Mariposa to Bagby Recreation Area (Lake McClure)

Bagby Rec Area (L McClure), CA

    Reputed to be the longest continuously-used courthouse west of the Rockies the Mariposa Courthouse somehow survived that scourge of all historic wooden building: FIRE!

 

 

 

 

    After driving through Bear Valley on SR49 I reached an overlook which had a view of the bridge over the Merced River at the Bagby Recreation Area; but it also had the plaque you see to the right describing a bit of the history of Gen John Charles Fremont, West Point Grad, one of the leaders of the Bear Flag Revolt here in California, explorer, miner, and the first Republican candidate for President. [See Links below.]
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    As for the road down to McClure Lake, which is shaped like a large "H" at an elevation of 900', think of SR120 from Moccasin up Priest's Grade to Big Oak Flat -- but designed to hold less than half the traffic of that highway.

 

 

 

    What's left of Bagby? A restroom and a fish-cleaning station. The original dam was built c1926, if memory serves, and both the dam and the reservoir were know as Exchequer. But in the early 1960s a new dam was built and the name of the larer reservoir McClure (after a California Dept of Water & Power offical). [See Links below.]

 

    The 130' Bagby Bridge from the entrance to the Bagby Recreation Area to the right when traveling north on SR49.

 

 

 

 

 

    A look up the Merced River arm from just above the Bagby bridge. Why isn't this reservoir full since many others are? It may be that some reserve capacity is being kept at foothill reservoirs to prevent flooding in the Central Valley during May & June.
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    Finally, as I drove the half mile to the campgroud I began to think of Thanksgiving dinner when I arrived -- mianly because a semi-wild turkey hen crossed the campgroud road in front of me as I idled around the loop. And when I picked a site and got out to connect up to the 30amp electrical box, 3 "honkers" (ie., Canadian geese) took off from the lake. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in on the turkey hens.]
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Links:

• Wikipedia article on John C. Fremont
• Wikipedia article on Lake McClure
• Facts, History, & Links to the Yosemite Valley RR

M 25 Apr Actual Route: Mariposa - Bear Valley - Bagby Rec Area (L McClure)

T 26 Apr Actual Route: Bagby Rec Area (L McClure) - Coulterville - Waterford - Modesto Reservoir

W 27 Apr Actual Route: Modesto Reservoir - Waterford - Oakdale - Woodward Reservoir CG

Th 28 Apr Route: Woodward Reservoir - Oakdale - Fleming Mdws CG (Don Pedro Res)