Francisco's is a natural meadow of about two acres in size that overlooks Oregon Bar, about 100 yards away. Oregon Bar is named for a party of Oregonians who found gold there in the summer of 1848. It was later the site of the Greenwood/Ponderosa bridge which provided a direct road link between the Greenwood area on the south side of the river and Foresthill on the north. The bridge was carried away by a flood in the winter of 1964 and was never rebuilt.
Above the meadow, an old unpaved two-track road winds its way up the hillside to White Oak Flat. The 1997 Tevis Cup Ride made use of the original Tevis Cup trail through the Todds Valley area to White Oak Flat, branching off from a point on the "California Street" trail, known as "Cal-2." The vet check usually held at Francisco's was held at White Oak Flat that year. The trail route then proceeded downhill to Franciscos.
The Franciscos Vetcheck is NOT open to crews. The Ride provides water and feed for the horses and refreshments for the riders. In the event that a horse is pulled, there is a gravel road nearby that ascends through Drivers Flat to the Foresthill Divide Road. Only Ride volunteers are allowed to trailer horses and their riders out of Francisco's, as the road out is very steep.
Next: Lower Quarry Vet Check
