Adventures in California History
@pitsenberger • 10,544 subscribers
Exploring the history of trails, railroads, roads, and highways of the western U.S. I'm the VP, historian, and editor, Lincoln Highway Association, California.
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Monica and I visited the Devil's Ladder on the old Kit Carson Pioneer Trail, just east of Carson Pass. This was a year or two ago, and we decided to walk down the trail just a bit. This was a section of trail that was notorious back in the 1840s and 50s. A pioneer diary says, "…just ahead was a wall several thousand feet high which had to be climbed to get out of this valley….come to the conclusion this was the end of the road…It was called Devil’s Ladder." What impressed us was how steep the trail was, and the fact that the pioneers would have to unload their wagons, carry all their belongings up the trail, while their wagons were pulled up by a team of oxen and a series of ropes. Rope scars on the trees are still visible. We hope to walk the whole Devil's Ladder, from Red Lake to Carson Pass, this summer and record our progress. Map of location: 38°41'32.8"N 119°59'05.8"W
Adventures in California History92,126 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
After seeing the deep wagon ruts of Guernsey, Wyoming, pictured, I had developed a case of wagon rut envy! The deep ruts there happened due to the sandstone nature of the ground, with thousands of wagon wheels cutting into the ground. In California the ruts tend to be shallower due to the harder rock in the Sierra. However, along the Nevada City branch of the Overland Emigrant Trail the soil is a deep red, and more pliable than the granite. Here deep ruts were created as wagons headed down from Bear Valley to the new gold fields of Nevada City, 1850s. I had Monica walk down in the center of the swale or ruts to measure the depth, which is about 5 feet! Map coordinates: 39°17'54.90"N 120°55'18.01"W
Adventures in California History100,225 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Monica and I drove up to Donner Pass on old Donner Pass Road, Lincoln Highway, Highway 40, to hang a banner for the 100th Anniversary of the Donner Summit Memorial Bridge. There are some great views, and the weather was perfect. The bridge is an iconic symbol of the California Lincoln Highway (1913-1927). Interestingly, it crosses no river or creek, but a deep chasm.
Adventures in California History26,446 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
This was Big Boy's first unplanned stop, just outside Wheatland in the Great Central Valley of California. We had just watched it go by when I looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the train had stopped. We turned around and jumped out of the car, hoping to get a closer view. The sky that day was so dramatic, adding to the scene. Once the freight train passed, Big Boy started rolling again, so we followed it only to find it on the siding again, where we got right up to it as seen in the last video.
Adventures in California History58,634 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
This is a portion of the Johnson cut-off Trail (1852) at Lake Tahoe. Johnson blazed and cleared the trail as a shortcut off the established Carson River Route (which went over higher Carson Pass to the south). After descending from Spooner Summit along the east ridge, the trail followed the lakeshore area and then climbed directly over Cave Rock. Here we see the trail rising and crossing a swale formed by thousands of wagons. Just past that, the view of the lake is amazing, and a final look to the right towards Cave Rock. I've included a map of the trail around the rock in the comments. Coordinates: 39°02'46.94"N 119°56'48.57"W
Adventures in California History37,563 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
A short video showing one of the plaques that adorn the area where the Pioneers rested after their rigorous climb up "The Devil's Ladder", just below Carson Pass. This is a very special place, and if you listen, you can hear the voices of the over 100,000 pioneers who passed this very spot on their way to the gold fields of California.
Adventures in California History32,084 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
We had to get up early because Big Boy's schedule had changed, so we headed out of the mountains into the Great Central Valley outside Lincoln, CA. It was a cold, rainy day, which made for some dramatic scenes. We parked by an "at-grade" crossing where trains usually blow their horns. We were not disappointed! Why was it going so slowly? That paid off big time for us as another train was coming, and Big Boy had been put on a siding track while a freight train passed. That allows us some time to get up close and personal with the massive engine.
Adventures in California History34,430 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
The goal of our hike the other day was to climb to the summit of Mt. Judah at Donner Pass. We tried a few years ago, but there was still snow on the trail, and we couldn't finish. This year the snow is all gone, and we actually made it to the top. It was really warm, and when that sun hits you on the open slopes, it's hot! Notice how steep the terrain is. There is one section where you walk on a single track, and to your left is a very steep drop. I had to keep my eyes on Monica and not look down. I didn't film that part. It's a bit vertigo-inducing. I was huffing and puffing, but we made it. Coordinates: 39°17'54.88"N 120°18'56.69"W
Adventures in California History12,586 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Riding in the footsteps of history! Monica and I rode our bikes around Donner Lake yesterday, and I thought we would show you a section of the Donner Trail from the Shullenberger Cabin Site to the Murphy Cabin Site. I don't think people realize there was a bit of distance between one cabin and the next. The giant rock at the end of the clip made up one wall of the Murphy cabin. There is a large plaque on the rock listing those who perished and those who survived the ordeal. Legend has it that when the army came, the bodies of the perished were buried by this rock, and the cabins burned down. I have included a photo of the plaque in the comments.
Adventures in California History17,729 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
Up close with Union Pacific Big Boy 4014, sitting idle on a siding in Wheatland, CA, quietly ticking and hissing as it waits for a passing train. The ticking sounds puzzled me. Does anyone familiar with steam locomotives know what causes these ticks? Could they signal an automatic system, or is the engine preparing to move? Got to hand it to Union Pacific, as they had plenty of employees around keeping it safe, and they even handed out small American flags for people to wave. Watch until the end, as we truly didn't know what was to come, but what happened next I will never forget. All I could do was hold on to the camera and hope for the best. The passing of the Abraham Lincoln Engine. caused the crowd to erupt in cheers! The energy and excitement marked the day as truly unforgettable, a perfect finale to an incredible experience with the Big Boy.
Adventures in California History21,336 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Not something we see every day on the freeway. We were headed up to Lake Tahoe a few years ago when we encountered the annual Commemorative Wagon Train in Strawberry, El Dorado County, California. The Highway 50 Association has been putting on this wagon train re-enactment for 77 years! The Wagon Train starts in Round Hill, Nevada, and travels over Highway 50 ending in Placerville, California. In the past, it had many more participants, and we felt sorry to see it dwindle to just a few wagons. Nevertheless, they keep the spirit of the days of '49 alive, and it seems there is a growing interest in keeping this going and getting more people involved. They have sold out their participation spots for this year!
Adventures in California History15,889 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
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