Can you save me one? I’ll be right there – when I can!
5:30 pm – CHP website says this:
2:10PM IF IT IS RAINING CALTRANS WILL NOT BE WORKING ON RDWY
2:10PM GOOD CHANCE IT WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW
2:10PM PER WAYNE/CALTRANS-RDWY WILL BE CLOSED TONIGHT
BUT when I spoke to Colin Jones several times this afternoon, he stressed that crews WOULD be working tomorrow, even if it rained. He also said he would be checking in in the morning with his office and hoped to put out a press release with good news.
Also, reports of a bottle-neck at the slide with people hoping to get through from both directions. This is what we called in the Army a SNAFU. 5 points if you know what the acronym stands for. ;=)
4:00 pm – there has been a rumor about a one-hour opening on the southern slide this afternoon. Stan Russell and Kirk Gafill are indicating that Cal-Trans Steve Price confirms that Cal-Trans “hopes” to be able to do this between 5 and 6 this evening. I called Colin Jones at 3:30 this afternoon to confirm or deny this rumor, and he indicated that IF it is possible, it will be on a very, very limited basis, for emergency supplies ONLY, and not to let trapped guests or locals through at that time. So, there you have it. Even Cal-Trans is not consistent on this one. You could get down here only to be turned away.
2:30 pm Cal-Trans update re Limekiln: “CURRENTLY, THERE IS STILL NO ESTIMATED TIME OF REOPENING Hwy. 1 to at least one lane of traffic. Several tons of mud and rock have fallen on the roadway and while crews and contractors are making good clean-up progress today, conditions are changing. Caltrans will issue another update around 5 pm this afternoon.” Don’t hold your breath that this puppy will be open, but who knows? Crews will be working all day tomorrow, even in the rain (which is supposed to be a much lighter storm, and our last for a while) so let’s hope.
From Cal-Trans:
**11:00 AM PER C/T: “Several tons of mud and rock has fallen on the roadway but crews and contractors are making good clean-up progress today. Caltrans will have a better estimate this afternoon as to when at least one lane at the Limekiln slide can be opened.”
**10:15 AM PER CHP WEBSITE, CAL-TRANS HAS NO ETA FOR OPENING THE SLIDE NEAR LIMEKILN AT THIS TIME**
9:00 am – nothing reported directly to me late last night or this morning, so will be checking my online and in person sources.
CHP is still reporting Limekiln closed thusly:
12:08AM SEVERAL LARGE BOULDERS IN RDWY
12:05AM WILL BE CLOSED MOST OF DAY JSO LIMEKILN
I am waiting for my morning call from Colin Jones on this one.
Did get a report last night after 8 pm on N-F Rd that there is a slide about 1/2 way down from the summit, but able to be navigated. Also, there was lots of water on the road both on the base and through the USFS lands.
Right now, I am looking at a combination of blue skies and fluffy clouds.
Here are some photos of the Big Sur River sent to me by Debbie Reed. Thanks Debbie! Glad you didn’t get flooded!
I just woke up. Can’t believe I slept so late. Having a cup of coffee then will head out with my camera to see what I can find. The sun just popped out here. And the creek in the redwood canyon next to me is roaring. The sun is a welcome sight!
Thanks Kate for keeping us informed.
FYI-
There’s a state park ranger to look out for, probably from SLO county. His name is Rick, probably 30-40 years old, drives a white pickup with the state park logo, lights on top of the cab. He was behind me yesterday afternoon as we went past the asphalt crew at Elephant trunk, 1 mile north of Ragged Point. It was not raining at the time and hadn’t been since I left Cambria. Just south of Peter & Phoebe’s place, he pulled me over for speeding, even though I wasn’t. He told me I was going too fast for the conditions. Normally, I’m successful in my ability to appease peace officers, but, even though I was very cordial and polite, he took offense to my response to his questioning why I was going so fast. I probably should have just played the dumb blonde part, and just said “Sorry , I won’t do it again”, but instead, I told him that I wasn’t aware that I was going too fast and that as a long time resident of the coast, I had developed a habit during rainy, slide prone weather to go very slowly around curves, then speed up on the straight-a-ways, especially in areas where towering cliffs above the road bed threaten to dump rocks on vehicles below. I was ticketed for going 40 in an area that has a 55 mph limit, but that conditions dictated 30 as the safe speed. After I signed the ticket, I requested that he lead the way so I could learn from him what speed I should go. I matched his pace all the way to PV School. To match his pace, I had to drive faster than I normally would have under the conditions. I noticed 3 different places where he exceeded the cautionary speed limit by 12 mph, and on the stretch just south of the school I clocked him at 65 mph. At that point, I slowed to 55 so he couldn’t pull me over again for speeding. He continued on up the highway as I pulled onto the school driveway.
I believe I saw the same Park Ranger last Sat. We were the 4th & 5th vehicles behind a long RV just past Ragged Point. There was a short turn off that the RV did not use and the Ranger put on his lights went by the 2 cars ahead of him and pulled the RV over. I didn’t think Park Rangers could do that.
As of last night the coast ridge road was passabel to this location. surge and his family got here about 9:30 Pm hoping that they can get to work at Partington Ridge some time soon…
It is nice that we can send these messages now, not like the times when CB was the cutting edge technology. still a good idea to have all your gear in the car, you never know…thanks for all the love
From the photo above, I see Juan Higuera creek is raging. I hope the concrete dividers were put all the way across in front of the Grange, and that it has survived the flood waters with no damage.
Lawks a’mighty the driver must have had kittens!
I heard one lane will open between 5pm and 6 pmthis evening, Friday . This is unofficial imformation.
I should add that, only between 5pm and 6pm this evening, then I would assume again sometime tomorrow.
maybe we need folks w/ kite cams spaced up and down the coast??–pay equals that of traffic flaggers,?-just kidding-hope all get to where they set out to get
I am not trapped in Big Sur. Rather, I am tethored. The ambience that Henry Miller wrote of, is indeed alive. In the meadows, the flowers, the drifting fog, the dryness in July, the storms in March. Park your soul whilst you are able. Life is euphemeral, be loved and love while you can. I’ve searched, but found no other. Be thankful for each day in Big Sur.
Soul parked and untethored Wally, are you smoking the old M10? I’ve been trying to get that seed back for years. BTW I would register ‘euphemeral’ – I bet P$$eizer will love it! Perhaps add a little je ne sais pas de quoi!
Love both of these comments. I hope I get to meet you two one day. HML? Fashion Show, maybe? I think it is on my BD, 5/19, right?
Situation Normal All F-ed Up