Question on Lake Tahoe

[Sigarms]

It's hard to believe this road and the bridge used to be the main highway artery over the summit. Until Interstate-80 was finished in the mid 1960's, US 40 was it. I have a book about the Donner area from the 1960's; it has pictures by that bridge with 20'+ snowbanks from record winter in the 1950's. US-40 was shut down for weeks as they tried to plow the roads.

You might find this interesting

I actually did read about that incident about the train, but didn't see the video!

I was trying to figure out where the heck I was seeing 18 wheelers on the road up on Donner pass at the overlook at the bridge.

Then it hit me that I must be seem some of the traffic on I-80 (I'm assuming I'm correct because I didn't see any 18 wheelers coming up Donner pass road).

When I got to the Donner state museum the first time from Tahoe city, I was a little thrown off exactly how close I 80 was. When I hit Soda Springs off Donner pass (wanting to drive it all the way through instead of stopping at the bridge off of Donner pass) and went onto 80 coming back down through Donner Pass (wanting to go to Sierraville via 89 off I-80), then it hit me how close those two roads actually run next to each other.

When you're not a local, sometimes it takes two runs to figure things out LOL

Oh, apparently the term "Squaw" is not politically correct. It's now Palisades Tahoe (per Squaw Valley where they held the olympics). Apparently some bigwigs are opening another resort below the original squaw valley. I took a turn onto that road wanting to check it out. I come up to a guard shack and there is some 20 year old looking kid there dressed in a uniform. Asks me if I have an appointment. I tell him no, we're just in from NC and we're just driving around checking out the area. He looks at me and asks me "seriously?" LOL. He was kind of torn, because I think he wanted to let me through because no one ever gave him that kind response, and I just told him no problem, no worries and turned around. Can't get up the mountain anyway and I realize I didn't really miss anything. Also took the next road down 89 from Olympic valley onto Alpine Meadow to check it out, just another ski resort as well. Snow didn't help road conditions either that day.

 

[RobertN]

I actually did read about that incident about the train, but didn't see the video!

I was trying to figure out where the heck I was seeing 18 wheelers on the road up on Donner pass at the overlook at the bridge.

Then it hit me that I must be seem some of the traffic on I-80 (I'm assuming I'm correct because I didn't see any 18 wheelers coming up Donner pass road).

When I got to the Donner state museum the first time from Tahoe city, I was a little thrown off exactly how close I 80 was. When I hit Soda Springs off Donner pass (wanting to drive it all the way through instead of stopping at the bridge off of Donner pass) and went onto 80 coming back down through Donner Pass (wanting to go to Sierraville via 89 off I-80), then it hit me how close those two roads actually run next to each other.

When you're not a local, sometimes it takes two runs to figure things out LOL

A lot of I-80 runs where US-40 ran from Roseville to Nevada. But some of the pass area's and real twisty areas were realigned for the 4-lane Interstate for grade improvement and higher speeds(not as twisty).

My parents and grandparents talked about the old days of driving US-40 from Sacramento to Reno; it used to be a lot longer drive, especially in cars of the 1940s and 1950, bias ply tires, drum brakes etc. I know my grandparents on my Dad's side made the drive in the early 1940's from the Bay Area...

In Sacramento/Carmichael/Citrus Heights, Auburn Blvd is old US-40. There used to be more old hotels and such along Auburn Blvd with the 1940/1950's neon signs... In Sacramento , US-40 split on 12'th and 16th St (one way streets).

US-50 used to go all the way from the Bay in San Francisco to Ocean City Md; literally from coast to coast. With realignments and reassignments over the years, it starts/ends in West Sacramento, where the "Ocean City MD 3073 miles" sign is. The other sign is in Ocean City Md, just before where US-50 ends at the Ocean City Boardwalk parking lot. I've been from West Sac to the near Provo Utah, and from Annapolis Md to Ocean City Md. Some day we'll take the 5th wheel on a trek across the whole of US-50.

 

[deserteagle71]

If anyone from California could tell me what type of plant this is, I'd greatly appreciate it!

View attachment 1850933
Plant was growing like weeds around the Frenchman lake area and saw it from Sierraville to Vinton...

That is rabbitbrush. Grows all over the west and very prevalent in Nevada. Yours is a late season pic. It is bright green spring and summer and glows like fire at fall time. A lot of people are very allergic to rabbitbrush!
It lines the road in this pic:

And it can be found at really high elevations here in Nevada:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/ericameria_nauseosa.shtml

 

[deserteagle71]

Oh, apparently the term "Squaw" is not politically correct. It's now Palisades Tahoe (per Squaw Valley where they held the olympics). Apparently some bigwigs are opening another resort below the original squaw valley.

Yup. California is at it again. I have a lot of Native American friends and acquaintances. They are not offended by the word - but apparently the woke crowd is.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/15/california-rename-43-places-00189912

 

[Sigarms]

A lot of I-80 runs where US-40 ran from Roseville to Nevada. But some of the pass area's and real twisty areas were realigned for the 4-lane Interstate for grade improvement and higher speeds(not as twisty).

My parents and grandparents talked about the old days of driving US-40 from Sacramento to Reno; it used to be a lot longer drive, especially in cars of the 1940s and 1950, bias ply tires, drum brakes etc. I know my grandparents on my Dad's side made the drive in the early 1940's from the Bay Area...

In Sacramento/Carmichael/Citrus Heights, Auburn Blvd is old US-40. There used to be more old hotels and such along Auburn Blvd with the 1940/1950's neon signs... In Sacramento , US-40 split on 12'th and 16th St (one way streets).

US-50 used to go all the way from the Bay in San Francisco to Ocean City Md; literally from coast to coast. With realignments and reassignments over the years, it starts/ends in West Sacramento, where the "Ocean City MD 3073 miles" sign is. The other sign is in Ocean City Md, just before where US-50 ends at the Ocean City Boardwalk parking lot. I've been from West Sac to the near Provo Utah, and from Annapolis Md to Ocean City Md. Some day we'll take the 5th wheel on a trek across the whole of US-50.

Thank you for that information.

In some aspects per American history, I kind of feel like it's a shame that both sets of my grandparents came off a boat on Ellis island between 1905-1910 and out of necessity for their own families, became coal miners in "coal towns".

That said, although I missed out on a lot of family American history per personal information, very proud of what my grandparents endured (both grandfathers died before age 50 in coal mining accidents) and what my own parents did to make a better life for myself.

Both sets of my grandparents pretty much never left the county in PA working because they didn't have the money. It wasn't until my parents joined the service and "got out to see the world" that I learned about outside of Pa vs even some of my own cousins.

There just seems to be so much interesting "west coast" history that I'm learning about and never thought to think of because I'm not from that area.

That said, I could tell you where the best spring water off a hillside could be found in one PA county because my mothers family use to go there every week to bottle water to bring back their home.

 

[Sigarms]

Yup. California is at it again. I have a lot of Native American friends and acquaintances. They are not offended by the word - but apparently the woke crowd is.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/15/california-rename-43-places-00189912

Agreed, but I will admit, I did buy a San Fran newspaper (Chronicle) and per the price point of what I pay in NC for a newspaper, found the SF newspaper much better per news info and best yet, 2 pages of comics in COLOR!!!

Ironically enough, the Thursday's SF edition gave me a lot of info on why I wouldn't want to live in California. I just scratch my head on larger cities in California and all the crap going on that I have no clue about because it doesn't make national headlines (sheriffs department a big issue...).

That said, my neighbor called me last week and apparently some perishable food was dropped on on his driveway and his wife picked it up and put it the refrigerator not realizing at first if was for us (he was telling me this so I could get it).

I told him I was in California for a week for vacation.

His response right off the bat was don't bring and Californian's back with me to NC.

I then told him at lot of people don't seem too bad out here, and a lot of people I talk to seem like they could be fine rednecks in North Carolina and they don't seem so different from us (even though I'm considered a Yankee for the most part) LOL

His response? "Joe, honestly I find the term redneck kind of impolitically correct. I prefer the term Appalachian American myself representing our people".

I bursted out laughing the rest of our conversation on the phone. Believe me, my neighbor is about "Appalachian American" as you can get.

 

[ericm979]

Nice pictures! Sounds like you had a nice trip. I think the plant is one of the various rabbitbrush species. I see them in dry areas that are moderately high elevation.

Mammoth Lakes area is pretty nice. It's a ski town so prices will be a little higher.

I really like the Owens Valley which runs north south and starts about a 45 min drive from Mammoth. Bishop is the large town in the valley. The valley is surrounded by two huge mountain ranges which makes it really scenic. Mono lake is also interesting. The tufa formations on the south end of the lake are neat. There's a large well preserved ghost town called Bodie a little north of Mono which is worth a visit. It's now a state park.

There's nice roads up into the mountains on both sides of the Owens valley. I've ridden them on bicycle many times. The road to the White Mountains ranger station is incredible. At the station there's hikes around the bristlecone pines some of which are very old. It's at elevation so this is something to do in summer. There's also Death Valley road out of Big Pine. It doesn't go to Death Valley though it ends up in the DV national park. But along the way it passes through some fantastic desert scenery. It's usually passable in winter. It's an out a back unless you want to drive 70 miles on dirt through Saline Valley.

Death Valley is also worth a visit but only in winter. Read the Manley book first if you're into history. It's an account of the first white people to cross Death Valley and kinda similar to the Donner story though fewer people died.

 

[kenmbz]

Was at Mono lake a few months ago, really like that area, was first time driving through some of the passes.

 

[deserteagle71]

I told him I was in California for a week for vacation.

His response right off the bat was don't bring and Californian's back with me to NC.

I then told him at lot of people don't seem too bad out here, and a lot of people I talk to seem like they could be fine rednecks in North Carolina and they don't seem so different from us (even though I'm considered a Yankee for the most part) LOL

Look at a map of the last election. Rural California all voted red. They are all great folks and good to know. Its the cities - LA, San Francisco, Sacramento - that are clueless and vote woke. Unfortunately, they have the numbers to win elections...and cause so many Californians to flee to other states. Saw a news article in the Reno paper that over 50,000 Californians have moved to Nevada in the past year alone.

 

[Sigarms]

Nice pictures! Sounds like you had a nice trip. I think the plant is one of the various rabbitbrush species. I see them in dry areas that are moderately high elevation.

Mammoth Lakes area is pretty nice. It's a ski town so prices will be a little higher.

I really like the Owens Valley which north south and starts about a 45 min drive from Mammoth. Bishop is the large town in the valley. The valley is surrounded by two huge mountain ranges which makes it really scenic. Mono lake is also interesting. The tufa formations on the south end of the lake are neat. There's a large well preserved ghost town called Bodie a little north of Mono which is worth a visit. It's now a state park.

There's nice roads up into the mountains on both sides of the Owens valley. I've ridden them on bicycle many times. The road to the White Mountains ranger station is incredible. At the station there's hikes around the bristlecone pines some of which are very old. It's at elevation so this is something to do in summer. There's also Death Valley road out of Big Pine. It doesn't go to Death Valley though it ends up in the DV national park. But along the way it passes through some fantastic desert scenery. It's usually passable in winter. It's an out a back unless you want to drive 70 miles on dirt through Saline Valley.

Death Valley is also worth a visit but only in winter. Read the Manley book first if you're into history. It's an account of the first white people to cross Death Valley and kinda similar to the Donner story though fewer people died.

Appreciate the info! That will have to be for another trip though.

Was looking at taking 395 down to Mammoth, but like I said, due to the drive time and the possible issues with weather, decided against it.

I've been to Alaska a couple of times, my wife has not. She's wanting to take a cruise up there. On our trip last week, she brought up a railroad trip through Canada which I know my parents took (my dad got some great pics that I still have on them on the train with some great scenery).

The goal now is to take a decent vacation every year now that we're alone by ourselves, so it's either going to be a cruise or rail road trip next year for a couple weeks.