall 2017...

The site says

They are still doing tree removal, which according to the timeline was supposed to be completed by now.  They probably couldn't do as much of that as expected over the winter and early spring due to the copious snow.

Another delaying factor in the bridge construction might be the high outflow from Lake Tahoe through the Truckee River.  Today, the water level of the lake is at 6228.90 feet above sea level, less than three inches below the legal maximum of 6229.10 feet established by legal settlements many decades ago.  The federal water master is required to release as much water through the dam at Tahoe City as is necessary to keep the lake level from exceeding 6229.10...and there's still plenty of snowmelt to come down.  Parts of the bike path along the river below Tahoe City are flooded out as a result of the water releases.  So, some of the initial bridge work might be delayed until the river flow drops, maybe not until early August.  And road construction in the Tahoe Basin generally is suspended for the season on October 15.

[kkt]

Terrific photos.  The Lassen trail with the hot mud holes, and the parts at Lake Tahoe, take me back to childhood trips.  Beautiful.

I'm surprised the Sonic has so much trouble with the brakes overheating.  It's only a 2800 pound car.  Does it have some funky automatic transmission that won't let you stay in low gears?

[Max Rockatansky]

Terrific photos.  The Lassen trail with the hot mud holes, and the parts at Lake Tahoe, take me back to childhood trips.  Beautiful.

I'm surprised the Sonic has so much trouble with the brakes overheating.  It's only a 2800 pound car.  Does it have some funky automatic transmission that won't let you stay in low gears?

Nah, the brake system is just way too small to handle heavy mountain loads.  I've had some issues with brake fade on three occasions with this car, really the solution would be maybe buy some better front pads and switch to vented discs.  The issue I had with being around Tahoe was that I literally had taken all of 89 from Lassen only to go up Old US 40 on Donner Pass and then back down on I-80 on Donner Summit to head south again.  I thought that I did Donner Summit well but once I hit that traffic and was sitting in it for 30-40 minutes it was apparent the brakes were cooking.  I stopped over Emerald Bay and opened the hood while I chilled on an overlook for 30 minutes, no issues after that.

I'm really surprised that Lassen isn't open to at least Lake Helen by now.  Apparently the road is plowed but for some reason the Park Service still hasn't opened it.  Beyond there I'm understand the snow is still 10 feet deep on the road approaching Lassen Peak presently.

[gonealookin]

In the CA 70/Feather River Highway thread you mentioned the "Mousehole" railroad underpass on CA 89 in Truckee, and you have a picture of it here.  The original mousehole carrying the roadway was built in 1928, the problem with it being that pedestrians and bicyclists had to be in the traffic lane to get through there.  A separate pedestrian/bicycle mousehole was constructed in 2015-2016, with time-lapse construction photos shown on this page (argh, why does their Youtube video auto-start?):

http://www.townoftruckee.com/government/engineering-and-public-works/engineering/town-capital-improvement-projects-cips/sr-89-mousehole-improvement-project

[Max Rockatansky]

In the CA 70/Feather River Highway thread you mentioned the "Mousehole" railroad underpass on CA 89 in Truckee, and you have a picture of it here.  The original mousehole carrying the roadway was built in 1928, the problem with it being that pedestrians and bicyclists had to be in the traffic lane to get through there.  A separate pedestrian/bicycle mousehole was constructed in 2015-2016, with time-lapse construction photos shown on this page (argh, why does their Youtube video auto-start?):

http://www.townoftruckee.com/government/engineering-and-public-works/engineering/town-capital-improvement-projects-cips/sr-89-mousehole-improvement-project

Yeah, I saw the 2015 on top of the pedestrian tunnel and I was kind of surprised at how well it matched the older road tunnel in terms of design.  That's kind of a neat method the engineers used to slide that under the rail lines without disrupting service. 

The date markers for both tunnels are actually observable in said photo:

[/url]IMG_0952 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr[/img]

[hm insulators]

Once again, thank you for the beautiful pictures!

I was once to Lassen Volcanic National Park, using Highway 89 from the south, then heading toward Redding on 44. I think I was on my way to an insulator show (like baseball card or coin and stamp shows, they have insulator shows).

[Max Rockatansky]

Once again, thank you for the beautiful pictures!

I was once to Lassen Volcanic National Park, using Highway 89 from the south, then heading toward Redding on 44. I think I was on my way to an insulator show (like baseball card or coin and stamp shows, they have insulator shows).

Lassen was the last National Park I haven't been back to since I moved back to the West Coast.  I was well aware of the closure at the Sulpher Works but I'm really disappointed that the road that is plowed to Lake Helen wasn't open for use.  There really are some beautiful sections of road on the climb up to Lassen Peak.  I actually came south from I-5 on 89 the last time I was here and took 36 to US395 to get to Reno.  With completing Monitor Pass last year I finally was able clinch 89, really it ought to rank pretty high up there in terms of California scenic highway IMO.

[sparker]

Once again, thank you for the beautiful pictures!

I was once to Lassen Volcanic National Park, using Highway 89 from the south, then heading toward Redding on 44. I think I was on my way to an insulator show (like baseball card or coin and stamp shows, they have insulator shows).

Lassen was the last National Park I haven't been back to since I moved back to the West Coast.  I was well aware of the closure at the Sulpher Works but I'm really disappointed that the road that is plowed to Lake Helen wasn't open for use.  There really are some beautiful sections of road on the climb up to Lassen Peak.  I actually came south from I-5 on 89 the last time I was here and took 36 to US395 to get to Reno.  With completing Monitor Pass last year I finally was able clinch 89, really it ought to rank pretty high up there in terms of California scenic highway IMO.

Aside from the obvious CA 1, if there is one CA state highway that features outstanding -- and almost nonstop -- gorgeous scenery for its entire length, it's 89!  Even in the more populated areas it traverses there seems to be always some attractive natural feature to see.  I've clinched it in pieces -- but, if I can muster up a couple of days to do so, I'd sure like to revisit it -- south to north -- in one fell swoop!   

[Max Rockatansky]

Once again, thank you for the beautiful pictures!

I was once to Lassen Volcanic National Park, using Highway 89 from the south, then heading toward Redding on 44. I think I was on my way to an insulator show (like baseball card or coin and stamp shows, they have insulator shows).

Lassen was the last National Park I haven't been back to since I moved back to the West Coast.  I was well aware of the closure at the Sulpher Works but I'm really disappointed that the road that is plowed to Lake Helen wasn't open for use.  There really are some beautiful sections of road on the climb up to Lassen Peak.  I actually came south from I-5 on 89 the last time I was here and took 36 to US395 to get to Reno.  With completing Monitor Pass last year I finally was able clinch 89, really it ought to rank pretty high up there in terms of California scenic highway IMO.

Aside from the obvious CA 1, if there is one CA state highway that features outstanding -- and almost nonstop -- gorgeous scenery for its entire length, it's 89!  Even in the more populated areas it traverses there seems to be always some attractive natural feature to see.  I've clinched it in pieces -- but, if I can muster up a couple of days to do so, I'd sure like to revisit it -- south to north -- in one fell swoop!

I'd love to try it one swoop some time down the line.  The last piece I needed prior to Emerald Bay was Monitor Pass last year which I used Ebbetts to go over to.  Really the highway is one of the best in the state, probably in my top 10 if I really had to sit down and think about a solid list.  Kind of hard to top a combo of; all mountain, Lassen Peak, Emerald Bay, and Monitor Pass.

[gonealookin]

Lassen was the last National Park I haven't been back to since I moved back to the West Coast.  I was well aware of the closure at the Sulpher Works but I'm really disappointed that the road that is plowed to Lake Helen wasn't open for use.  There really are some beautiful sections of road on the climb up to Lassen Peak. 

The road through Lassen Park will *finally* open for the season next week, per this  Tom Stienstra article from the S.F. Chronicle.

It's the latest opening date since 1980, according to this National Park Service post, although July openings (on earlier dates) aren't unheard of, close to 20% of years according to the table there.

[Max Rockatansky]

Lassen was the last National Park I haven't been back to since I moved back to the West Coast.  I was well aware of the closure at the Sulpher Works but I'm really disappointed that the road that is plowed to Lake Helen wasn't open for use.  There really are some beautiful sections of road on the climb up to Lassen Peak. 

The road through Lassen Park will *finally* open for the season next week, per this  Tom Stienstra article from the S.F. Chronicle.

It's the latest opening date since 1980, according to this National Park Service post, although July openings (on earlier dates) aren't unheard of, close to 20% of years according to the table there.

My first visit to Lassen was back in 2014 when the NPS says the road opened on May 19th.  Even on a dry year there was still considerable amounts of snow/ice above 7,000 feet.  According to my photos I was apparently there on June 9th, Lake Helen particular was pretty icy:

100_1802 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

100_1803 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_1846 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Which why I was hoping the road would have been open to at least Lake Helen during my visit this year.  Apparently it was plowed up to that point for a week or so but the park decided to keep plowing the road rather than try to clear any of the parking lots.