Month: April 2012

Rocky Creek Viaduct

Cal -Trans made a very informative presentation of the proposed Rocky Creek Viaduct at Friday’s BSMAAC meeting. I’ ve suggested they put the presentation up on their website, and when they do, I will let you know.

The most relevant points for most of us in the Big Sur Community and the traveling public are:

Construction to start after Labor Day; 24 overnight closures anticipated between October 2012 and February 2013; the contractors are to give Cal-Trans 24 hour notice of the intended closures, and the PIO will notify the current list of media and relevant organizations, including this blog; The closures are limited on Monday-Thursday to 9 pm-7am, midnight to 7am on Friday, none on Saturday, and 9pm to midnight on Sunday (when presumably Monday kicks in until 7am). As is currently the case with all road closures, provisions are being made for emergency vehicles. Of course, this all is dependent on the cooperation of Mother Nature.

I will keep you all posted as the anticipated construction time gets closer.

Editor’s note: I am glad that Cal-Trans has shortened the closure from the 8pm deadline the South Coast experienced lately.

(This is a test of the publishing capabilities of bigsurkate from home via iPad. If you see this, it worked! (My, what interesting word combos the autocorrect came up with for bigsurkate!)

Distressed Gray Whale

I received this from Susan Perry, of Pacific Valley School:

Thanks for your help in getting the word out about this whale in distress. The enmeshed grey whale had been spotted yesterday south of Gorda at Alder Creek at 8am and then again about 9:15am near Willow Creek which is north of Gorda. It was heading north and not very fast but may have already passed Esalen. This whale was first spotted and captured at Laguna Beach last week. Wildlife personnel had managed to remove some of the fish netting that restricted the whale before it escaped into open ocean and vanished in open sea as night fell. The federal wildlife agencies have been doing their best to try to locate and recapture the whale long enough to remove the rest of the netting and treat it for its injuries. It is a rare type of grey whale.

Anybody who spots the whale is asked to call Jim Milbury of the National Marine Fisheries Service at 562-980-4006. He may also be contacted at 310-245-7114.

Also, don’t forget the BSMAAC meeting at 10:00 am at the Lodge in Big Sur. Two items on the agenda: The Coastal Trail planning process update by Bill Monning; and the Rocky Creek Viaduct update.

Finally, a reminder that the Big Sur International Marathon will be held this Sunday. There are passes available. Per Stan Russell, of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce:

“Big Sur employees needing to travel from town to Big Sur before the first southbound caravan (departing the Crossroads at about 9:45 A.M.) PASSES will be available for pick-up at the Big Sur River Inn Motel office beginning Thursday morning, April 26, 2012. After 4:00 A.M. Sunday morning, only local traffic WITH PASSES will be allowed to travel south past Otter Cover. All traffic with passes must be south of Otter Cover by 5:30 A.M.”

I have photos of the tents being set up at the finish line which I will post tomorrow, internet allowing. It looks like a circus is coming to town. 😉

Big Sur welcomes us home

Coming home this afternoon, Big Sur welcomed Rock Knocker in a way only she could.

I was driving his ML 500. He was telling me how to drive. Suddenly, he cries out. A 3 ft boulder came falling down the Bear Chute, almost taking out the passenger side of the car. It landed right next to RK, and fortunately fell into a muddy ditch, so it didn’t roll, bounce, or otherwise cause damage. I was completely oblivious.

Bear Chute is the southern drain of Mud Creek, just north of Sea View Ranch. Clearly, it is moving. How much and how fast is something I can’t predict, but it will be interesting to watch the next few days, and even more so during the upcoming rains.

As I have warned before, sometimes the dry periods after week-long rains is the most dangerous, particularly if we have hot weather, and boy is it hot tonight!

Yesterday, Rock Knocker’s mother’s ashes were spread outside the Morro Bay Harbor that she loved. Three dolphins jumped out of the water to lead her home.

Rock Knocker & Volunteer

Rock Knocker did well during the surgery. He is in pain, and grumpy, but back in the motel room, sipping chicken noodle soup and wanting a vicodin he has to wait for.

I have a volunteer I am going to train on WordPress over drinks at the River Inn, and when she is ready, I’ll let her introduce herself.

So, tonight, all is in well.

Week in the life of … And Earth Day weekend in Big Sur

Last week’s storms wrecked havoc with my systems. My life was about staying warm and dry, and keeping things on the mountain, as opposed to being blown into the sea. High winds, rain, thunder and lightning made it interesting, for sure.

Rock Knocker’s hernia surgery was scheduled, canceled, and rescheduled, all for tomorrow. The celebration of life for his mother is Saturday. He can’t drive for a week, so that falls on me. My Mother’s tablet unveiling is next month and I have been busy making the arrangements, sending out notifications, getting RSVPs and the like. Add in my mammogram, my appointment with the prosthetist for a leg that is about to come unhinged, my three motions, two briefs, and one petition for review, and life has kept me focused on the physical world, not the cyber one. I’m working on my sense of humor – which is critical.

Lots going on Earth Day weekend in Big Sur, including at the Henry Miller Library (see the HML link to the right under non-profits)and at Pacific Valley School. Both are Saturday, the 21st. Details will be posted on the announcement page, if my hectic schedule allows. And if not tonight or while Rock Knocker is in surgery, it probably won’t get done. I have posters to download, and then upload, for both, and I will do what I can, but right now that is not much.

On top of that, there is a lovely painting of process from canyons to condors by my artist friend, Leslie White that I have been wanting to get up for over a week now.

Hope to be back on track next week!

I need a volunteer assistant, I think. Any volunteers?

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Today was a soaker

Today was what Rock Knocker used to call a soaker – slow, steady, consistent rain. It is the type of rain that sets up slides, particularly mud slides, and I noticed a couple likely candidates just north of Pitkins Curve, south of The Hermitage. I think that one is called Paul’s Slide – you know the gray stuff. I’ve only gotten 3/4s of an inch, so far today, but it’s been steady every where I went.

I had to go to Monterey and Salinas for appts I have had to reschedule until today. I got to drive in all this rain all over the county. What fun. An amazing amount of tourists out and about taking photos in the rain, coming back from Garrapata Beach under an umbrellas and the like. An amazing number of large RVs of every type.

My road was the bad, the very bad, and the gawd awful. Thank goodness only some of it is clay.

I am enjoying the sound of the rain on my metal roof, the crackle of a fire in the wood stove, and the smell of wet dogs at my feet.

Enjoy our Spring rains – they will be with us most of this week.

Happy Easter! Last Sunday’s waves

I have been trying to post for a few days, now, but seems to happen from time to time, the Internet Goddess was not cooperating. I think she is trying to tell me to get a life!

Anyway, here are some great shots by Dan Danbom of the wave action at JP Burns State Park. Magnificent, aren’t they?

Waves at JP Burns #2 by Dan Dabbom
Waves at JP Burns #2 by Dan Danbom

I finally gave up at home, and am sitting at River Inn before going to join the girlfriends for Easter.

Wild Ride and Big Waves

Wow, what a ride that was last night. Rock Knocker’s mother’s viewing was yesterday at 3 pm in Newman (north of Santa Nella). On the way home, we had to pick up a few items at the grocery store, and get some gas. We left Rio Rd. at 7:00 pm, and drove like hell to get through Rain Rocks before it closed for the night at 8:00 pm. We arrived at 7:55 pm, and the barricade went up behind us. We were the last south bound car through, then they let the north bound cars through and put the road to bed for the night.

When we went through in the morning, no one was working but the two flaggers. There was one truck, who seemed to be doing nothing, but talking with the flaggers. It was hard to see why the flaggers were there, when the lights could have been used, since there was no equipment or men working the road, slide, or any construction project.

What was harder to understand was why the road had to be closed at night. There were no spotters during the day, to make sure the hill wasn’t sliding, and possibly be authorized to close it down if something happened. There didn’t appear to be any difference between what we experienced during day light hours and evening hours, other than barricades were put into place, and flaggers went home. I’m just not sure why the lights couldn’t have been activated for the night time hours.

Oh, and if you were any where near the coast, you had to have seen the incredible waves. I have photos I will post tomorrow. Right now, I am helping Ralph and his sister notify people regarding his mother’s death.