AsphaltPlanet.ca > California > Highway 78

 

Pictures on this page are arranged in order from west to east.  CA-78 East photos are left-aligned in the last column, while CA-78 West photos are right-aligned.  Center-line pictures are centered within the last column.

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Location

Description

Photo

East-
Bound

West-
Bound

San Diego County

Westerly view along the main drag of the small community of Julian.  Julian was settled as a mining town in the mid 1800s during California's Gold Rush.  Today it is a touristy community known for its surrounding apple orchards and wine vineyards.  The picturesque community of Julian was nearly destroyed in 2003 by the Cedar Fire.  The Cedar Fire consumed some 280,000 acres (430 square miles), southwest of the town of Julian.  In fact, the landscape along most of Highway 79 South is still considerably scarred from the fire.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Easterly junction assembly along Highway 78 as Highway 79 south splits off to the right at Julian.  Highway 79 heads south bound for Intestate 8.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

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Highway 79 progresses southerly from Julian through Cuyamaco Rancho State Park bound for Interstate 8.  Click here for Highway 79-South Images.

San Diego County

Westbound junction assembly for the Highway 79-South intersection.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res

San Diego County

Westerly view along Highway 78 approaching the Highway 79-South Intersection.

 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Julian's Post Office is located just outside of the main drag, immediately east of the Highway 79-South Junction.  This Post Office Building is obviously original to Julian's incorporation as a town.  At its onset, Julian was a frontier mining town that was formed virtually overnight when immigrants rushed to California during the Gold Rush.  Similar false fronted buildings were constructed in Ontario's Frontier Mining Towns such as Kirkland Lake, and Cobalt.

 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res

San Diego County

Warning sign advising traffic leaving Julian of the design of the highway through Banner's Grade.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res

San Diego County

Westerly view as Highway 78 ascends Banner Canyon.  One of the most striking this about Highway 78 through the Banner Canyon is the lack of the raised reflector 'cat-eyes' dotting the centre-line of the highway.  Cat-eye's were deliberately not installed along the Banner Grade because this part of California observes regular Winter Snow-fall.  On the day this photo was taken, the air temperature along Highway 78 through the Imperial Valley was approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Through Julian, the temperature was in the mid sixties.  The temperature fluctuations due to the altitude variations in California are remarkable.

 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Easterly view as Highway 78 descends through Banner Canyon.  One of the most discerning features of highway 78's descent down Banner Canyon is the giant 'B' that has been engraved upon the side of the mountain ahead of eastbound Highway 78 traffic.  Evidently this was done to direct weary motorists heading out of Julian towards Bill's house.

 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

View looking easterly through Banner Canyon.  Highway 78 can be seen hanging off of the hill on its descent into the Banner Canyon. 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

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San Diego County

At the bottom of Banner Canyon, Highway 78 straightens out considerably.  Note the call-box situated beside this lonely highway.  Call boxes are virtually everywhere along California's Freeways, and along some rural highways.  In the days before cell phones, call boxes were a stranded motorists lifeline to the outside world.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

This photo is taken just a bit further easterly along Highway 78 from the previous photo.  East of Banner Canyon, Highway 78 is very much a desert highway.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Approaching the Great Southern Overlands Route of 1849 intersection.  As is evident in the scale of the hill photographed to the right, Highway 78 drops considerably in elevation, heading east from Julian towards the Salton Sea.  The village of Julian is located about 4,220 feet above Sea Level, while the Salton Sea, where Highway 78 meets California 86, is actually below Sea Level.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Westerly from the Great Southern Overlands Route of 1849 intersection.  Note the mileage sign advising motorists of the travel distances (in miles) to some of the major communities that Highway 78 passes through.  Surprisingly, by the time that Highway 78 makes it to Oceanside, the highway is a six-lane freeway.  A far cry from the narrow, tar and chip mountain road that motorists are enjoying now.

 

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Westbound advisory sign advising westbound traffic of the road conditions for the next 33 miles.  These signs are common to California; commercial traffic would be wise to heed the warning.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res

San Diego County

Green button copy sign directing Interstate 8 bound traffic to the right along the Great Southern Overlands Route of 1849.  The Great Southern Overlands Route of 1849 was the first stage route into Southern California from the east, and served as the passage of many weary travelers looking to capitalize on California's Gold Rush of 1849.  The Overland Route brought some 150,000 people into Southern California during the Gold Rush.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res

San Diego County

Easterly view along Highway 78 at the Great Southern Overlands Route of 1849 intersection.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Rather abruptly, after the Great Southern Overland Stage Route of 1849 intersection, the large valley that Highway 78 had been following narrows into Plum Canyon -- a narrow valley between two short mountain ranges.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

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San Diego County

Highway 78 progresses deeper into Plum Canyon.  The Mountain on the left is Grapevine Mountain (elev. 3955ft), on the right (south of the highway) is Sentenac Mountain (elev. 3068ft).

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

The majority of Highway 78's curves through Plum Canyon are posted with advisory speeds of 30MPH (~50km/h).

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

This view looks eastbound again along Highway 78 as it rounds a bend in Plum Canyon.  As is pictured in the photo, Highway 78 has fallen to an elevation of 2000 feet since Julian.  The town of Julian is approximately 4220 feet higher than sea level.  Highway 78 has been falling consistently just over 3% in the 13 miles from Julian.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Another easterly view as Highway 78 passes over a concrete bridge that carries the highway over San Filipe Creek.  San Filipe Creek runs dry most of the year, filling only after a large rain event.  Despite this, the creek has carved a considerable swath of land through the desert floor into a dry wash as it runs easterly parallel to Highway 78 en route to the discharge at the Salton Sea.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Another easterly view, this time after Highway 78 has crossed the creek.  The picturesque grapevine hills are visible in the distance.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Highway 78 hugs the southern side of the Grapevine Canyon.  San Filipe Creek takes up considerable real-estate in the centre of the valley.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Another easterly view, this shot as Plum Canyon has widened considerably.  Highway 78 continues to hug the south side of the valley wall.  The topography that Highway 78 passes through gradually gets more and more subdued as Highway 78 gets closer to the Salton Sea.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Easterly view again.  Highway 78 is unbelievably picturesque.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Yet another easterly view of Highway 78 approaching the intersection with County Road S3.  County Road S3 progresses north through Yaqui Pass overtop of Yaqui Ridge en route to Borrego Springs.  Borrego Springs is a remote desert community that is known for its night sky of all things.  The community has enacted municipal ordinances to reduce the amount of light pollution that is emitted from the small town.  As such, Borrego Springs is a community member of the International Dark-Sky Association.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Just east of the San Diego County Road S3 intersection, the valley that Highway 78 is passing through is pinched towards the San Filipe Creek by the North Pinyon Mountains.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

San Diego County

Easterly view as Highway 78 has straightened out from its brief encounter with the North Pinyon Mountain Range.

Photographed by: AsphaltPlanet.ca

Date: 3/29/2010

High-res: (1440x960)     (2400x1600)

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Page Created: February 19, 2011.
Last Updated: February 19, 2011.