Day: March 9, 2010

Mud Creek Photos (South Coast, Big Sur)

Yesterday, Rock Knocker climbed Mud Creek (about a mile north of Alder Creek Slide) to make sure it wasn’t backing up. (Yes, he IS retired, and no, he does NOT have to do this, but he is a curious fellow.) Normally, these are not the type of photos I would post, as some people are not interested in this type of thing. But I thought some of you might like to see how slides can happen (it is not backing up, therefore no slide is imminent) and get a different perspective on the hills and rocks that come down ON the road! I’ve even included some photos of the road from a perspective most of us are not likely to ever see. Definitely a unique perspective! RK took 104 photos, I’ve narrowed them down considerably, but I still have quite a few I want to share, so will be adding to this throughout the evening. Thanks so much, Rock Knocker!

Climbing up Mud Creek, by Rock Knocker

That’s Highway One, down below.
WARNING – DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF. Rock Knocker is a professional rock climber, and has been to the Cal-Trans climbing school each year for over 20+ years. In fact, he has been invited back again, even though he is retired.
Across the rockfall of Mud Creek, by Rock Knocker

One can see a sliver of Highway One in the distance on the right.
Looking down the rock fall, by Rock Knocker

I am afraid of heights. Even looking at a photo like this makes me queasy. Good thing he doesn’t have video!
Even higher still, by Rock Knocker

I can’t even BEGIN to describe what looking at this one does to my stomach! This is the one time I am “almost” – not quite – glad to Pampas Grass holding the hillside in place!
A tree grows ... by Rock Knocker

Amazing to see on this barren slope, a tree tenaciously growing out of rock.
Roots in Rock, by Rock Knocker

The close-up
The Coastline, by Rock Knocker

If one looks closely, one can see the CT cone, and the sliver of road in front of it.
Highway One - a different perspective, by Rock Knocker

Right behind where that front ridge and the highway intersect is the Alder Creek Slide. One can also see the recently rebuilt seawall at Shale Point.
Going down? by Rock Knocker

There is his truck, parked on the side of the road. And that ends the photo story of the climb up Mud Creek.

It is down to 37.6 degrees at 5:30 pm – and I need to update the weather/road post for today, March 9. 2010.

Tuesday, March 9th Reports

Because I am watching two fronts – weather and road, I have divided this post into 2 sections, one for road updates, and one for weather updates. I will add information to the appropriate section as information comes my way.

WEATHER
9:30 pm – it is 34.9 degrees outside, and still dropping. It is going to hit the upper 20’s tonight — I just KNOW it. Brrr…

7:30 pm – currently down to 36.7 and still dropping.

5:30 pm – currently down to 37.4 degrees, and still dropping. Looks like a freeze tonight. I just hope it doesn’t get down into the 20’s. I have a brand-new, unopened package of silk long-johns I have misplaced. Tonight would be the night for them! (Can you tell I got my temperature gauge set up, again?)

5:00 pm – currently down to 38.0 degrees, and still dropping.

3:00 pm – 40 degrees, currently, and still dropping, after a day of mostly sunny skies. (I mistakenly put 44 degrees earlier.) It feels much colder due to wind chill factor. Windy up here, and white caps visible on the ocean.

9:30 am – NOAA’s NWS is predicting another chance of precipitation tonight, although amounts should be low, and light snow above 3K ft. No accumulation expected. Wednesday and Thursday should be dry, with a stronger system arriving on Friday.

8:00 am – First, everything is frozen up here. Hail and ice cover the deck, so I cannot safely go out on it, quite yet. It was 45 inside, when I woke this morning. However, the sun is shining. I will try to post photos later. Dave Allen reported very large hail at the mouth of the Valley. Here is one:

Hail, by Jana Allen

ROAD
11:00 am – Cal-Trans JUST NOW issued this report:
MONTEREY COUNTY –The closure just south of Gorda (Alder Creek Slide) that reopened yesterday morning continues with one-way traffic control with flaggers from 7 am to 6 pm with up to 1-hour delays. The road will close again overnight tonight from 6 pm to 7 am.

Caltrans will reassess the slide conditions each morning and provide updates accordingly.

9:00 am – This is Dave Allen’s report from his commute this morning: “The road was clean, except for the Lucia slip-out. That is gowing lower fast…the drop was about a foot.Looks like the “sag” rate is about a foot a day…not bad for a slip-out! CALTRANS, though, is there with a foot of fill each day…’sorry, slip-out!’.”

8:00 am -Please see Suzi’s comment from last night under Road Conditions, 3/8, for her first hand report of going through the Alder Creek slide around 5:30 last night. I have yet to receive anything “official” from Cal-Trans, but that normally doesn’t come in until 9 am.