Trail clearing by explosives in Big Sur

Today’s Pinecone has an article you might be interested in, penned by Chris Counts. Here is the lead-in:

“A TRAIL crew will use explosives as part of an effort to
remove trees and improve accessibility for hikers along the
Pine Ridge and Terrace Creek trails in Big Sur.

The project begins Jan. 11 and is expected to be completed
by Jan. 22.

Surprisingly, use of explosives is often considered a better
alternative to the use of chainsaws for doing backcountry
trailwork.”

To read the rest of the article, please go to the following link, which unfortunately is not article specific, and is in pdf format, so may take a while to download. If you can’t get it here, google Carmel Pine Cone. You want to read this:
Pinecone

Now, I would like to know who thinks explosives are a “better alternative to the use of chainsaws”? I admit ignorance on this issue, and am more than willing to be educated.

Weather Report, 12/30/09

Received more than I would have expected from the sound, .5 inches for a total for the season to-date of 23.85 inches. I’ll be back when I have power again to update forecasts.

Forecasts are all over the map, and forecasters are frustrated with the models. Bottom line is there MAY be showers on and off up through New Year’s Day, but clear on Saturday and most of next week.

Weather Report, 12/29/09

10:00 pm – rain did not last long, at all, and unless we get more this evening, will not be measurable, at least by my rain gauge.

8:40 pm – the rain has begun. Not heavy, just present. Not predicted to be much, but will continue to monitor until sleep overtakes me. Total at first light.

Weather Photos – Los Burros

Today, a chilly, but crystal clear day. Rain total for last night’s “storm” was just under .25 of an inch. Last night, I tried to upload the photos I took yesterday of the fog “pouring” over the top of Los Burros, but never could get even the first of them up.

And here is a closer look at those incredible clouds/fog:

And, while the internet is working again, here is the same phenomena from a different angle with different lighting:

and the close up:

Weather Report, 12/28/09

It is looking a lot like rain later today. NOAA is indicating rain later this morning, through the afternoon, with lightning possible, as well. A stronger system due to come in Tuesday night into Wednesday.

MODEL VARIANCE IS HIGH ON WEDS BUT POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR SOME MORE MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN TO DEVELOP …
particularly in the Santa Cruz Mtns. The Santa Lucias are not mentioned.

Could be an interesting week. Also got an fascinating shot of the fog and clouds literally “pouring” over the top of Willow Creek this morning. Will post that this evening, as I have to head out to overnight something for work today, hoping to beat the storm as much as possible.

Weather Report, 12/27/09

3:00 pm forecast change this afternoon. Latest NOAA, only a few minutes ago states:
THE LATEST MODEL SOLUTIONS DO INDICATE A COLD FRONT SLIDING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TOMORROW EVENING. THIS WILL RESULT IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS TOMORROW NIGHT AGAIN MAINLY FROM THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS SOUTH. THIS COLD FRONT WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

AS AFORE MENTIONED UNSETTLED WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. THIS STATEMENT IS A RESULT OF THE MODEL SOLUTIONS INDICATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DIRTY RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THIS RIDGE PUTS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA UNDER SOMEWHAT MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WITH SEVERAL EMBEDDED VORTICITY FEATURES PASSING OVER THE AREA. THIS SCENARIO WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ALMOST THE ENTIRE WEEK.

7:30 am – all quiet this morning. Rainfall received last night 1.5 inches. In checking the raws, looks like Chalk Peak and Plaskett Ridge Top is where the rain hit hardest. Imagine that?

It is 12:45 am. The lightning and thunder have stopped, but the rain has not. When dawn comes, I will post my rain total for tonight, but frankly, I believe it will be well over an inch, and based on what I am hearing, it could be two inches. We will see how accurate I am.

Rain Possible?

At 9:23 pm, heavy hail, lightning, and thunder resounded over and around me. My internet connection is sporadic, and I cannot seem to update my blog, or do anything other than send email, and that only sporadically. I have two dogs calmly sleeping, and two panting and shaking from the storm. I am turning off all electrical equipment, as the lightning and thunder are coming closer together. I have sent this to Dave Allen, who I know is online and watching this storm from Carmel so he can post it for me as a comment to my latest post.

bigsurkate

8:00 pm – this is some serious, heavy-duty rain with thunder and lightning. Love these kinds of storms, if I am dry and warm!

7:00 pm – finally, rain, not drizzle, on the South Coast. And thunder, too.

Oh, and some more tourons came hiking in at dark thirty. They were lost, looking for a cabin of some sort just as it had gotten dark. I was in my pjs, settled in for the night, with 4 dogs going nuts over strangers in the front yard. The tourons are on their own tonight. If they were dogs, I’d have taken them in, but people without a clue? They are almost always trouble. Hopefully, they hadn’t left their vehicle too far away.

6:00 pm – rain reported in Carmel. I have been having significant internet connection problems yesterday and today.

3:00 pm – drizzle and everything is wet. Wouldn’t call it “rain” though.

Mixed bag of reports from the weather forecasters, who are indicating a 50% chance of rain for this evening, but shouldn’t be more than light showers.

Looking outside, it looks like rain possible tonight. We shall see. Also, for those of you along the coast, look to the whales! Whale sightings reported.

A Big Sur Christmas

Tonight, around 6 pm Stacey, a reader of this blog, posted a notice about 2 lost dogs on my “Let there be peace” posting. Strange, I thought. Those sound like my neighbors dogs. In the next hour or so, I called my neighbor, went to his house, twice, determined my neighbor was out of town, and the dog sitter said the dogs were missing. He was just sitting there, doing nothing. He wasn’t looking for them.

I notified Stacey that the dogs were indeed my neighbor’s dogs. She knew my neighbor, and worked with him. So Stacey and her husband went out on Christmas Day evening to look for the dogs, and thankfully, found them and took them home. This is probably the best Christmas gift my neighbor got this year. This is what Big Sur does. We take care of each other, and our fur kids. Thank you Stacey for caring and taking the time on this holiday to recover my neighbor’s fur kids for him.

On another note, the photos below depict what often happens on a Big Sur Christmas — gifts of Jade.

Thank you, CK. What Christmas is complete without the Big Sur Jade?