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High Sierra Road
#21489 02/15/12 03:26 PM
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wagga Offline OP
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"A million-dollar road running to the "Roof of the United States," with a lateral to Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the United States, will be ready for service to motorists [shortly], according to definite plans which have been drafted by State, County and City officials."



Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
Re: High Sierra Road
wagga #21490 02/15/12 03:50 PM
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That (shortly) is now defined as 84 years!

This was published in 1926!


One day I'd like to hike the entire John Muir Trail and not leave a single footprint. -Randy Morgenson
Re: High Sierra Road
wagga #21491 02/15/12 03:54 PM
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Show us your source!

Re: High Sierra Road
Steve C #21492 02/15/12 04:13 PM
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wagga Offline OP
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"Today the Sierras proper are locked, except for short roads running into the sides from the two valleys. To cross from the Owens Valley to the San Joaquin Valley, the motorists must either go across from the Midland Trail above Randsburg through Onyx, Weldon and Bodfish to Bakersfield, or go more than 200 miles northward and cut across Tioga Pass."

From the November 7, 1926 LA Times via Owens Valley History.com.


Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
Re: High Sierra Road
wagga #21493 02/15/12 06:38 PM
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Originally Posted By: wagga
From the November 7, 1926 LA Times via Owens Valley History.com.


That website offers some fascinating details, among them -

"This next image, to the left, is one of my brother Tom (with the pick ax) and Ed Brown shoveling out Trail Crest Pass in June of 1965. I might have mentioned this before, but we spent nearly a week camped just below Mirror Lake at Bighorn Park on the Whitney Portal's trail to the summit of Mt. Whitney. It rained every day and every day we saddle up and rode to Trail Camp at 12,000'. From Trail Camp we hiked another mile, and 50 switchbacks, with our pick axes and shovels up to nearly 13,000' where the snow was and began shoveling snow for 6 hours. Ed swore he'd never smoke another cigarette after that, but it was the first thing he lit up when we finally arrived back at the Portal Store soaking wet and exhausted. We did discover one useful thing on this trip: powdered Wyler's Lemonade mix is excellent to start fires with when all you have is wet wood! I'm not quite sure how the three of us stumbled on this little known fact but it helped us stay dry during four days of rainy, sleety, snow shoveling hell. One day we found ourselves shoveling snow in a "white out" while it was snowing. Figure it out - we were crazy soldiers following the commandants orders. I think this was the huge straw that broke the back of my brother for he never returned to Mt. Whitney Pack Trains after this year. To me, it was worth every shovel since it eventually led to me getting my own string of mules an packing with the outfit for many summers."


I never know they shoveled out the switchbacks.


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