Somehow I managed to fit a somewhat descriptive title into the subject line. I had a day to myself so I took the opportunity to check out some roads near the San Andreas Fault in the Diablo and Gabilan Range I wanted to check out; Peach Tree Road, Indian Valley Road, Slacks Canyon Road, Vineyard Canyon Road, and Cholame Road. Basically we're talking roughly 80 miles of single lane or narrow rural roadway....good times considering I saw only 11 cars the entire time. The full album is located here:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/36m5dG
First I had to get there though and I took CA 198 west through the Diablo Range. Gave me an opportunity to get a couple more picture of Lewis Creek Road which was the original alignment of SSR 25 until it was replaced by the modern alignment of CA 25 in 1956. Basically Lewis Creek Road is gated off and inaccessible:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2805/33588631466_47dba3b535_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7vVC)IMG_5360 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7vVC) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2812/33472970002_2d8f1e3b8e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SZTHNs)IMG_5361 (https://flic.kr/p/SZTHNs) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Unlike the last time I was out this way the ford of Lewis Creek was a lot more apparent from CA 198 due to the better weather:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2822/32815556283_42558a58d9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNiBa)IMG_5365 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNiBa) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2881/33588620536_dd27e330d3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7sFb)IMG_5362C (1) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7sFb) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Another view from CA 198 looking east towards the canyon Lewis Creek uses:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2943/32786640944_0d5c89ee56_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXf75Q)IMG_5372 (https://flic.kr/p/RXf75Q) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on
At the edge of the Diablos Peach Tree Road and Peach Tree Valley can be seen from CA 198:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2917/33472936562_71a0770554_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SZTxRU)IMG_5381 (https://flic.kr/p/SZTxRU) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
CA 198 drops sharply westbound out of the Diablos to a junction with CA 25 and Peach Tree Road:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2806/32786741724_945faf37af_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfC3q)IMG_5384 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfC3q) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2915/33629469575_bcdba168e5_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHPEX)IMG_5385 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHPEX) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Peach Tree Road has a center stripe and is two lanes for the first couple miles south off of CA 198 but that drops a very narrow single lane very quickly:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2880/33245829390_d518217bfd_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPyP1)IMG_5387 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPyP1) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/32786739464_2a0ea23b9e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfBns)IMG_5395 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfBns) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Basically Peach Tree Road/Valley is wedged between the Diablo and Gabilan Range atop of the San Andreas Fault. This should maybe be a 4 or 5 parter if I stick to 10 pictures per post in case anyone is wondering.
Part 2....
There is actually a couple interesting overviews of Slack Canyon that are worth stopping for:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3794/33500250011_53e0c30a75_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3ixcr)IMG_5409 (https://flic.kr/p/T3ixcr) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Earlier this year Peach Tree Road was shut down while this new bridge was being put in. The GSV shows the older bridge which looked to be pretty substantially narrow by comparison:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3840/33629463495_b5dcc79b44_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHMS8)IMG_5411 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHMS8) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2813/33500248561_7d23f1c06d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iwLr)IMG_5413 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iwLr) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Peach Tree Road terminates here at the junction of Slacks Canyon Road and Indian Valley Road. For whatever reason Slacks Canyon Road is been gated off and shows being that way pretty much on every GSV screen shot I looked at. It looks like the Fault continues via Slacks Canyon Road, maybe that along with the lack of pavement was why it was closed?
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3835/33588581796_923b8c2faf_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7gaf)IMG_5415 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7gaf) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3933/33500386391_834843763b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3jeJP)IMG_5416 (https://flic.kr/p/T3jeJP) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Indian Valley Road continues directly south and begins to rise through the Gabilan Range roughly to about 2,200 feet above sea level:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2922/33629458665_cec928421c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHLqR)IMG_5417 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHLqR) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
At the summit Indian Valley begins to drop elevation fast, I would say that this is the only section of any of the roads I traveled today that had a "mountain road" feel to it:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3940/33500381821_e319d425bc_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3jdo2)IMG_5418 (https://flic.kr/p/T3jdo2) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2815/32786725734_7809ef92cc_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfxhJ)IMG_5419 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfxhJ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2847/33588572726_60f305dd18_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7dsS)IMG_5422 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7dsS) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2807/33588570666_2ac7567517_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7cRm)IMG_5423 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb7cRm) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Part 3
Gradually Indian Valley Road levels out at about I want to say 1,400 feet, the descent from here on out was much more gentle:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2877/33245909920_c51bbd08ed_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPYKs)IMG_5424 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPYKs) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Approaching Valleton and San Miguel there are increasing signs of residential habitation, by this point I still had not encountered another car. I encountered seven south from this point to Vineyard Canyon Road:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3776/33245816440_2df28cc7d8_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPuXJ)IMG_5427 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPuXJ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Some nice bridge work near Big Sandy Road:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3951/32815548733_c345dcb0b8_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNgmZ)IMG_5433 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNgmZ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
At the junction of Indian Valley Road and Hare Canyon Road is a community called Valleton. Really it isn't really much of anything aside from ranch lands and a couple stray abandoned old homes. Supposedly there was a post office here from the 1880s to almost 1920s, seems like it more or less a real place at one point.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2825/33629424895_fc38708d75_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHAoB)IMG_5437 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHAoB) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
By the time I hit junction with Hare Canyon Road I had traveled 27 miles south from CA 198:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2940/33588545126_4c7938c522_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb75g1)IMG_5438 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb75g1) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
South of Hare Canyon the roadway on Indian Valley begins to widen and basically it becomes somewhat a normal width:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3767/32815547753_a84f76da70_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNg56)IMG_5445 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNg56) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Eventually US 101 can be seen right before hitting the San Luis Obispo County Line:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2938/32815546543_c508c0d7de_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNfHe)IMG_5451 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNfHe) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2938/33245813490_bbd39090ab_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPu5S)IMG_5452 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPu5S) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
37 miles in I took an eastward swing on Vineyard Canyon Road:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3948/33629410575_234ceacb57_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHw8H)IMG_5457 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHw8H) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Part 4
Vineyard Canyon Road is substantially wider and what I'd expect out of a modern roadway:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3843/33500325491_50fd9ab3e9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iVCP)IMG_5459 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iVCP) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
For the most part Vineyard Canyon Road is mostly has a center in Monterey County but it disappeared a couple times despite the road not becoming narrow:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3843/33500325491_50fd9ab3e9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iVCP)IMG_5459 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iVCP) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Surprisingly the summit on Vineyard Canyon is pretty high at about 2,500 feet above sea level:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3835/33500316831_627a12b506_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iT4v)IMG_5464 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iT4v) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Approaching Slack Canyon Road and the San Andreas Fault there is some more interesting bridge work, I'm not sure what is up with the brown street blades:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/33472807652_c47bcc0d93_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SZSTxj)IMG_5465 (https://flic.kr/p/SZSTxj) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2808/32815587143_213f236bb4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNsMe)IMG_5467 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNsMe) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
The first 15 miles of Vineyard Canyon Road from Indian Valley Road are the interesting part and how far it takes to reach the back side of Slack Canyon Road....too bad it isn't paved because it would be a handy short cut. The last five miles south to Parkfield-Coalinga Road and Cholame Road are pretty bland, I did make a stop in Parkfield for breakfast:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3817/32786676054_2de7a44a44_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfhwb)IMG_5468 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfhwb) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
This single lane bridge made an appearance on the Parkfield Grade section of Max's Road that I did last year. The creek below is the actual fault line and there is a bow in the bridge that is obvious from outside the car:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2825/32786674624_56f4a67deb_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfh6w)IMG_5470 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfh6w) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2922/33500309061_90f9c88a4e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iQKx)IMG_5471 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iQKx) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3782/32786666864_123573e6b9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfeMJ)IMG_5473 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfeMJ) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2875/32786665344_2af2cc1b19_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RXfekw)IMG_5474 (https://flic.kr/p/RXfekw) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
17 miles south of Parkfield on Cholame Road is what it takes southbound to reach CA 41/46:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2906/33500276971_09b6695e46_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/T3iFdg)IMG_5478 (https://flic.kr/p/T3iFdg) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Cholame Road has some pretty nice single lane bridges and wide views before terminating at CA 41/46:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3753/33245843730_54f52a6260_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPD5f)IMG_5482 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPD5f) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3816/33245808600_0bad0186b1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SDPsCy)IMG_5483 (https://flic.kr/p/SDPsCy) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2901/33588480746_44b56f8716_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tb6K81)IMG_5484 (https://flic.kr/p/Tb6K81) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3698/32815559483_de490019a4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RZNjyk)IMG_5487 (https://flic.kr/p/RZNjyk) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2920/33629359535_a729b0fc0a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TeHfXH)IMG_5490 (https://flic.kr/p/TeHfXH) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Actually now that I think about it this was all closer to 70 miles today between 198 and 41/46. Either way, not bad for a quiet morning drive out in the sticks before the storms hit later tonight. Really something that I didn't touch on was that the asphalt quality on for Peach Tree and Indian Valley Road is very high for something that rural. Vineyard Canyon is in okay shape but Cholame Road had very obvious wash out damage on top of rutted pavement. All and all these roads probably would be a lot of fun in a muscle car or on a cruiser bike, nothing was heavy or couldn't be managed by the average driver.