CARRISO
A Once In A Lifetime Adventure?
Let's Hope Not!
A Ride on the San Diego & Arizona Railroad
Share Your Personal Experiences of this Trip.
    We will include them as they're submitted.
GORGE
   Starting in Jacumba, the first day's ride took us fourteen miles through spectacular Carriso Gorge, in an out of sixteen tunnels and across  numerous wooden trestles.  This Impressive chasm was and is the scenic highlight of the railroad.  The 633 foot Goat Bridge is one of the largest wooden trestles in the world.  Tunnels on either side of this awinspiring crossing are closed, requiring a tough portage over the mountain with a steep dropoff into the gorge  hundreds of feet below.  The temperature was well above one hundred degrees and we had to carry  sufficient food and water to sustain us until meeting with our supporting Railbus later in the day.  We camped for the night in a sandy-bottomed side canyon just east of tunnel 21.

    Day two started out almost as hot as day one ended as we rode seventeen miles out of the gorge and down to the desert floor.   At one point we crossed an area of drifting sand that the railroad had to clear from the rails with a backhoe just prior to our trip.  One hundred and    ten degrees, no shade and a headwind  had us all looking forward to
the cafe in Ocotillo.                                                   


   In late May 2000, The Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum, in conjunction with the San Diego & Arizona Railroad, invited a group of railbikers to a three day ride on the closed section of the line between Campo and Ocotillo, Arizona. The event was organized by railbiker Dave Von Behren and Richard Borstadt, the Executive Director of the museum.  Fifteen riders attended,  comming from as far away as New York, Georga, Alaska and even Sweden!


   Our first  climb came on the last day from Jacumba to Campo,  nine miles of 2.2 percent grade took us alongthe US/Mexican boarder and into the high desert, crossing the Tecate Divide.  From here it was all downhill. We gathered at High Bridge before crossing this impressive steel viaduct as a group.   Descending  through rolling oak studed countryside and then flat farm lands we arrived at Campo completing a 28 mile day.  The Museum staff met us with refreshments and those who had the time were given a full tour of their extensive rolling stock and shop buildings.

    A most hardy thanks to Richard Borstadt, the San Diego &  Arizona Railroad and Dave Von Behren for this once in a lifetime opportunity.   Hopefully, this very generous invatation might be extended to us again.

Photos by Peter