Adventure 051, Site 046 – Pacheco Pass

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 046 – Pacheco Pass

California Landmark Number: 829

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 19, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 37°3′59″N

Longitude: 121°13′7″W

 Description:

Last year when we got our Dam photo for Capture California, we saw this plaque. And now that we can count it, it was time to repay a visit to the Romano Center on top of the BF Sisk Dam. This plaque commemorates the historical significance that Pacheco pass has played. From the time of the Native Americans who used it as a trading route to the Spanish Explorers to the 49er's to the modern Highway 152. Even John Muir has been affected by the sight of endless flowers stretching out over the Valley when he passed through.

Pacheco Pass' name derives from Francisco Perez Pacheco, whose family still has holdings in the area, if Thing One's memory holds true. The family donated a section of the actual pass to the State for a park. The informal name for this area was Robber's Pass—you can guess why. In modern times, it has been known to be called Blood Alley. Of course, with such moniker's, there is the possibilities of the strange attributed to this pass.

Thing One thinks we have lost something with the big bowl of water here, but it does have a place as well, keeping electricty for the State and water for the California Aqueduct.

NO. 829 PACHECO PASS - On June 21, 1805, on his first exploratory journey into the San Joaquin Valley, Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga traversed and recorded this pass. Since then it has been trail, toll road, stagecoach road, and freeway-the principal route between the coastal areas to the west and the great valley and mountains to the east.
Location: Romero Overlook, San Luis Reservoir, 31770 W Hwy 152 (P.M. 8.0), 15 mi W of Los Banos

References:

• Wikipedia
  
• HMDB
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• Noehill (NOE)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)
  
• Fresno – Local Historical Sites (FRLO)
  
• Fresno – National Historical Sites (FRNA)
  

Adventure 008, Hike 051 - San Luis Creek

 

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 008, Hike 051 – San Luis Creek Trail

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 7, 2012

Location: O'Neal Forebay, San Luis Reservoir State Park

Hike Info:

Trail: San Luis Creek Trail

Distance: 3.1 (Trail is 2.1 miles)

Duration: 1:10

Elevation Rise: Negligible

Description:
O'Neal Forebay is a large lake by itself, let alone its connection with the San Luis Reservoir. But there is only one hiking trail at the forebay. But it is a paved trail, meant to be used by handicapped people. It is wide so two or three people can walk together or a wheelchair can easily navigate. The path is flat, going pretty close to the forebay.



The trail goes from the swimming/picnic area close to Highway 152 through the group campground, about a mile away all the way to the family campground 2.1 miles from the picnic area. We started our hike a little after 6pm and it was around 93 degrees. Because of it being summer, much of the plant life had dried up. The grasses were a golden brown. So during the summer, be sure to bring plenty of drinking water to cool yourself off with. The park even supplied benches along the way to rest on.



But one of the good things about this area is the surprising abundance of wildlife. Of course we saw lizards scurrying across the trail. But when we drove up, there was a doe and her two fawns enjoying a munch at the group campsite. In addition there was evidence of burrowing owls, like we just learned about earlier in the day at Shoreline Park. We saw several gulls, monarch and cabbage butterflies. There was even a great heron by the shore. So all in all it was a good walk, just be prepared.