Yellow Grade Road (Osceola Refetoff Photo)
The Yellow Grade Road, aka Cerro Gordo Road, climbs 5000 feet in 8 miles from Keeler to the Cerro Gordo mining camp on Cerro Gordo Peak, aka Buena Vista Peak.
Pack train ready to descend the Yellow Grade Road from the mule barn at Cerro Gordo
In April 1868, mining engineer Mortimer Belshaw arrived at Cerro Gordo from San Francisco. Belshaw and his partner, Abner B. Elder, took some smelted ore to San Francisco, where they organized the Union Mining Co. with a third partner and financial backer, Egbert Judson, president of the California Paper Co.
Belshaw and Elder returned to Cerro Gordo, built an eight-mile toll road up the mountainside — the Yellow Grade Road (named for the yellowish shale), aka Cerro Gordo Road — and fired up a new, steam-powered smelter in September 1868 above the camp.
Belshaw charged tolls for use of the road and was able to control the shipments of silver from the mountain.
In December 1868, Belshaw and Beaudry hired another French Canadian, the famous freighter Remi Nadeau (1819-87), to haul ore to Los Angeles. Thirty-two teams carted $50,000 worth of silver and lead — only half of the maximum output — down the Yellow Grade Road every day to start a three-week trek to Los Angeles where the silver and lead were separated at a proper refinery.
A fast trip down from the Cerro Gordo mining camp. The video is displayed four times normal speed to compress a 30+ minute drive into just over 8 minutes - video by Mike Stoller, Jan 5, 2015.
The road is now a County maintained public road.
It starts at about 3500 feet and climbs to over 8000 feet above sea level in just over eight miles with some spectacular views.
It is a graded dirt road which is steep in places and can be accessed by 2 wheel drive high clearance vehicles in good condition.
Drive with caution.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended.
About one hour video shows the entire road both up and down, about half an hour each way. It does not include exploration of the town which is in a separate video. Taken in September 2017 and shows you what to expect.
Driving up can be a severe test on the vehicle's cooling system. Driving down requires controlling your speed using low gear with careful use of brakes.
Be sure to take extra food and water. It can be quite cold at the over 8000 foot elevation town, even in summer, so take appropriate clothing.
Since Cerro Gordo is private property, it is best to call 760-876-5030 before you go to make arrangements for a tour with the caretaker. You can also check for road conditions as there can be snow in winter or washouts if there has been heavy rain. Take money for souvenirs and a donation.
View of Sierra Nevada from Yellow Grade Road, Mt. Whitney on far right (Laure Lee Kimmel Photo)
Entering the historic Yellow Grade Road, ready to travel 8 miles and climb 5,000 feet to the mining camp
The view from about half-way up the 8-mile Yellow Grade Road, looking back toward Owens Lake below and the eastern Sierra in the distance
Cabling ("wire rope") from a tramway that hauled ore carts down — or rather, above — the Yellow Grade Road from the mines to the smelter east of Keeler on the east side of Owens Lake during the first two decades of the 20th Century
Rock walls below the Estelle Mine, about 6 miles up the Yellow Grade Road from Owens Lake (approximately 2 miles below the Cerro Gordo mining camp
Yellow shale, from which the Yellow Grade Road derives its name, approximately 6 miles up the road from Owens Lake (approximately 2 miles below the mining camp
The view from about half-way up the 8-mile Yellow Grade Road, looking back toward Owens Lake below and the eastern Sierra in the distance
The view from high up the 8-mile Yellow Grade Road, looking back toward Owens Lake below and the eastern Sierra in the distance. The yellowish hues of the shale, from which the road derives its name, are starting to show themselves
A loading chute at the tailings of one of the southerly mines of the Cerro Gordo region, about 6 miles up the 8-mile Yellow Grade Road, aka Cerro Gordo Road, which climbs 5,000 feet from Owens Lake to the mining camp
Yellow shale, from which the Yellow Grade Road derives its name, approximately 6 miles up the road from Owens Lake (approximately 2 miles below the mining camp)