The Impossible Railroad
After parking in Jacumba, we got on our bikes and headed West on Carrizo Gorge road. The road led us back along and then under Hwy. 8 as the railroad tracks appeared on our left. This was what we were looking for. They would be our guide on this journey into the wild and forbidding landscape of the Carrizo Gorge. This truly is the badlands, straight out of an old Western, we thought as we crossed over to the tracks. In this photo we have just begun our journey and are approaching the first tunnel. It is a bright clear sunny day, the weather we had hoped for. This clear, cold December morning would soon give way to the warmth of the sun as we made our way down into the gorge.
The trail had been rough at first, but soon gave way to a well worn path that showed signs of being traveled recently. Tracks from bike tires and hiking boots were evident as we dodged small boulders conveniently placed at ankle height, waiting to catch the unwary off-guard. As the tracks made their way into the canyon, trestles began to appear. This one's broken down and collapsing. The walkway is sagging quite low. These made for some interesting crossings. But, we felt safe if we stayed in the middle of the tracks.
A little further along, we came to a trestle with metal catwalks along each side. This sure makes for a nice view of the canyon below us. Some of the metal sections are a little bit shakey where they connect to each other. Some have even been bent down and could cause you grief, if you're not careful. I wouldn't want to take the plunge down into the canyon. Would you?
After passing the trestles, we continued on, following the trail that ran along side of the tracks. In the distance can be seen a series of trestles that appear to cling to the side of the canyon. These are called "side hill trestles" and there are 14 along the route. Check out the San Diego Railroad Museum for the history of the "Impossible Railroad".