Month: January 2009

Road & Rain update, Sat. 1/24

12:30 pm – the web cam is down at the Big Sur River. That could mean electrical or phone problems, or something else entirely. I haven’t a clue, or a report.

9:00 am – Per the CT website:  IS REOPENED 12 MI NORTH OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO/MONTEREY CO LINE  

AT 0820 HRS ON 1/24/08 

I received 2.25″ overnight, bringing the storm total to 4 and 1/2 inches. Toby, on Partington is also reporting the same 4 1/2 inches for the storm, starting Wednesday.

Received an email from Keith from Lucia. He arrived home at around 11:30 pm from Rio Rd. and reports CHP closure at Fuller’s Beach to the north. Little rock in the SB lane, but treacherous fog.

The NOAA discussion has the rain tapering off, with only minimal moisture moving into our area. The airmass dropping down from BC will drop the snow levels to 3000 ft. but with minimal moisture, snow expected to be light.

This on the Cal-Trans website this morning:

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA] 
    IS CLOSED 12 MI NORTH OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO/MONTEREY CO LINE  
– DUE TO ROCK SLIDES – MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

and this update from CHP:

6:25AM IF CALTRANS OPENS HWY 1 PLS ADVISE 27-S6
5:50AM NEAR CASTLE STATING SR1 CLOSED 28 MI AHEAD
2:37AM ENTAC CALLED REQ UPDATE 1039
2:29AM PER 22 MORE DEBRIS MM 30 NB LANE CLOSED
2:29AM NORTH END CLOSURE NB 1 AT MM 42*00 2314

Highway One is closed, not surprisingly

The highway closed at about 9:30 PM, Friday, January 23. The
closures are at Mile Marker 12 in the south and at Mile Marker 43 to the
north. 

MM 12 would be 1 and 1/2 miles south of Plaskett Creek Campground, but I’m guessing it is a the Cal-Trans yard at Willow Springs. (Regardless of what CHP says about where the closure is, and they say Willow Creek Day Use), my experience is that the closure sign lives at Cal-Trans, and they don’t move it at night. MM 43 is at Deetjen’s.

Below is the info from the CHP website, but the area between the Hermitage and Limekiln looks completely shut down tonight.

This is what chp reports:

9:40PM PER CAMBRIA TOW,ROCK SLIDES COMPLETELEY 1125 NB LNS AT RADIO ROCK (Ed. note: We call this Radio Point)
9:17PM SEV SML SLIDES AT MM 9,COMPLETELY 1125 NB LNS (Ed. note: MM 9 is 1 mile south of Gorda, probably the Duck Pond)
9:03PM MM22//BURN AREA,MANY ROCKS ALL ACROSS RD (Ed. Note: This is just south of the Hermitage)
9:03PM 2036 HRS:MM 21 NB LNS COMPLETELY BLOCKED,ROCKS STILL FALLING (Ed. Note: This is Limekiln)
9:01PM MM 30,ROCKS CURRENTLY FALLING,LNS STILL OPEN (Ed. note: This is 2 miles north of Big Creek.)
9:01PM 2009 HRS:22 LAYED OUT FLARES ON NB SIDE THAT IS COMPLETELY 1125
8:55PM SB LN IS PASSABLE
8:55PM 2008 HRS:MM 35 NB LNS ARE BLOCKED DUE TO ROCK SLIDE
8:52PM 1039 SLO TO ADVS
8:49PM 1039 RICH JOHNSON – WILL SHUT DOWN ON SOUTH END AT WILLOW CREEK VISTA POINT
8:42PM 1039 ENTAC
8:38PM PER S2 VIA LL – REQ CT RESP TO SHUT DOWN RDWY, S2 WILL ADV 27-C
8:36PM PER S2 VIA LL – TRY TO KEEP SR1 OPEN AS LONG AS POSSIBLE // REQ 22 PUT CONES OUT WHERE THERE ARE ROCKS IN RDWY
8:26PM 1949 HRS: TORI CYN BRIDGE,MINOR ROCK SLIDE
8:26PM LRG ROCK 2FT IN DIAM PRTL 1125/ROOM TO GET AROUND

Friday night rain totals

Today, we got just over an inch, added to the 1 1/4 we had previously during this storm, to bring the storm totals to 2.25″ (and it is still going strong.) The total for this season is: 14″. I cannot locate all of my 15 years of calendars, but I found a few and these were the season totals on January 23 from a few prior years.

2005 – 43.0 inches, total for the entire season, last rain 6/16 – 75.25 inches:

2006 – 25.1 inches, total for the entire season, last rain 5/14 – 56.23 inches:

2007 – 9.5 inches, total for the entire season, last rain 5/4 – 20.85 inches;

2008 – 23.75 inches (can this be right?) last rain 2/24, total 44.5 inches.

When I find the prior 10 years, I will post them, also.

Friday morning rain totals

Storm must have moved north-to-south. Carmel reported 2 inches overnight. Big Sur Valley reported 3/4 of an inch, and I am reporting 1/2 inch. More rain through out the day and tonight. Will update rain totals tonight, just before dark, and give the season totals to-date, also.

Just caught something regarding the possibility of snow down to 3000′ on Sunday. That would be moi. Hmmm…

Rain Totals

I will be adding to this shortly, as I gather information, but as of this morning, in the Big Sur Valley, one rain gauge near the Grange recorded 1 and 1/2 inch. 

My rain gauge for the storm, records 3/4 of an inch, but the rain continues.

Highlands Peak in Big Creek reports .55 inches for the past 24 hours. Chew’s ridge reports .64 for the storm. Nepenthe reports 1.20 inches.

Finally, the weather reports state rain probable to possible to slight, until next Thursday. Tomorrow, chances of thunderstorms most of the day, until 10 pm. Fun!

As I listen to significant rain beating on my roof at the moment, 6:30 pm on Thursday, this is what the forecast discussion is saying:

ALTHOUGH ALL OF THE MODELS DEPICT RAINFALL FOR THE DISTRICT FOR
 TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHERE THE FOCUS OF THE PRECIPITATION
 ENDS UP BEING REMAINS THE BIG QUESTION MARK.

Cal-Trans netting project

Yesterday, we drove through the “netting” project. I got one good  photo of the helicopter on the ground, which I will post later, but here are two sent to me from Daniel Danbom, which are WAY cool. Thanks Daniel!

lowering_net_1283

fasten-net-top_1330

Rain, a comin’

Finally. It will probably start sometime today, and is highly likely by tonight, particularly in higher elevations. (That would be moi) Half an inch is expected, so no big storm, but any is welcome.

Remembering and Hope

I was not able to watch the inauguration live, today, as I had to work. So, tonight, I watched, and cried, and shouted “Hallelujah.”

I was born and raised in California. I knew little about the struggles for equality in the South. My mother was, and still is, a Democrat, with strongly held views. She raised me to be color-blind. It was easy in Southern California at the time.

Then I joined the USWAC, and went to Ft. McClellan, Alabama. This was 1967. I went through Basic Training with women from all over the country, in all shades of poor.

On the base, racial discrimination was subtle. Off base, it was overt. I had never seen “Whites Only” restaurants, bathrooms, and drinking fountains, before, and was completely astounded. I did not understand. I truly did not. I was color-blind.

My daughter inherited my color-blindness, and I have three 1/2 black grandchildren.

When my first grandchild was born 11 years ago, I worried about the prejudices she would have to face in her life. I worried about what opportunities she would miss, because of her heritage.  When Barak Obama was elected, I rejoiced with much of the nation, but particularly for my grandchildren. I did not want them to experience the discrimination that I had witnessed.

I was in the Watts Riots of the early 60’s with some black friends. I witnessed the hatred of the blacks towards the whites, and feared for my life. Now, over 40 years later, I have been privileged to watch as at least these two races have come together to find common ground. I have been honored to live long enough to witness the election of a 1/2 black, 1/2 white United States President and feel joy and hope. I feel as if our nation can again be the example to  the world of humanity, compassion, and dreams made possible.

If we can come this far, in my lifetime, I KNOW that my children will live long enough to see the coming together of Christians, and Jews, and Muslims, and Hindus, and all religions. Because if we can elect Barack Hussein Obama President of the United States, anything is possible.

I choose to believe and spread hope that this world can live as one, and in peace, as Mahatma Gandi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and John Lennon, among SO many others have  taught us.

Flare up

From: Toby Jones

 We have a flare up in a tree from the Basin Complex Fire 

in the middlefork of Partington Watershed (SIX months later!). 
It's kicking up a lot of smoke, but there is nothing serious...
It's all in the black, and hopefully Forest Service will be 
on this at some point.