Nevada State Route 431; the Mount Rose Highway

Back in 2016 I had a chance to drive Nevada State Route 431 from NV 28 at Lake Tahoe northeast to US 395A/NV 341 south of Reno.

NV 431 is a 24.4 mile State Highway and as the sign above states is reputed to be the highest all-year pass in the Sierra Nevada Range at 8,911 feet above sea level. The Mount Rose Highway has been a Signed State Highway for a long time first appearing on the Nevada State Highway Map in 1932 as NV 27.

1932 Nevada State Highway Map

Unlike nearby NV 28 the numbering of NV 27 was reassigned to NV 431 in 1976 during the Nevada State Highway renumbering. The new designation of NV 431 appears alongside NV 27 on the Mount Rose Highway on the 1978 Nevada State Highway Map.

1978 Nevada State Highway Map

NV 431 starts eastward from NV 28 on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village at approximately 6,350 feet above sea level.

From Incline Village NV 431 begins to ascend quickly and has a massive vista of Lake Tahoe at the first major hairpin.

NV 431 quickly rises to the 8,911 feet Mount Rose Summit.

Truckee Meadows can be seen ahead from Mount Rose northeast on NV 431.

From Mount Rose NV 431 begins to descend rapidly crossing through the Mount Rose Ski Area. NV431 has a minor unsigned junction at NV 878/Slide Mountain Ski Bowl Highway.

The rapid descent of NV 431 to Truckee Meadows continues through a large number of wide switchbacks before straightening out on a steep descent.

NV 431 has a junction with US 395/I-580 before terminating at the junction of NV 341/US 395A.

Comments

The Vague Original Southern Terminus of US Route 91 in the Californian Mojave Desert

One of the more intriguing mysteries of the early US Route System in California is where the original south terminus of US Route 91 was intended to be located in the Mojave Desert. This blog is a little different than my usual behind the wheel fare and explores why US Route 91 ultimately ended at US Route 66 in Daggett instead of Bannock. What ultimately became the US Route System was first discussed during the American Association of State Highway Officials ("AASHO") during their annual 1924 meeting. Ultimately the AASHO recommended to the Department of Agriculture to work with the States to develop a system of Interstate Highways to replace the many Auto Trails in use. The Joint Board on Interstate Highways was ultimately commissioned by the Department of Agriculture and it's branch agency the Bureau of Public Roads in March of 1925. The Joint Board on Interstate Highways first met in April of 1925 and decided on the new interstate road network would be known a

Where the hell is Hill Valley? (US Route 8 south/US Route 395 east)

Recently I made a visit to Universal Studios near Los Angeles. While on the back lot tour I came across a piece of infamous movie-borne fictional highway infamy; the location of town square of Hill Valley, California on US Route 8/US Route 395. The above photo is part of the intro scene to the first Back-to-the-Future movie which was set in 1985. To anyone who follows roadways the signage error of US 8 meeting US 395 in California is an immediately notable error. For one; US 8 doesn't even exist anywhere near California with present alignment being signed as an east/west highway between Norway, Michigan and Forest Lake, Minnesota. To make matters worse US 8 is signed as a southbound route and US 395 (a north/south highway) is signed as an eastbound route. At minimum the cut-out US 8 and US 395 shields somewhat resemble what Caltrans used in the 1980s. Assuming Hill Valley is located on what would have been US 395 by 1985 what locales would be a viable real world analog?

Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates

Over the past two decades I've crossed the Interstate 5 corridor from Los Angeles north over the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Tehachapi Range to San Joaquin Valley what seems to be an immeasurable number of times. While Interstate 5 from Castaic Junction to Grapevine via Tejon Pass today is known to most as "The Grapevine" it occupies a corridor which has been traversed by numerous historic highways. The most notable of these highways is known as the "Ridge Route." This article is dedicated to the Ridge Route and the various highways that preceded it. The Ridge Route is a 44 mile section of highway which was completed in 1915. The Ridge Route originally stretched from Castaic Junction north over Liebre Summit and Tejon Pass to the tiny community of Grapevine. In spite of a roadway that once utilized nearly 700 curves the Ridge Route is generally considered far ahead of it's time and one of the first modern highways constructed for automotive use.

Gribblenation

Search This Blog