Salt Springs Reservoir

The GPS got me lost.

The destination was Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

Garmin Nuvi took me off the highway.



A winding road led me through burning forest.



I think it was some kind of controlled burn.


The road got rough...



I descended into a ravine...


The GPS kept recalculating.


Whatever...



I crossed a single lane bridge.



I passed over a working flume.

Flumes direct water over and through the mountains to communities.



I came to a camping area. The road became dirt.



I passed over a fork of the Mokelumne River.



I arrived at the Salt Springs Reservoir.


Several dams dot the Sierra Nevada Mountains.


They capture melting snow-pack.



These dams regulate water flow to farms in the Central Valley.



A nice view of the Mokelumne Valley and PG&E hydroelectric plant.


I decided to back-track to Highway 88.



Salt Springs Reservoir was an unexpected but pleasant detour.

Carson Pass

I crossed the Nevada state-line in South Lake Tahoe.

I was back in California.

My next hurdle was the Sierra Nevada Mountains.


A major winter snowstorm was coming. A few of the mountain passes were already closed.


I continued south on Rt. 89 to Grover Hot Springs State Park.



Grover Hot Springs has geothermal pools open to the public for wading.



A road crew informed me the pass on Rt. 4 was closed.


I doubled-back on Rt. 89. I reached Rt. 88 and headed west over the Sierras.



The grade to the Kit Carson Pass was steep.



Luckily, the Carson Pass was clear. Just a little ice on the road.


I entered the El Dorado National Forest.



The GPS started to let me down. It didn't label a reservoir.



I passed through some ice and slush, reaching Kirkwood Meadows.