March 13, 2013 - Million Dollar Road

Title: March 13, 2013

Trail head: Jose Basin Road, Million Dollar Road

Hike Info:

Trail: Million Dollar Road

Destination:Stevenson Creek

Distance:  7.7

Travel Time: 3:41 (2.09 mph)

Moving Time: 2:55 (2.64 mph)

Elevation Rise: 940'

Maximum Elevation: 2,338'

 Description:

We met up with our group at the Park and Ride in Clovis. Probably about 25 of us, with John and Cathey leading us. Headed out a little after 8 in the morning for the Million Dollar Road, our trail for today. We have Bill and Debbie with us--Steven has gone with us as well. Got up there around 9:45.



This road was cut by SCE in the 1920's as part of the hydro-electric project, which created Shaver Lake. The road itself did not cost a million dollars, but there were water tunnels which did cost that much to bore through the granite. This is a road still in use, but is considered restricted to only SCE vehicles, bikes, and walkers--we being the later in this category.

We parked the cars at the lower end of the Million Dollar Road, on Italian Bar Road. We crossed a locked gate and started our hike. The road is paved, so most of us did not take poles, but was evenly divided between boots and tennis shoes. A couple of hundred yards gets us to Mill Creek, which we cross on a grated bridge. Mill Creek gives us a taste of what is to come. This whole road is carved out of the side of a steep 2000' tall hill. So any creeks coming down, come down fast and abrupt. Mill Creek is not an exception, except for the pond under the bridge.

On we walk, on the shady side of the hill, up a mild, but consistent grade.It really does not seem much. I alternate talking with some of my fellow flanerie's: John, Cathy, Sherri, Betty, and Debbie. Part of the fun of walking on this road, with lots of people. Sort of a traveling carnival of conversation.

The one consistent sight for us is the San Joaquin River canyon. Here, of all places, I see it as a gorge, cutting through rock. Now mostly a few pools, with trickles running down into Redinger Reservoir. Most of the vegetation is manzanita with some brush, oaks, a few pines--maybe digger pines. We see fiddlersticks, with poppies, some lupine and other wildflowers.

We reach the top and turn a ridge and start our descent into Stevenson Creek. But we do not get to the full beauty of the creek, until we are a couple hundred yards from the creek, when the falls pop into view. This is what I have envisioned some of the falls around Hetch-Hetchy to be. Water falling down a slick rock surface, down to a pool which empties under our bridge. This is the end point of our walk.

We gather and have lunch--us, the standard peanut butter and nutella sandwich. But as we look around, we see there is more to the falls, than what you see at the start. Above us, hidden by a rock cropping is another set of falls, and then another at the very top. Just spectacular! Also there is a cave/tunnel which was part of the original project. It is sealed off by cement and a welded in plate over a four foot pipe.

After lunch, we return the way we came. The only difference is that the shadow of the hill has receded, leaving us in the sun. A sun which is in the 70's now--not bad by Fresno standards, still pretty warm.

We get back to the car about 1:30. Everybody lingers around and we enjoy several mini-conversations before everyone leaves. At Prather, we have a late lunch, early dinner at Velasco's. Not bad--we will be adding it into our list of restaurants to go to when we go up to Shaver Lake area. We return back to the Park and Ride, dumping off Bill and Debbie before heading home, to recuperate.