Bass Lake, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bass Lake is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada, located 14 miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park.
The lake is a hydro-electric reservoir operated by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In addition to electricity generation, its water is used for crop irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley.
Most of the land around the lake is part of the Sierra National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service designated the lake an official Recreation Area and has developed campgrounds and picnic areas on the south shore of the lake. The north shore of the lake is primarily made up of private cabins and homes. It has a year-round population of 607.
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[edit] Tourist Activities
Much of the area surrounding Bass Lake is devoted to the tourism industry.
[edit] Water Sports
The lake is considered a "warm water" lake with water temperatures reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months. Fishing, swimming, water skiing, and use of personal watercraft are popular.
[edit] Hiking and Mountain Biking
Many trails begin near the shores of Bass Lake and wind into the surrounding mountains. They range in size, length, difficulty, and popularity.
- Willow Creek Trail passes along Angel Falls (caution should be used on hazardous sections of the trail). During spring hikers will be rewarded with cascades of water flowing into deep pools.
- The Way of the Mono Trail is a half mile self guided walking trail detailing the lives of the Western Mono Indians. See authentic grinding holes and splendid views of Bass Lake.
- Goat Mountain Trail has two trailheads along Bass Lake. A strenuous hike, climbing four miles to the summit of the mountain where a fire lookout tower provides grand views of the Sierra Nevada and Bass Lake.
[edit] History
[edit] Early Settlers
In the 1800s Bass Lake was not a lake at all, but a lush meadow surrounded by mountains and Ponderosa Pines. The Mono Tribe inhabited the area for centuries before a detachment of the Mariposa Battalion came across the valley in 1851 shortly after their discovery of Yosemite Valley. They decided to name the area Crane Valley after observing many Great Blue Herons, which they mistakenly identified as Sandhill Cranes.
[edit] Building of the Dam
Through Crane Valley flows Willow Creek, a tributary of the San Joaquin River. In 1895, a plan was devised to use the waters of Willow Creek to generate hydroelectric power for residents of the great San Joaquin Valley.
The San Joaquin Electric Company was formed and the first earthen dam was built in Crane Valley in 1901. Mule-drawn freight wagons carried machinery and supplies up the mountain and went down loaded with timber that had been cleared from the reservoir site.
What seemed to be a good project fell into ruin because of the work of a rival company. When the electric power from the plant was brought to Fresno, the owner of a rival gas company purchased land and water rights upstream from the hydro plant. The water was diverted onto a barren hillside so it did not reach the power house. This problem, along with the dry summer months, forced the San Joaquin Electric Company in bankruptcy.
In 1902 the San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation was formed to purchase the electric company and later the electric operations of the rival gas company. The dam was enlarged in 1905 and the present dam was built in 1910 (145 feet high).
[edit] The Sugar Pine Lumber Company
In early June 1923, the Sugar Pine Lumber Company began laying railroad track across the dam and up the mountain 10.8 miles to Central Camp.
Built by 500 workers at a cost of $600,000, Central Camp was regarded as the largest and most advanced logging camp of its time. Crews harvested 100,000 logs per season between 1923 and 1931 when the logging operation came to a halt due to the Great Depression, which dried up the lumber market.
[edit] Crane Valley Reservoir
The lake was called Crane Valley Reservoir for many years but the name was eventually changed when a small lumber operation polluted the lake, killing all the fish. In addition to being fined, the lumber company was ordered by the government to replace all the fish that were lost. The chosen fish was Bass, hence the new name - Bass Lake.
[edit] Hells Angels in Bass Lake
In 1963, Bass Lake became a yearly destination for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC), attracting hundreds of bikers from across the state. A first-hand report of the 1965 Bass Lake Run was reported by Hunter S. Thompson in his first book, Hells Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.
Most locals viewed the run as an annual menace that brought crime and frightened tourists away. Each year roadblocks, curfews, and campground restrictions were enforced by law enforcement from throughout Madera County and its surrounding areas in an effort to block, or at least control, the Hells Angels activity.
The run peaked in the 1970s before slowly fading away altogether by the late 1980s.
[edit] External links
- The Pines Resort The lake's largest resort features fine dining, suites, and a year-round marina.
- The Forks Resort This family-owned resort offers cabins, boat rentals, and a 50's style diner.
- The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad offers train rides on a restored portion of the Sugar Pine Lumber Company Railroad in the nearby community of Fish Camp.
