Page:Big Oak Flat Road (HAER No. CA-147) written historical and descriptive data.pdf/12

 mere shrubs and the Merced dwindles to a silver thread; across the narrow chasm we now look down on the Cathedral Spires, the Three Sisters, and Sentinel Rock; we see Bridal Veil Fall swaying like a gossamer against the mighty cliff, and beyond we have an endless vista of forest-clad mountains...

Crane Flat is nothing more than a ranger station on the road and the official took up our time card--we came by a safe margin of two or three hours--and removed the seals from our game-getter...Two or three miles from Crane Flat we came to the Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees, where there are numerous giant redwoods, though not so many or so huge as those of Mariposa.

Over the ensuing years, the Big Oak Flat Road was subject to considerable realignment, reconstruction and maintenance. Sections of retaining wall were frequently taken out by rock falls and required rebuilding. A 75' section was rebuilt in August 1924. Three timber bridges, over Lily, Coyote and Squaw creeks, were replaced by corrugated metal culverts in October, and the road grade was reduced to a maximum of 10 percent west of Tamarack Flat. Severe rains in November washed out the road at Rainbow View, closing it until January.

The road was resurfaced between Rainbow View and the Tuolumne Big Tree Grove near Crane Flat in August 1926. A new bridge was constructed over Cascade Creek in 1928. In September 1929, the half-mile section between Gentry's and Coyote Creek was graded, and the segment between Crane Flat and the park line was widened. The 1929 improvement work cost $27,675. Three switchbacks were taken out by a severe rockslide on 29 September 1930, but the grade was reconstructed. In 1931, the section of the road between Gentry's and the park boundary was widened to 18'-20'; the construction camp for this phase of work was established at Crane Flat. Cattle guards were placed across the road at the park boundaries in July 1932. In August 1934, a 250' section of retaining wall, up to 50' in height, had to be replaced on account of further rockslides; another section, 40' long by 10' high, was replaced in May 1937 after another slide. After the new road was completed in 1940, the bridge over Cascade Creek on the old road was replaced again in 1941 to enable the route to continue in use as a scenic downhill drive.

With the completion of the New Big Oak Flat Road between the Valley and Crane Flat in 1940, most traffic ceased to use the old road. A rockslide in May 1945 swept away the "Zigzag" switchback, and the road was closed. The Park Service considered clearing the road, estimating the costs of repairs at $15,000. The agency took bids on the work, but never awarded the contract. More rockslides have since covered other parts of the road between Rainbow View and the Valley floor, and the route now passes through a designated wilderness area.

Today, the Old Big Oak Flat Road is an exciting walk. The hiker climbs steeply up from the base of El Capitan, then must clamber across three series