CA 38 and CA 330

[Max Rockatansky]

I took a drive out to Big Bear this week after the snowstorm on Monday.  I utilized CA 330, CA 18, CA 38, CA 38/18 and CA 38 to loop through the San Bernardino Mountains:

CA 330

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzCM6Y

-  I've always liked City Creek Road, it is almost as well engineered as CA 18 in Waterman Canyon. 



CA 38

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzCLD3

-  The segment of CA 38 north of Big Bear Lake was the original alignment of CA 18.  There are ton of "scenic roue" placards on CA 38 north of Big Bear Lake.
-  I noted none of the CA 38 reassurance shields carry directional placards.  The CA 18/CA 38 multiplex on Greenway Drive is doubly odd looking given both routes don't have directional placards.
-  CA 38 over Onyx Summit descending along the Santa Ana River is way gentler than I remember it being. 
-  I noticed CA 38 signage in Mentone in Redlands is kind of lacking, it would be easy to lose the highway approaching Orange Street.

[M3100]

Great to see SR 38, a route often traveled (as a passenger) by me back in the day.  Good to see snow on the ground too, up in the mountains.

I don't recall if the southern "End" of CA 38 once extended past I-10 to Redlands Blvd., the old US 70-99 back before my time.  Or, maybe the construction of I-10 truncated it back.

[Max Rockatansky]

Great to see SR 38, a route often traveled (as a passenger) by me back in the day.  Good to see snow on the ground too, up in the mountains.

I don't recall if the southern "End" of CA 38 once extended past I-10 to Redlands Blvd., the old US 70-99 back before my time.  Or, maybe the construction of I-10 truncated it back.

Still signed on Orange at I-10:

https://flic.kr/p/2n4fFmj

But to add to that, I'll have an answer for whether or not CA 38 ever made it to Redlands Boulevard soon.  I'm actually working on a blog for the 1935-63 Los Angeles-Redlands corridor of US 99. Notably the original alignment of US 99 through Redlands utilized the following until Redlands Boulevard (previously Central Avenue) was completed in 1937:

-  Colton Avenue east.
-  Orange Street south.
-  State Street east.
-  Central Avenue (now Redlands Boulevard) east towards Calimesa. 

Strangely US 99 being realigned off of LRN 9 circa 1934 onto LRN 26 through Colton didn't affect the alignment of the highway in Redlands. 

[pderocco]

Did you take CA-18 out the NE side into the desert? It's a short ride, and quite a contrast in such a short distance.

[Max Rockatansky]

Did you take CA-18 out the NE side into the desert? It's a short ride, and quite a contrast in such a short distance.

Not this time, I have done it though:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/55RkRD

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/iBu72N

[Max Rockatansky]

Finished up a blog on the history of CA 38:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/05/california-state-route-38.html

Holy crap, there is a lot to unpack here:

-  The predecessor road was built in 1899 up the Santa Ana River Canyon and Clark's Grade as a toll facility.  This highway was purchased by San Bernardino County sometime around 1910 and became part of the Rim of the World Highway in 1915. 
-  At some point the Rim of the World Highway was improved and followed Mill Creek towards Camp Angelus towards Clark's Grade.  This formed the basis for much of segment two of LRN 190 in 1933.  From the outset the planned route of LRN 190 was to follow Barton Flats over what became Onyx Summit towards Baldwin Lake. 
-  Construction on the grade over Onyx Summit began in 1958 as part of CA 30!  This is explicitly stated in the November/December 1958 California Highways & Public Works.  Given CA 30 was aligned along the south short of Big Bear Lake this would have made sense at the time.
-  The completed CA 38 opened over Onyx Summit on August 12th, 1961.  There is no indication why CA 38 was ultimately chosen over CA 30.

[cahwyguy]

In this you state that 38 is the back road to Big Bear, but those in the know view the back road as taking Route 18 up from Victorville (at least that's what we did when going to YMCA Camp Whittle  in Big Bear). The main route is 330 (or 18 up from SBD) and such. I guess it depends where you are coming from (but most people forget about Route 18 from Victorville).

[Max Rockatansky]

In this you state that 38 is the back road to Big Bear, but those in the know view the back road as taking Route 18 up from Victorville (at least that's what we did when going to YMCA Camp Whittle  in Big Bear). The main route is 330 (or 18 up from SBD) and such. I guess it depends where you are coming from (but most people forget about Route 18 from Victorville).

Interesting having driven all the Big Bear highways now I would probably say 38 is by far the quietest.  18 out of Victorville had some pretty decent passenger traffic on the last couple time I've driven it.  I certainly wouldn't want to take an RV up 18 from the Victorville side, some of those grades are massive on the climb/descent from Bear Valley.

[skluth]

In this you state that 38 is the back road to Big Bear, but those in the know view the back road as taking Route 18 up from Victorville (at least that's what we did when going to YMCA Camp Whittle  in Big Bear). The main route is 330 (or 18 up from SBD) and such. I guess it depends where you are coming from (but most people forget about Route 18 from Victorville).

Interesting having driven all the Big Bear highways now I would probably say 38 is by far the quietest.  18 out of Victorville had some pretty decent passenger traffic on the last couple time I've driven it.  I certainly wouldn't want to take an RV up 18 from the Victorville side, some of those grades are massive on the climb/descent from Bear Valley.

As someone who takes the back way from the east, CA 247 from Yucca Valley, I've never found the traffic bad so I'm guessing the bad traffic is in Apple Valley. However, I agree that taking an RV up that incline would be borderline insane. I wouldn't want to recreate the old Lucille Ball classic, The Long, Long Trailer.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wrote up something for CA 330 and the history of City Creek Road:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/06/california-state-route-330-and-city.html