So a new year of explorations begins. This year, I decided to visit the areas logged between 1927-1931 as the Ferguson Fire had affected parts of these areas. Looking at the maps of the grades in Hank Johnston's Thunder in the Mountains, and forest service roads, I figured it would be easiest to start out at the west end of Chowchilla Mountain. This is the area in the lower left of the map below:


From the ghost town of Darrah, I followed a Forest Service road to the top of the ridge. I figured I would intercept the railroad grade near Roundtree Saddle, and I planned to work my way through all of the branch lines and then back to the mill at Sugar Pine.

I left my house at 5:15 am, and by 8 am was driving on dirt roads looking for railroad grades. The Ferguson Fire hopscotched across the forest and left some areas devastated and others untouched.

After an hour of driving down Forest Service roads looking for any signs of railroad grades I finally found one:


We are looking to the east. Turning around, you see this view as the railroad grade disappears into the forest:


The Ferguson Fire did not damage this area much. After careful study of the maps I came to the conclusion that I had entered the railroad grade on the upper side of the incline that is just to the right of Crow Peak. The railroad grade heading into the woods was going to the incline that would haul logs out of an area below me. I decided to track this down at a later date...

To be continued (many posts)....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2019 08:11PM by Dave Peterson.