Jamestown to Modesto via the Tuolumne River

A long, long time ago, before the good Herr Doktor created the 356 and the 911, there was the steam locomotive. Over 175,000 were built in the United States starting in 1831, and they saw service all over the country, from the Atlantic coast of Maine to the sugar plantations of Hawaii . Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific's 119, the two moguls that met at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869, upon the completion of the transcontinental railroad, are probably the best known engines. Less famous, but no less storied, are the thousands of locomotives that toiled in the Sierras pulling loads of lumber and ore, as well as the occasional passenger.

In 1897, the first train arrived in Jamestown , in the heart of the Gold Country, and by 1910, 10 scheduled trains came through town daily. Today, the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park features a complete depot, train rides, and no less than six operating steam locomotives. It is a favorite destination for rail buffs, families and school children learning about California history. There are guided and self-guided tours available. If your timing is lucky, you can try turning an 80-ton engine on the turntable. When properly balanced, you will be able to push the engine by hand, and it will turn. The pièce de résistance for the mechanically inclined is the fully operational roundhouse and its workshops. The forge has the bellows and drop-hammers to create metal parts and tools of any shape. The metal shop has a lathe with 48" of clearance, a 200-ton hydraulic press, a crank shaper, a 20-foot long planer, a radial drill, and miscellaneous cutters, small drills and lathes, wheel borers and threading machines. I think you could build a 914 crankshaft from raw steel with all that equipment. Sure beats my Craftsman toolbox.  

After Jamestown , you might continue the history lesson with a visit to Columbia, one of the hundreds of mining settlements that emerged after gold was found in the Sierras. You can also make a detour through Sonora, named after the miners from Mexico who founded the town in 1848. 

Eventually, however, it will be time to head home, and, for most members of GGR, this means the Bay Area. Regular folks will probably choose highways 108/120 through Oakdale and Modesto , but Porsche drivers will contemplate the map for a while and look for a more interesting route. If you are not afraid of heights, come along. 

In Jamestown , turn east on Highway 49, then right onto Highway 108 towards Twain Harte. About three of miles out of town, make a right onto Mono Way/Tuolumne Road and follow it for about a mile and a half. Make a right onto Wards Ferry Road . This is the fateful turn. Do not take this road if, among other things, your car is not in perfect condition (steering, tires and brakes), you are not in perfect condition (steady hands, no drugs or alcohol, etc), the weather is not perfect (no night, rain or snow), or you or your passengers are squeamish about vertical cliffs. Also, check the calendar, because in April there is often a bicycle race in the area.  

Wards Ferry Road starts as a two-lane road in a relatively flat area, where it is easy to maintain a good pace among the farm animals. On Labor Day there was no other car around, and I doubt you will find much traffic on a normal day. Seven miles after the turn-off, the road has narrowed to a single lane, and the descent into the Tuolumne River canyon starts. Take a look at the topographic map nearby; the road drops 1000 feet on the north side of the river, then climbs 1200 feet on the south side. This is the hairy part, as there is no Armco anywhere, so the penalty for a mistake is drastic and instantaneous. You may have to slow to 15 miles per hour. But the views are incomparable and well worth the trouble. Imagine, as you drive with the AC on, that only 150 years ago, the 49'ers were traipsing through this area with mule trains.

At the bottom of the canyon, Wards Ferry Bridge is a popular take-out point for the white water rafters who brave the class IV and V rapids of the Tuolumne . You might want to stop for pictures.  

From the bridge crossing, it is 7.3 miles to Highway 120 and what passes for civilization in Groveland and Big Oak Flat. Turn west on Highway 120 towards Moccasin and Chinese Camp. Shortly after Big Oak Flat, be prepared for two miles of pure driving joy as the downhill pavement on Priest Grade is near perfect, the corners are well engineered and the visibility is good. At the bottom of the grade, time permitting, you may consider turning around and trying the grade in the other direction. It would make a terrific hillclimb location. At the top, you can choose to make a very sharp right onto Old Priest Grade, which basically follows a straight line down the mountain and rejoins Highway 120 at the bottom.  

Past Moccasin Creek, turn left on Highway 49 and follow it for 10 miles or so to Coulterville, where you will turn right on Highway 132. These two highways are fairly straight and well paved. They provide a nice contrast after the high dose of slow corners on Wards Ferry Road. Soon you arrive at Don Pedro Lake, named after a Frenchman, Pierre Sainsevain, who sailed from Bordeaux in 1838 to settle in Los Angeles near his uncle Jean-Louis Vignes, who is widely considered the father of the California wine industry. Sainsevain, named Don Pedro by his Mexican friends, found gold in June 1848 under what is now the lake.  

Highway 132 comes gently down from the Sierras, and soon you are in La Grange, more ghost town than metropolis, and not to be confused with La Grange, Texas, of ZZ Top fame. A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.  

The distance between Jamestown and La Grange is 60 miles, but you should plan on two hours for a comfortable drive. From La Grange , it is straight to Modesto for 30 miles, through rich farm land and abundant orchards.