Pozo_Carizzo (01)

Desert / Ghost Town Trek #2

Pozo, California Valley, Carrizo Plain, Oct-Nov 2002
Pozo_Carizzo (01)

Pozo_Carizzo (01)

04 Oct 2002 72
Here's a trek inspired by the mystery of a large grid of roads in the middle of nowhere that I discovered while doing some GIS mapping at work. From Santa Margarita on Hwy 101 you head east on SR 58 along the edge of the Los Padres National Forest corridor. But first a detour on side roads to Pozo, CA.
Pozo_Carizzo (02)

Pozo_Carizzo (02)

04 Oct 2002 48
Pozo isn't a ghost town but there are a number of abandoned buildings scattered about.
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Pozo_Carizzo (03)

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Pozo_Carizzo (04)

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This tiny library has since closed.
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Pozo_Carizzo (05)

04 Oct 2002 60
There is an active saloon, however, and a few residents.
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Pozo_Carizzo (06)

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They served a Pozo Pale Ale but it's brewed back in Atascadero (I think).
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Pozo_Carizzo (07)

05 Oct 2002 45
Back on 58 you head east into what is probably not a desert, technically, but it gets quite sparse and arid.
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Pozo_Carizzo (08)

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Pozo_Carizzo (09)

Pozo_Carizzo (09)

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You then drop into California Valley, which is a scattering of active and abandonded ranches in a vast and isolated plain.
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Pozo_Carizzo (10)

05 Oct 2002 61
California Valley was sort of a real estate scam from the 1960's that went bust, as the water and other infrasctucture never materialized. This famous sign at 58 and Soda Lake Road is now gone, sadly.
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Pozo_Carizzo (11)

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Pozo_Carizzo (12)

Pozo_Carizzo (12)

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Developers cut grids of hundreds of streets (with city signs and all) to sell several thousand lots, which are slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Pozo_Carizzo (13)

Pozo_Carizzo (13)

05 Oct 2002 72
You can't see much at ground level, but that's the answer to the GIS mystery (this was before Google Earth and Wikipedia, mind you - now there aren't many geographic mysteries left).
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Pozo_Carizzo (14)

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Pozo_Carizzo (15)

Pozo_Carizzo (15)

05 Oct 2002 51
We didn't get any pics of the town center (which was a ghost town at the time), but we got 'em on the return trek the following month.
Pozo_Carizzo (16)

Pozo_Carizzo (16)

05 Oct 2002 64
The Tremblor range seperates the valley from the I-5 corridor to the east.
Pozo_Carizzo (17)

Pozo_Carizzo (17)

05 Oct 2002 58
Roxanne and I did some costal and mountain camping in our first couple years, but this was our first desert trip. I'm glad she liked the emptiness, serenity and abandoned buildings as much as I did. This was just the beginning of our travels.
Pozo_Carizzo (18)

Pozo_Carizzo (18)

05 Oct 2002 47
55 items in total