Video is optimized for broadband access.
Wide-angle lenses used to record video straighten the curves
out. For a truer sense of twistiness watch the mirror dip .
At a Glance
Dry Diggins was the original name of both
gold rush towns at either end of this DH back in the day when
they attracted legions of ‘49ers. So one settlement changed its
name to Auburn while the other became known as Old Hangtown, due
to the tendency of the short-fused gold diggers to mete out
rough, rope-based justice to local miscreants. Tempers cooled
and the latter’s name was eventually changed to the more
benign-sounding Placerville. These days, there’s so much traffic
on this connector between I-80 and Hwy 50, especially north of
Cool, that you’ll probably want to string up a few
ne’er-do-wells yourself on the nearest oak tree. But, with
patience, you can still sluice out some glittering Pavement and
Twistiness from this claim. Scenery on the ride down to along
and back up from the South Fork American River is a mother lode
mix of golden open and forested countryside. And there’s more
gilded viewscapes on the descent to the seam where the other two
other American River forks join up, as well as on the final
climb up to Auburn. Engineering assays out as better than
average but, unfortunately, Remoteness has been played out by an
amalgam of pylons and development, leaving only the smallest
nugget of Character. Today’s fortune seekers are continuing to
develop the whole area around here at such a rapid pace that the
state capital is effectively merging with the two communities
into one big Sacramauburnville. So if you want to strike it
rich, you’ll have to dig up a time to avoid all the pylon
riff-raff. Otherwise, there’s a good chance these particular DH
diggings will come up dry.