What's in a Name?

In the big city planners devise streets with number names as well as streets with letter names. That's not unusual. Up here, in Madera County, there are streets with number names--and regular names. Trouble is, the same streets have at least one of each. Are you confused yet?

Here's the deal:

Road 222:  starts in Oakhurst, winds around Bass Lake and without warning becomes Road 221, which is also known as Crane Valley Road.  Where it intersects with Manazanita Lake Road, it turns south (I think) and winds down to the little hamlet of North Fork, where it goes down Main Street and becomes (in addition to Road 222) Auberry Road.

Road 426:  starts at Highway 41 in Oakhurst, where it is also known as Talking Bear Road. As it goes up into the hills, it is called Crane Valley Road (again), then in the Bass Lake Heights area turns toward Bass Lake. Straight ahead it becomes Road 223, AKA Teaford Saddle Road, which dead ends at Road 221.

Road 420:  is also Thorneberry Road

Road 274:  Malum Ridge Road

Road 225:  Mammoth Pool Road

There are Roads 425A, 425B and 425C. Trust me on this.

There are also 1/2 and 1/4 roads, such as Road 18-1/2, Road 36-1/4.

I've lived here nigh onto 20 years, and I still can't figure out the rationale behind this.

WHY is it necessary to have more than one name for a single street?

WHY does one street have to change its name without rhyme or reason? You would expect that Road 222 would continue straight ahead and that the turn the road makes at Manzanita Lake Road would take on another number (IF a number were necessary, which I contend it is not). Instead, Road 222 becomes 221 at the intersection with Manzanita Lake Road, which becomes Road 222.

The road that leads from Highway 41 up the mountain into North Fork is Road 200. As it turns, in the middle of town, where it meets with the infamous 222, it becomes 225. Go figure.

At least in Yosemite Lakes Park, as far as I can tell, the developers didn't use numbers for their streets. But they did decide there was a limit on the names they could use, so that there are Revis Road, Revis Lane, Revis Court, Stetson Drive, Stetson Circle, Stetson Court, etc., etc., etc. I guess when you figure that if you can find Revis Road, all the other Revises take off from there, and you can sort of find your way around.

In addition the passes over the mountains leading in and out of town have names, such as Deadwood Pass which goes up and and over Highway 41 between Coarsegold and Oakhurst. Some enterprising soul has installed a real-time webcam facing southbound toward the crest of the pass. This is wonderful for those of us who have to traverse Deadwood during a snowstorm. If you take a look, you can even spy a sign for Road 425B . . . so you'll know I'm telling you the truth about our street weirdness. The other pass critical to local residents is Chepo Saddle, which goes up and over Road 222 from Oakhurst to Bass Lake.

I can see you shaking your heads in disbelief. Is it any wonder visitors up here get so confused? Can you begin to see how we got so lost that first night we tried to find the Pines Resort?

I love the anomalies that set us apart from city folk, but even I shake my head when I try to figure out the rationale behind Madera County's street names.