Road 222/Powerhouse Road

Last Memorial Day I took a trip up to Glacier Point in Yosemite. Given the large crowds heading to/from Yosemite National Park I decided to do something a little unconventional and take Road 222/Powerhouse Road over the San Joaquin River to reach Fresno.

Road 222/Powerhouse Road is an approximately 14 mile route between North Fork in Madera County and Auberry in Fresno County. Road 222 begins at North Fork Road/Road 222 immediately south of North Fork.

Road 222 southbound to the San Joaquin River at Kerckhoff Lake has a heavy grade that is as high as 9% in places. The road is generally pretty good but drops from about 3,300 feet above sea level to about 1,300 feet above sea level at the San Joaquin River.

Road 222 approaches Kerckhoff Lake and the Wishon Powerhouse. Kerckhoff Lake is impounded from the waters of the San Joaquin River and is part of Pacific Gas & Electricity's Big Creek project. Apparently Kerckhoff Dam was completed in 1920.

I'm not sure where this stairwell goes but it was across Road 222 from the Wishon Powerhouse, I thought it looked cool.

Road 222 becomes Powerhouse Road on this bridge as it enters Fresno County.

The climb south on Powerhouse Road to Auberry Road and Auberry isn't as steep as Road 222 but far more curvy. Powerhouse Road ends at Auberry Road in the community of Auberry.

Given that Kerckhoff Lake was part of the Big Creek Project both Road 222 and Powerhouse Road are quiet old. Both roads are observable as being county maintained on the 1935 California Division of Highways maps of Madera and Fresno Counties.

1935 Madera County Highway Map

1935 Fresno County Highway Map

The Temperance Flat Dam Project has been floated around for about a decade from what I can recall. If the Temperance Flat Dam Project was ever approved it encompass Kerckhoff Lake within it's catchment area. The Temperance Flat Dam is heavily supported by Fresno County farmers due to the Big Creek Project being primarily used for Hydroelectric Power rather than water storage. The Temperance Flat Dam project really seems to not have gained much traction other than being San Joaquin ranch community argument point against the High Speed Rail project. I found a FAQ on the Temperance Flat Dam Project from the Department of Water Resources but it is over a decade old.

Water.ca.gov on Temperance Flat Dam Project

Comments

Yes, the color of your nearby fire hydrant matters...

...and here's why. You will find White, Red, Yellow and Violet colored fire hydrants pretty much everywhere. But there's a reason for this - and it's because of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This association has issued guidelines for color coding standards for fire hydrants. These color codes from the body of the hydrant, top of the hydrant, and in some municipalities the outlet caps are designed to allow fire fighters to know what type of system, water flow rate (Gallons Per Minute or GPM), and level of water pressure. This guideline is known as NFPA 291 and is intended to be used universally throughout the United States. The NFPA guidelines are specific to the body and the top cap of the hydrant. If a hydrant is WHITE or YELLOW - it means that it is connected to a public/municipal water system. If a hydrant is RED - the hydrant is connected to a private system, typically a well. These are most common in rural or unincorporated areas

Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway (in the making since 1947)

On September 15, 2022, the Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway opened in the city of Modesto from California State Route 99 west to North Dakota Avenue. Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway was built upon a corridor which was tentatively to designated to become the branching point for Interstate 5W in the 1947 concept of the Interstate Highway System. The present California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor was adopted by the California Highway Commission on June 20, 1956. Despite almost being rescinded during the 1970s the concept of the California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor lingered on for over half a century and became likely the oldest undeveloped right-of-way owned by California Transportation Commission. Pictured above is the planned California State Route 132 freeway west of US Route 99 in Modesto as featured in the May/June 1962 California Highways & Public Works. The history of the California State Route

Aptos Creek Road to the Loma Prieta ghost town site

Aptos Creek Road is a roadway in Santa Cruz County, California which connects the community of Aptos north to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Parks. Aptos Creek Road north of Aptos is largely unpaved and is where the town site of Loma Prieta can be located. Loma Prieta was a sawmill community which operated from 1883-1923 and reached a peak population of approximately three hundred. Loma Prieta included a railroad which is now occupied by Aptos Creek Road along with a spur to Bridge Creek which now the Loma Prieta Grade Trail. The site of the Loma Prieta Mill and company town burned in 1942. Part 1; the history of Aptos Creek Road and the Loma Prieta town site Modern Aptos traces its origin to Mexican Rancho Aptos. Rancho Aptos was granted by the Mexican Government in 1833 Rafael Castro. Rancho Aptos took its name from Aptos Creek which coursed through from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Monterey Bay. Castro initially used Rancho Aptos to raise cattle for their hides. Following