After dinner out, we took the back roads home and revisited our local area which is rich in history, including gold discovery, the transcontinental railroad and the construction of I-80 thru this area (between Sacramento and Reno) starting in 1956 for the 1960 Olympic Games at Squaw Valley CA. Don's lived in this general area since he was 2 except for a "time-out" for college at Sacramento State.
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| Happy Father's Day... once again driving Ms Nancy!!! |
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Only one of Clipper Gap's claims to fame... the post office opened in 1866, changed its name to Clippergap in 1894, reverted its name to Clipper Gap in 1950, and closed for good in 1960. It was settled by the pioneers in 1857 and the Central Pacific Railroad reached the area in 1865. In 1897 the school was built and it served 22 students. The link below provides further historical info...
http://www.cagenweb.com/placer/history_towns.htm
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Between the years of 1864 and 1869 a total of 1,775 miles of rail were laid to complete the railroad link across the continent. Along with the development of the atomic bomb, the digging of the Panama Canal, and landing the first men on the moon, the construction of a transcontinental railroad was one of the United States' greatest technological achievements. Railroad track had to be laid over extremely rugged terrain, especially in the west, including mountains of solid granite (the Sierra Nevada Mountains). The Central Pacific was working three shifts around the clock, Chinese immigrants hand drilled holes into which they packed black powder and later nitroglycerine. The progress in the tunnels through the mountains was agonizingly slow, and the slowest part, just outside of Colfax took 3 years to complete 3 miles... an average of a foot a day. Clipper Gap was also home to a black powder factory, the only one of its kind in
northern California at that time.
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Don's mom and dad lived in this cute little home when he first took me home to meet the folks 44 years ago...
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Then we headed down Yankee Jims Road
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The 150 foot long, one lane steel cable suspension bridge, circa 1929,
Yankee Jims Bridge, was constructed to link the gold towns of Colfax, Yankee Jims and
Foresthill CA. Cables are anchored into bedrock and supported
by short steel towers resting on stone masonry piers at each end... we've walked and
driven across it several times on hiking and geocaching adventures!!! |
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I-80 (Dwight D Eisenhower Highway-completed prior to the 1960 Squaw Valley CA Olympics) is
the Interstate Highway that most closely approximates the route of the historic
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More birthdays, this time a surprise party for our eldest grandson Everett (24) hosted by his beautiful girlfriend Jessica (20) - both families were present and Ev and his dad Steve put on an arm wrestling competition, which Ev won, of course. Son-in-law Richard and Jessica cheer them on...
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The beautiful "upscale residential area" overlooking Donner Lake (named for the pioneering Donner Party), is called Tahoe Donner, and if you’re ever in the area, I-80 near Truckee, this is an easy spectacular hike to Hawks Peak.
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http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/yellow%20enlarged%20photo%20pages/wyethia.htm
is a good website to compare Mule's Ear shown above, with Arrow Leaf Balsamroot which are mixed in. It's hard to tell these 2 apart. |
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| One fabulous kodak moment after another, all the way. |
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| After only 3/4 of a mile you get this fabulous view over Donner Lake. |
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| Castle Peak framed up nicely 9102'... yes, we've had lunch on top of that one too!!! |
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| As we look southwest, the ski hut windows frame beautifully frame the scene. |
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Only 4 of us this week, sometimes we're 12... must be summer!!!
Margie, Nancy, Shiomi and Pat. |
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| We had another “floral” discovery during this high elevation hike 7078’-7729’. Hope you’ll enjoy seeing this rare Sierran Sculpted Puffball mushroom. The one in my photo was about 4” in diameter but they can get basketball size!!! Wouldn't that be a thrill... and I wouldn't have seen this one had I not stopped and bent over (nose to the ground) to retie my boot!!! |
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| Approaching Hawks Peak... |
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| Margie enjoyed the southern view and other peaks we've hiked to the top of for "Tuesday Lunch", while I checked the distance and elevation!!! |
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The final panorama before we headed back... a 180 degree view, swinging from the
south toward the west and then north. AHHHHHHHH... |
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