Re: Packard Trips
Posted by JWL On 2020/5/18 10:10:24
Last week my brothers and I drove the non-Packard Jeep Wrangler to the La Bajada switchbacks. We drove right up to them after going over 8 miles on a rutted and washboard road.
The switchbacks were part of the road from the original routing of US 66 when it passed through Santa Fe. For a number of years these switchbacks were the only auto roadway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Later, Highway 66 was re-routed to bypass Santa Fe and shorten and straighten the routing to Albuquerque.
The photo was grabbed from the InterWeb. It is dated 1928, but looks like it may have been take earlier. The road looks much the same today. The Cochiti Pueblo has blocked the switchbacks with a rock barrier at the top. They are on pueblo land. They did to to preserve the roadway by keeping people from trying to drive down it. One can walk the switchbacks, but this is discouraged too.
It is 600 feet from the top of the escarpment to the bottom. The view from the top is spectacular.
I recall my father talking about frequent accidents due to brake failure. Also, cars that had gravity fed fuel to the carburetor had to back up the switchbacks when going north to Santa Fe.
Enjoy.
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The switchbacks were part of the road from the original routing of US 66 when it passed through Santa Fe. For a number of years these switchbacks were the only auto roadway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Later, Highway 66 was re-routed to bypass Santa Fe and shorten and straighten the routing to Albuquerque.
The photo was grabbed from the InterWeb. It is dated 1928, but looks like it may have been take earlier. The road looks much the same today. The Cochiti Pueblo has blocked the switchbacks with a rock barrier at the top. They are on pueblo land. They did to to preserve the roadway by keeping people from trying to drive down it. One can walk the switchbacks, but this is discouraged too.
It is 600 feet from the top of the escarpment to the bottom. The view from the top is spectacular.
I recall my father talking about frequent accidents due to brake failure. Also, cars that had gravity fed fuel to the carburetor had to back up the switchbacks when going north to Santa Fe.
Enjoy.
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