Nostalgia & History > N&S Cable after the King Fire

Both North & South Cable of the Mich-Cal escaped damage from the recent King Fire. The fire came VERY close to the North Cable site- but not quite. The fire did not jump the American River here, so the South Cable site was completely safe.

The Michigan-California Lumber Logged the large area to the north of the South Fork of the American River. Their mill was at Pino Grande, also north of the river. To get lumber from Pino Grande to Camino, and then to SP railroad in Placerville CA, loaded cars were carried one at a time on a aerial cable system over the canyon between the two cable tower sites shown here. The operation ended in 1950 after a fire destroyed the South Tower.

Photo 1. Looking across the canyon to North Cable. The fire burned up the ridge where the RR approached (the shelf on the right- easy to see), and surrounded but didn't quite reach the foundations of the cable house.

Photo 2. A close up of the cable house site. There is a private residence to the left, just around the corner, and it looks to be okay.

Photo 3. This is the foundation of the south cable house looking towards the north house. The trees totally obscure the view across the canyon now.

Photo 4. Same place, side view.

Photo 5. This foundation is about 50 feet or so behind the first. I'm guessing its the power house, but there was a first, earlier, cable landing and this might be that?

SR Bush
Dutch Flat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 22:06 by BoilingMan.

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Great photos!

One time I took some friends out to South Cable. I went on hunches and a poor map, and found the road. Half way into it, my friends were asking "Are you sure we're going somewhere?" Sure enough, we came to South Cable, after a long, slow drive on at times a narrow road curving around many gulches and ravines. It was fun to imagine the old rail line being there. When I told them how they use to transfer the cars, they didn't believe me. I told them there's a video you can buy, and that people rode it, too. Then it floored them. They really were astounded by the scope of the operation.

This shows the cable transport in action....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S4YqjtQUic

Thanks for bringing up this unique operation I had never heard of. After looking at the video link I was amazed.