Pedro Mountain Road
Pedro Mountain Road | |
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Landslides , erosion |
Pedro Mountain Road describes a series of historical road crossings of Pedro Mountain, a promontory ridge located between
History
The first historical record of the road crossing Pedro Mountain was in the journal of the
Half Moon Bay - Colma Road
It was a narrow, steep, and winding road and reportedly was seldom in good condition. Numerous accidents occurred on this dangerous road and some of the wrecked cars can still be found in ravines below the route. “Even with a thoroughly reliable driver and trustworthy car,” Motoring magazine warned in 1913, “Pedro Mountain Road is in such poor condition that anyone going this way is simply inviting disaster.” The danger was underscored by a large sign that read: “DANGEROUS FOR AUTOMOBILES—TAKE ROAD VIA SAN MATEO” Motorists who chose to ignore this sign encountered grades as steep as 25 percent in some places. Hairpin turns called for “the coolest heads, firmest hands, and strongest brakes that a car can have.”[3] This is supported by vintage photographs of the road.
Ocean Shore Railroad
The Ocean Shore Railroad, which operated from 1907 to 1920, served as an alternative routing to the nearly impassible Half Moon Bay-Colma road routing. After the railroad ceased operations along the coast, the company was unable to reach a satisfactory agreement with the State of California to move the highway to the railroad's right-of-way. Eventually, when State Route 1 was completed, the state located most of the highway parallel to the right-of-way, even along the treacherous Devil's Slide.[4]
Legislative Route 56
In 1933, this section of roadway was coded into the highway system as Legislative Route 56. The next year in 1934 the highway would be signed as State Route 1 until the highway was rerouted along the Devil's Slide in 1937. This new routing replaced State Route 1 from 14th Street in Montara, to Rockaway Beach Avenue in Rockaway Beach (present day Pacifica) [5] Portions of the crumbling pavement of Pedro Mountain Road can still be found between Montara and Pacifica. In some places, the roadbed has washed out or been partially buried by landslides. A short stub of the highway is still in use in Montara, near the local nursery. Nevertheless, the old routes are still accessible to hikers.[6]
One longtime coastside resident, Charlie Nye, Jr., recalled: "The road coming over Pedro Mountain was terrible, just awful. Words can’t describe it. It was just impossible. It went around turns and more turns, hairpin turns, short turns, backward turns. There were potholes on top of potholes. When you come down here today and complain about a few earth-slides on Devil’s Slide, well, that’s nothing compared to that old Pedro Mountain Road."[7]
The road today
Part of the road begins at a chain link fence at the existing stub in Montara and continues north to Martini Creek. The original bridge across the creek is gone, but a trail is available to the ranger's residence on the north side of the creek. The route continues to the northern park boundary beyond the Saddle Pass above Pacifica. Hikers will find the route moderate to rigorous, climbing to an elevation of 930 feet (280 m). The road continues on down into Pacifica to become the city's Higgins Way. Pedro Mountain Road intersects with the North Peak Access Road (which goes to the top of Montara Mountain), just before Green Valley.[8]
References
- ^ VanderWerf, Barbara 1994. Montara Mountain. Gum Tree Lane Books, Granada, CA.
- ^ "Strava | Run and Cycling Tracking on the Social Network for Athletes".
- ^ Half Moon Memories website
- ^ Jack R. Wagner, The Last Whistle: Ocean Shore Railroad (Berkeley:Howell-North Books, 1974)
- ^ Rick Adams and Louise McCorkle, The State Route 1 Book, Ballantine Books, 1985
- ^ Eyewitness account by Robert E. Nylund, www.mapquest.com
- ^ Interview with Charlie Nye Jr. for Half Moon Bay Memories website
- ^ McNee Ranch State Park website