After a week of rain, Monday started off with blue skies and bright sunlight. Our 4-car caravan took a short drive out on Highway 66 past Emigrant Lake, then right on Buckhorn Springs Road, then right again up Emmigrant Creek Road to parking across from the yellow gate.
The BLM road around the gate was mostly a steady uphill 2-mile route to a left turn to the Buck Rock Tunnel project.
The Oregon & California Railroad Company was a speculative startup railroad project that investors supported from August 1883 until February 1884, when the money ran out. Managers tried to continue the tunnel project by asking the Chinese laborers to accept a 50% cut in pay. That proved unacceptable as most of the laborers returned to San Francisco, thereby ending the project.
This historic site is an interesting local hike through open forest along the road. Muddy at times, but with the sun breaking out as we gained elevation, it was a pleasant hike for our group of 17.
The tunnel goes back about 150', with a short trail up to a landing that goes back another 50' to the premature end of the project.
After lots of photo opportunities, including group shots, we hiked out of the tunnel and up a trail that took us to a sunny spot on top of a hill for lunch.
We could see into the valley before it was covered in fog, and I-5 heading up to the pass off to the west.
Randy and Linda continued up to Buck Rock at 3,900'. The group will do that hike in the Spring.
We welcomed back Jerry, returning from injury, on his first hike since May.
On the day, we hiked 4 miles with 500' of gain.
Happy Trails and Happy Holidays,
Rich
