Cajon Pass Totally Explained

Everything about Cajon Pass totally explained

At an elevation of 1,277 meters (4,190 ft.) the Cajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault. The pass provides an important economic link from the Los Angeles Basin to Victor Valley and the Mojave Desert.
In 1851, a band of Mormon settlers led by Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich crossed Cajon Pass on their way from Salt Lake City to the Los Angeles basin. In commemoration of this crossing, a section of the pass where the railroad passes through (near Sullivan's Curve) is now known as Mormon Rocks.

Aviation

The Cajon Pass area is known for high wind, turbulence and fog. The weather over the pass can vary, from foggy days with poor visibility to clear afternoons where aircraft are bounced by gusting Santa Ana winds that top 70-80 mph. In the 2006 Mercy Air 2 accident, an air ambulance helicopter collided with mountainous terrain near the pass in foggy weather.

Rail transport

The California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railway, was the first railroad to use the Cajon Pass as a route through the mountains. The rail line through the pass was built in the early 1880s as part of a connection between the present day cities of Barstow and San Diego. Today, the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway (the successor to the Santa Fe) use this pass to access Los Angeles. Due to the high volume of trains, noteworthy scenery and easy access, it's a popular location for railfanning, and numerous photographs of trains on Cajon Pass appear in books and magazines about trains. The current Amtrak Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief passenger train travels through the pass.
The Union Pacific Railroad owns one track through the pass, the previous Southern Pacific Railroad Palmdale cutoff. The BNSF Railway has two tracks, and as of 2008, is in the process of adding a third. The railroads can share tracks through the pass as needed, the Union Pacific had trackage rights on the Santa Fe portion negotiated under the original the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. The first BNSF line was constructed in 1890 and closely follows I-15. The second track, built in 1913, makes a two mile longer loop to around the hills at a lower grade. The third track will run parallel to the 1913 line. The grade is especially challenging to long trains—in particular, descent is potentially dangerous, as a runaway can easily occur if the engineer (driver) isn't careful in handling the brakes. Speeds of 60 and 70 miles per hour are found on either side, but are restricted to 14 to 22 mph ascending and between 20 and 30 mph while descending. The third track will enable a capacity of 150 trains per day on the BNSF lines.
Cajon Pass was the site of the San Bernardino train disaster.

Road transport

The Mojave Freeway (Interstate 15) was built through the Cajon Pass and provides a major route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The freeway runs above and parallel to an original stretch of old Route 66. This stretch, which is now known as Cajon Boulevard, is a short but well-preserved fragment dating back to a rerouting and widening of the highway in the early 1950s. Only the southbound/westbound lanes are in use; the northbound/eastbound lanes and corresponding bridges are closed to through traffic. It is along this stretch of road, accessible via either the Kenwood Drive or Cleghorn Road exits that some of the best aforementioned trainspotting areas may be found.
The historic Summit Inn, off the Oak Hills exit at the summit of the pass, is a historic Route 66 diner and has been at its present location since 1952.
Some maps may show the Cajon Pass as a feature on SR 138, which crosses I-15 south of the summit. The highest point on I-15 is thus identified as Cajon Summit. However, this doesn't appear to be common practice on most maps or on road signs in the area.

Utilities infrastructure

In addition to transportation infrastructure, three high voltage Southern California Edison 500 kV power lines cross the summit as well. These power lines head to Lugo substation northeast of Cajon pass and connect to Path 26 and Path 46. Both Path 26 and 46 provide the Los Angeles metro area another source of electricity generated from fossil fuel power plants far away in the Four Corners region, and hydroelectric dams along the Colorado River.

Natural hazards

During October and November of 2003, a number of wildfires devastated the hills and mountainsides near and around the pass, forcing the closure of Interstate 15. The following winter, rains in addition to burnt vegetation caused a number of landsides to further close the freeway pass.
   In addition to wildfire hazards, the Cajon Pass is notorious for wind hazards as well. When it's gusty, it's especially difficult to navigate through it as the Santa Ana winds usually push through that area. The winds sometimes reach gale-force strength. As a result, there are usually high wind advisories as well as road signs posted throughout the area. It isn't uncommon to see overturned trucks during such windy weather there.
   Cajon Pass gets snow occasionally, sometimes enough to close the pass temporarily. When there's snow, the California Highway Patrol will set up checkpoints on the freeway. Since most Southern Californians are without snow tires or snow chains, they're forced to turn back, or wait for the snow to stop and the freeway is cleared of snow.
   When there's high winds or snow in the Cajon Pass, it's fairly common for weathermen or reporters for Los Angeles-area televisions stations to do location reports from the Cajon Pass.
   The infamous San Andreas Fault passes through the Cajon Pass (crossing I-15 on the south side of the summit) and is partially responsible for the unique local geography.

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