This scenic byway begins in the town of North Fork where you can stop at the National Forest Ranger Station for information and maps. But before we begin, it's worth a short side trip to visit the "Exact Center of California," a geographical landmark. The "Parkway" is actually the Italian Bar Road which leads to Redinger Lake.
There's room to park one small car. Good thing I was the only one here today.
It would have been easier to find if I had known the coordinates before I started.
This landmark was confirmed in 1995 by California State University, Fresno using the latest Global Positioning System technology.
Thistle was impressed.
So who lives at the exact center of California? Why, the wild turkeys do!
Italian Bar Road continues down to Redinger Lake, but we turned back to Forest Road 81, the scenic byway into the mountains.
View of Redinger Lake on the right and the San Joaquin River with the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
California Poppies are at their peak on the mountainside.
And if you get tired of that view, you can walk down the road a few steps and see the same view through Lupines and Fiddlenecks.
At a pull-off along the Byway.
The colors are eye-popping.
At the next overlook, I found myself at butt-level with a soaring Red-tailed Hawk.
An unusual perspective, looking down on a soaring hawk.
He was hunting.
This is why I stopped at the overlook.
Continuing higher we come to the sad part of the story. All of those pine trees are dead or dying.
Stressed due to the prolonged drought, they have been invaded by bark beetles. You can just imagine the fire danger the dead trees pose to this area. Tragic.
A little snow on the higher peaks.
View from another pull-off.
Our next stop is at the Jesse Ross Cabin.
There is a short trail to the cabin.
Built in the 1860s, the Jesse Ross Cabin is is one of the oldest standing log cabins in Madera County.
The cabin was moved 1/2 mile from its original location to National Forest land where it could be preserved.
Notice the gate.
Made from Manzanita limbs.
Looking in the window you can see old newsprint and wallpaper still clinging to the walls.
Fireplace and back door can be seen here.
This was our last stop of the day... we had been touring other places earlier, so it was getting late.
I found out from the Ranger Station that the road is only open as far as Mammoth Pool. Beyond that is still above the snow line. I hope to go back later before I leave the area and visit Mammoth Pool...maybe kayak there.
