Giant Gap Ridge

I've seen Giant Gap many times from the east. Today I wanted to see it from the south rim of the canyon. I drove up Foresthill Divide to Sugar Pine Road. Patches of snow covered the ground at the turnoff. I parked my truck where Sugar Pine Road meets Iowa Hill Road. These are paved roads. I walked up Elliot Ranch Road, an unimproved dirt road muddy from the recent storm. I passed a camp of deer hunters. Deer season ends tomorrow. I would pass several deer hunters driving the roads this day, and hear shots in the distance.



Elliot Ranch Road

A water ditch paralleled Elliot Ranch Road for a short distance. This ditch is not on the topographical map. I would guess it dates to the Gold Rush. Ditches are common along the North Fork of the American River and Bear River. Some are still in use but this one was dry.

A Gold Rush water ditch

Forest scenery

I walked to the south end of Giant Gap Gulch but large trees blocked a good view of Giant Gap.

The most I could see

I backtracked and then headed north on Giant Gap Ridge. A large pine tree had fallen across the road. The damage looked fresh and I wondered if the tree had fallen during the storm this previous week. I crawled over it and continued on.



Fallen tree

I reached my destination, the northernmost point of Giant Gap Ridge. Down below (2250 feet below) was the North Fork of the American River, and the bridge at Euchre Bar was 2.6 miles to the northeast (129 degrees). But tall trees blocked a full view of the magnificent Gap. I could not see what I wanted, but still it was a great day for a hike.

Northernmost point of Giant Gap Ridge