23. What Idiot Drives the Oatman Highway Switchbacks After Sunset?

I took more time in Kingman than I planned, so the sun was setting as I approached the mountains that led to Oatman, an old mining town now a cowboy tourist destination. The road to Oatman (the Oatman Highway) has many switchbacks, both on the way up and on the way down.

Classic films of Route 66 show Oki trucks from the dust bowl navigating narrow roads and switchbacks without curbs or guardrails to protect against a  long drop off the sides. Many immigrants hired locals to drive the trucks over the switchbacks. What I did not realize was that the road has not improved much since those films were taken.

Sunset occurred as I approached the mountains. It was only eight miles to Oatman. Surely, there would be enough dusk light to safely travel the switchbacks.

Wrong.

These YouTube daytime videos will give a sample of what I had to navigate for eight miles in the increasing darkness:

It was the most intense driving of my life. I kept the left wheels on the center line, where there was one. I drove very slowly. My fear was that something would appear in the road and that I would automatically turn to avoid it. I kept repeating to myself, “Stop, don’t turn.”

There were hills and cliffs above me and many rocks on the side of the road that had been pushed from the road. Or maybe a local would drive the road fast and I would have to make room. Later I learned that wild burros will often stand in the road.

Going down the hills were as bad as going up. Finally, I reached Oatman. A former mining town, it was now a weekend tourist destination with cowboy attractions and shops. A bar was open. I was tempted to stop to calm my nerves, but I didn’t know what lay ahead.

Here is a silly slideshow on YouTube about Oatman and its wild donkeys:

The drive after Oatman was better, but not over. It took another 30+ minutes to get back to the interstate and another 19 miles to find a motel in Needles, CA.

I was glad this day was over.

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