Patchen Pass in California: this road is not for timid drivers
Patchen Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 562m (1,843ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties in the U.S. state of California.
Tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called California State Route 17. It’s the highest point of the road. It was built in the 1930’s. The narrow lanes and dangerously tight curves of the route have earned it ominous nicknames like “Killer 17” and “Blood Alley”.
The road to the summit, known as Cuesta de Los Gatos and also locally referred to as "the Summit” is very steep, hitting a 10% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Along the way, it presents drivers a big number of hazards – sharp turns, blind spots, narrow shoulders, changes in speed, and slick highway surfaces after rains or snows. In the winter months, because SR 17 crosses a high precipitation area, the roadway can become slippery from rain, snow or ice, especially at the summit. Depending on the time of year, road conditions are made even more hazardous by rain, fog, and snow.