Last time I blogged about CA Route 39, which was a few weeks ago, I'd driven up the road into the mountains and had to turn back because it was closed at a certain point. But, being the curious bastard I am, I came back to that point today and hiked up the abandoned portion of the road - over 4 miles of cliffside road at over 5,000 feet in altitude, and it's been more or less abandoned since 1978. Today was a muggy day - poor air quality, hazy skies, muggy air coupled with chill breezes - but I'd set out in hope things would get better. They didn't, but I did get some good photos.
This was one spooky outing, let me tell me. Leaving aside the unpleasantness of the air, the haze was also causing the sunlight to be not merely overcast, but this sickly-pale shade that doesn't make anything look good. There was a light breeze, not exactly chilling, but kind of oozing ill intent - a perfect accompaniment to the steady, resentful, threatening drone of the wasps that were everywhere. Not to mention the weird sound echoes that at times made it sound like someone was behind me - in fact, rushing forward at me - when actually it was my backback shifting. But, as the horror movie cliche goes, I could have sworn... that some animal were in a blind rush toward me just behind me. The gloom of the haze didn't help with this frame of mind.
The first leg of the hike was pretty unpleasant, the sides covered with dead, arid vegetation that sticks up high, hiding who-knows-what animal life. Attending this bitter flora were legions of wasps and bees, a few of whom behaved very threatening to me when I advanced until they eventually moved off. You hear a lot going on in the chaparral underbrush as you pass, and some if sounds hardly small - but it shuts up instantly when you look directly at it. Here are pictures from the first leg:
But then things started getting at least beautiful, albeit still spooky and disturbing:
Crossing a ridge, we get sight of the next valley, which is massive and has far better vegetation and geological features.
One of the more magnificent things to see was a very large and beautiful tree:
Turning another corner, more minor wonders appeared. I especially like this crennelated artificial rock wall and the far-distance views of other mountains contrasting with it:
Peering over the wall:
Views of/from rock protrusions:
Looking into the valley:
Then the rock formations got even more interesting, the road a lot flattered, the sky gloomier, and everything just plain spooky - but beautiful:
Where I stopped, because the creep factor was now too high (and it was getting too windy, and I was tired, and satisfied with the shots I got):
But I took final shot, and if I dare say so myself, it's something of a Blair Witch ending:
Which is to say, I enjoyed it. Hopefully under better weather, clearer skies, fewer bugs, better lighting, better air quality, no wind, I'll penetrate deeper down this abandoned road. Not that it's a big deal - it's used all the time by cyclists. It's just there's never many people around, and were none while I was there.