Mt Lowe- Granite Gate then and now
December hike on Mt Lowe. This is the famed "Granite Gate", note the trolley wire bracket arm still attached to the rock wall- a few years ago it was more complete (and not bent), but I was told some falling rocks tried to take it out.
Located above Pasadena on the slopes of the San Gabriel mountains, the famed Mt. Lowe railway was Southern California's premiere tourist attraction for over 40 years. Passengers reached Echo Mountain via an incline, and then transferred to narrow gauge trolleys for the ride up to the resort at Alpine Tavern. There were 18 bridges, 127 curves, and the longest piece of straight track was only 227 feet. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2yGDEp6zPg Another shorter film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFD9lByo2Wk
Abandoned by Pacific Electric in 1938 following a disastorous fire and floods, the right-of-way today is preserved as a series of trails. A group of dedicated volunteers supplements the work of the Forrest Service with maintenance and historic interpretation. Over the years they've rescued a large number of artifacts that had been pushed down the mountain in the decades after abandonment.
Mt Lowe- Granite Gate then and now
December hike on Mt Lowe. This is the famed "Granite Gate", note the trolley wire bracket arm still attached to the rock wall- a few years ago it was more complete (and not bent), but I was told some falling rocks tried to take it out.
Located above Pasadena on the slopes of the San Gabriel mountains, the famed Mt. Lowe railway was Southern California's premiere tourist attraction for over 40 years. Passengers reached Echo Mountain via an incline, and then transferred to narrow gauge trolleys for the ride up to the resort at Alpine Tavern. There were 18 bridges, 127 curves, and the longest piece of straight track was only 227 feet. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2yGDEp6zPg Another shorter film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFD9lByo2Wk
Abandoned by Pacific Electric in 1938 following a disastorous fire and floods, the right-of-way today is preserved as a series of trails. A group of dedicated volunteers supplements the work of the Forrest Service with maintenance and historic interpretation. Over the years they've rescued a large number of artifacts that had been pushed down the mountain in the decades after abandonment.