Ice Reported on Branscomb Road Near the “Trout Farm”
The CHP Incident Page says a driver has reported ice on the road near the “trout farm” at 3000 Branscomb Road. Officers are en route at this time.
The National Weather Service says tonight’s overnight lows should be around 35 degrees in Garberville, 32 in Laytonville, 29 in Willits, 35 in Alder Point, and 37 up in Eureka.
Stay warm, and if you need to drive carry blankets in case of an emergency and be wary of ice.
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?? Different kind of ICE?? Whoops have been reading too much news lately. Happy New Year everybody stay warm just a few months to go.. This was news bait!! Just throw in the trout farm, I bit!
I did the same thing!
Agree. Can’t beat Mother!
Umm yeah that’s the spot where it always shows up first. No surprise. Locals know this. It’s also the place where the snow will stick around longer and deeper. Used to be quite a challenge before they widened, straightened and contoured that grade. Also it used to snow like every year. In between the heavy rain we used to get. Going west once you reach the top of that grade look over to the left across the flat meadow where there’s a couple houses. That was the original town of Cahto- before there was any Laytonville. Connected by stagecoach and pony express to the old town of Sherwood then down through what’s now Willits. That’s all private road now between Cahto and Sherwood. Look over on the right up a driveway through the woods. That where Janet Mee lived. Very nice woman got shot like 20 times in a weed rip-off back like ’82 or so. The shooter thief was all spun out on crank- in ’82 when crank was hardly known outside of mill towns like Willits or Ft Bragg (or Branscomb). Pull over and check out the stars (if it’s nighttime). Good spot for seeing many many. This is where the South Fork of the Eel begins, just over that grade and past old town of Cahto the slope sends it all past Branscomb, through the wilderness and towards Garberville…
Certainly not ICE, who should be scouring all parts of Humboldt for criminal aliens. No sign of them here. Homeland Security snoozes the winter away ….
They will either close the road or put up warning signs so they hopefully arent called later to pull someone out of a smooshed car.
Especially if thats a section of road that usually doesnt freeze.
Watch for black ice, hit some the other day on the cove road west of paradise ridge.
Nice history of the area I didn’t know those things thanks for the information
The trout farm used to be the sawmill pond of the Ben Mast Lumber co. The water comes from a huge spring.
The Mast family is an old pioneer family of the Laytonville area. They used to run stages and freight by horse teams in the early days
The Clarke Ranch south of Cahto is the family of Cecile Clarke that was the founder of the Clarke Museum in Eureka. Cecile was once a school teacher in the laytonville area and taught some of my family.
I used to wish that I had listened about history more when I was a kid, now I just wish that I could remember what I had for breakfast.
Thanks again Ernie
Thanks, Ernie! I only got there in the later 70’s. People called that part of the road Ben Mast Hill and the flat above was called Winchester Flat. The old stage coach route from Cahto to Sherwood runs through the Clark Ranch. Beautiful country. Ben Mast Hill was always the trickiest and iciest part of Branscomb Rd and still is today even after all that excellent Cal Trans work.
Always love hearing from Ernie B. — we miss your blog Ernie!
Kym’s comment section is the best!
Maybe the cops wanted to go slip sliding away.
Who will farm the trout?
With the title alone, I thought there might have been a caravan of undocumented fish jumping the walls…
There is Ice there all the time in the winter. The sun does not shine on that part of the roadway till the middle of February. Same here in West Branscomb, the road can be frozen all day long. Ha!
Hi Ernie,
Love it when you post. I Moved near Branscomb in 97, and was taught that it’s still called
Ben Mast hill and Winchester Flats.
Have you ever heard of a property called sour dough flats?