California Highway 4 Photographs
Above - Warning sign on Hwy 4 near Bear Valley advising motorists of the steep grades and narrow winding road ahead
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Hwy 4 & Ebbetts Pass sign near Angels Camp. Ebbetts Pass is closed each winter due to excessive snowfall in the mountains. In some years, the mountain pass remains closed until late spring. When Ebbetts Pass is open, Hwy 4 forms a continuous east-west route between Interstate 80 north of San Francisco and Hwy 89 near the California-Nevada Boundary.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Centre - Just past the Hwy 207 Junction at Bear Valley, Hwy 4 suddenly narrows and the painted highway centreline stops. The warning sign at right advises that vehicles over 25 feet in length should not use this highway. The hairpin turns across the mountain pass are two tight for large vehicles to negotiate safely.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing east across the Pacific Grade Summit (Elevation 8,050 feet above sea level) on Hwy 4
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Reflectorized "button copy" highway sign for Pacific Grade Summit on Hwy 4
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Centre - Facing west across the Pacific Grade Summit on Hwy 4
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - This attractive alpine lake is located directly beside Hwy 4 at the Pacific Grade Summit. As seen in this photograph, a considerable amount of snow still lines the shores of Mosquito Lake, even in late May.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Beyond the Pacific Grade Summit, Hwy 4 descends into the Mokelumne River Valley, but the highway soon resumes its steep ascent towards Ebbetts Pass
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Centre - This stunning vista over the Mokelumne River Valley opens up on the ascent up to Ebbetts Pass on Hwy 4. This highway should be driven with considerable care. While this section of Hwy 4 is very lightly travelled, the roadway itself is quite narrow (some sections are only one lane) and there are rarely any guide rails protecting vehicles from precipitous drops off of the edge of the pavement, such as this one.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing east along Hwy 4 towards Ebbetts Pass. Snow-capped Ebbetts Peak can be seen in the distance.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Crossing over Ebbetts Pass on Hwy 4. At 8,730 feet above sea level, Ebbetts Pass is one of the highest mountain passes in California.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Centre - Sign marking the crest of Ebbetts Pass on Hwy 4. Yes, that is actually me standing beside the signpost.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Facing east along Hwy 4 at the Upper Cascade Creek Bridge
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Left - Upper Cascade Creek Bridge on Hwy 4. Structure completed in 1939.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Centre - The Upper Cascade Creek Bridge has a timber beam railing, which is somewhat unusual for a California highway bridge.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Right - Eastern terminus of Hwy 4 at the Hwy 89 Junction. From this point, Hwy 89 North continues straight through to Lake Tahoe, while Hwy 89 South turns right towards US Route 395 and Monitor Pass.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
Above - Steep hill warning sign and winter closure gates on Hwy 4 just west of the Hwy 89 Junction near Lake Tahoe. The opposite side of snowy Ebbetts Peak can be seen in the distance on the right-hand side of this photo.
(Photograph taken on May 25, 2007 - © Cameron Bevers)
