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Sitgreaves Pass
Sitgreaves Pass cuts through Arizona’s Black Mountains at 3,550 feet above sea level. The mountain pass became famous in the 1920s when early cars struggled to drive through it.
Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves gave his name to the pass after surveying the area in 1851. The road winds through sharp turns and steep hills that were too much for old cars to handle, forcing many to drive backwards up the slopes.
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How Cars Drove Backwards to Climb the Pass
In the 1920s and early 1930s, drivers found a clever way to get up Sitgreaves Pass. They would drive their cars backwards because the reverse gear was stronger than first gear, with a 4:1 ratio compared to 3:1…