Month: March 2011

Highway One closure indefinite

7:30 pm – and so, I bid you goodnight on this eventful St. Paddy’s Day with this photo I just took. This is what I see when I am seated in my chair, in front of my computer, iPhone at hand, reporting as I do. Now you know my secret.

Sunset through the back door, 3/17/11

6:00 pm – The SLO Tribune has put together a photo gallery of three of these photos and a couple from Cal-Trans. It may be viewed here:

SLO Tribune

2:15 pm – and here is a very different angle taken by Justus Newman yesterday, only an hour or so after the slip out. Thanks to Justus and to Rob Weller, who sent it my way!

by Justus Newman, 3/16/11

2:00 pm – here is a photo taken by Colin Maxwell from the north end today:

Rocky Creek Closure by Colin Maxwell

In recognition of the problems created for our tourism industry, I have changed the title of this post, but the reality is we don’t know when this closure will be sufficiently stable to allow even one lane open for the public – it could be one week, it could be one month. However, there have been several years in recent memory where the road was closed for several months – Hurricane Point and Carmel Bridge come to mind – and that is a possibility in this case, also.

Here are a couple great shots from our resident CHP Officer, Ben Grasmuck. What wonderful shots, Ben. As he says regarding travel in the foreseeable future, “Everything is up in the air, figuratively and literally.” He also reports that the NB lane has cracks in it, and is not safe, either. What a ride, huh?

Rocky Creek Slip out by CHP Officer Ben Grasmuck

Rocky Creek slip out by CHP Officer Ben Grasmuck

1:45 am – I consulted with my reliable road source, and he says this will take a while to fix. It appears that the cribbing gave way, based on what he saw in the third photo below. He also suspects that the only way to fix this will be with tie-backs, as is being done at Dani Creek, near Lucia. I took photos of that just a few days ago and planned to post them, so will do that later so that all of you have an idea what might happen. In the meantime, I want to upload some photos sent by our resident CHP officer, Ben. Thanks, Ben!

10:30 am – this is Cal-Trans official press release sent out just a few minutes ago:

• Due to severe roadway damage to the southbound lane, Hwy. 1 is closed indefinitely north of Big Sur and south of Carmel at Rocky Point (PM 60.05). Crews are assessing the roadway to determine a repair strategy. All businesses along the coast Hwy. 1 remain open. Alternate routes include Highways 101, 68 and 46. An update will be provided as more information becomes available and/or conditions change.

Here is a photo of the slide taken by Matthew Kahlar and sent to friends of mine:

9:00 am – I spoke with a very harried Martin at the post office this morning who informed me that a decision has not been made about the mail, and that he would not be able to discuss it in any event. I then called Frank, the Postmaster in Monterey who informed me that frantic discussions were going on, but the logistics are so complicated a decision may not be made today. Contracts, vehicles, routes, and coordination with San Jose all have to be resolved before a decision would be made. In the past, it has come over N-F Rd. once a week, but this time they are discussing Cambria Post Office, as well as one to the East. I will do what I can to stay on top of it.

8:30 am – lots going on. Businesses trying to make arrangements for deliveries expected today, residents making plans for stocking up, staying with friends in town, or whatever needs to be done.

This is not something new. Hurricane Point closed for 4 months, shutting us off to the North. And remember 1983? The big slide cut the coast in half for over a year. We will Sur-vive – we always do.
Mail may only come once a week, but it will come. Tourists will come from the South and love the peace and quiet they find here. Locals will skate down the middle of the road (grins) and enjoy.

The forecasters are predicting heavy rain on Friday and Sunday, and this could impact the two remaining paths out of Big Sur, although both Cal-Trans and County Rds. will be working hard to get Highway One to the south open, and Nacimiento-Fergusson to the east open.

Here are some news photos my son sent me. Not sure which agency, but when I find out, I will give credit.

Also, my friend at NOAA has sent me some point and click links for weather forecasts for the specific area around the Rocky Creek slip-out which I will post here, as well as add to the link section to the right.

7-day forecast for 9 miles north of Big Sur

Very cool detailed forecast graphs

My personal favorite forecast page

5:00 am -If you saw the photos of this slip out, you already know this will not be an easy repair. Current information is that the highway will be closed for months, making trash pick up, mail, school, and town runs quite challenging. Alternatives are being pursued as stated by Rain, from the State Park, in her comment on the post below. Thanks, Rain!

I will update at a more reasonable time this morning.

Road Closed

The most incredible photo is in the Herald. I’m on my iPhone so not sure I can copy but here is the link, and if that doesn’t work, navigate from the link on the right under “news”
cid:image001.jpg@01CBE425.7BE095F0
http://www.montereyherald.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=17629879&siteId=570&startImage=1

The southbound lane of Highway 1 about 2 miles south of Rocky Point is gone and so is the majority of the northbound lane in Big Sur on Wednesday. (ORVILLE MYERS/Herald Correspondent)

Here is a link to a written report from KSBW but it doesn’t really add anything to what we all ready have and with that, at 9:30 pm, I bid you a good night. I’ll keep on top of this story tomorrow.

And from KION this photograph:

Here is KION’s link, which includes one more photo, as well as a report on conditions. KION

Everyone should keep in mind that the South Coast portion of Highway One is very fragile. We have a major slip out at Lucia being repaired, and there have been numerous slides at Mud Creek south of Gorda, as well as another possible contender for a closure going on between the county line and Ragged Point. My trip down N-F Rd. last Friday revealed it was in pretty good shape on the front or coastal side, but won’t know about the back or inland side until this Friday, and will report then.

Remember, many of our biggest slides and longest closures have happened in the Spring.

7:00 pm – one unconfirmed report is in that this will be closed for 5-7 days. I have not been able to verify this. FWIW, CHP says: “EMERGENCY VEHS CAN PASS AT THEIR OWN RISK”

At 5:04 pm, when I originally got the email from Soaring, and then again at 5:15 pm, when I got the call from a friend in town, nothing was on the CHP website. Now it says:

5:45PM 1039 ENTAC
5:44PM 1039 MTRY CTR
5:41PM POTENTIALLY SEVERAL DAYS IF NOT LONGER TO BE CLOSED
5:41PM 22B-CALTRANS ALSO EXPLORING IDEA OF USING PRIVATE AXESS RD JEO HWY 1, UNK IF AVAIL
5:41PM CALTRANS CHANGINGMESSAGE BOARD JSO CARMEL, UNK DURATION OF CLOSURE BUT IS LONG TERM
5:41PM HARD CLOSURE NB AT BIXBY AND SB AT PALO COLORADO
5:39PM 22B-1097, JSO ROCKY CREEK BRIDGE APPROX 40 FT SECTION OF RDWY TOTALLY GONE, CALTRANS 1097, CLSOURE IN PLACE
5:17PM PER CALTRANS, THEY ARE WORKING ON RDWY HOWEVER WANT UNIT TO CONFIRM THIS IS LONG TERM CLOSURE
5:16PM CONFIRM W/CALTRANS 1 LN RDWY CLOSURE FOR IMPROVEMENTS
5:13PM 1039 27-S7, SEND B WATCH UNIT
5:11PM PER RP 3/4 OF THE RD HAS GIVEN WAY
5:11PM RD CREW FLGMEN 1097/NO RADIO CNTACT

Highway 1 is closed by Rocky Creek, Post Ranch had an employee who was driving to town was turned around and had to come back to Sur. The road dropped 6 inches, and isn’t safe to drive on…. 5pm Weds. March 16, 2011. South bound lane, north of Old Coast Road, between Bixby and Rocky Creek. (Original report by Soaring, CHP is claiming 15 inches, but either way, it is serious.)

Also got a call from a friend who had clients down here who couldn’t get home to Carmel.

FWIW, when Rock Knocker and I drove this section on Monday, he was cackling over the drops and predicted this would happen.

Per CHP this section of the road dropped 15 inches overnight. SB lane pretty bad. Hard closure at
Just a personal observation – if CT can’t get one lane safely opened before dark, the road will be closed for the evening and work will resume during daylight hours.

Weather Report

It certainly has been a while since I have provided one of these, and I admit my records are in a bit of a mess right now, regarding season totals, etc. But will make it a priority today, and post those later.

For the moment, let me say that when I woke at 5 am this morning, it was raining gently, and it wasn’t the rain that woke me.

For now, NOAA had this to say: “AS OF 9:00 AM PDT WEDNESDAY…RAIN IS TAPERING OFF AT THIS HOUR BEHIND A FRONT WHICH MOVED THROUGH OUR CWA EARLY THIS MORNING. 24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS ARE CLOSE TO THE CNRFC FORECAST WITH THE HIGHEST VALUE AT VENADO (2.26″). GENERAL RAINFALL TOTALS HAVE BEEN 1-2″ OVER THE NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS…1/2-1″ FOR NORTH BAY VALLEYS AND SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS…1/4-1/2″ AROUND SF BAY…AND LESS THAN 1/4″ FOR MOST POINTS TO THE SOUTH.”

And for what is coming, this is the forecast for Friday: “RAINFALL COULD BE LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIME. LIFTED VALUES WILL ALSO DROP DOWN TO MINUS 2 AND WITH MOSGUIDE THUNDERSTORM POPS ABOVE 30 PERCENT FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON…THUNDER WILL BE A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY. WILL UPDATE THE GRIDS TO ADD THE MENTION OF BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDER PLUS SMALL HAIL. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP BEHIND THE FRONT PRODUCING A RAIN/SNOW MIX AS LOW AS 2000 FEET (WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE DOWN TO 2500 FEET).”

I’ll bring everyone up-to-date with the rain totals for today and the season later, keeping in mind that I had to estimate on similar values for the 10 days I was in Redondo Beach during the first heavy snow storm of the season.

Until later today (when, beside updating the weather report I might create a new post with more photos from my “out and about” days), blessings to all.

Redwood Revival

Before I got sidetracked with the iPhone, I was out and about, and took some photos to share with you … some just because I live in God’s country, or paradise, or one of the most beautiful places on the planet — and some specifically to show my readers something.

These first two should lift your spirits, all you lovers of Mother Nature, as depicted here. These are redwoods that were matchsticks two and 1/2 years ago. After the Basin Fire of 2008, came the Chalk Fire and Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. was burned on both sides. Look at what they look life now! Life regenerates. Ah, yes it does.

These two shots depict the regeneration of the redwoods along Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. — burned until there was nothing left but blackened sticks. Now look at them!

Redwood Revival

Redwood Revival Repeat

iPhone photo apps

Okay, I must admit. I am enamored. I’ve already downloaded several photo apps and have been busy trying them out.

Here are some samples for you. First, the view from my deck. This first one is taken with an app called Camera Bag. It has “filters” which will change the look of the photo. After taking the photo in this application, one can try the photo with the various filters – to give old time camera appearances. I used 1974 on this photo:

View w/ 1974 filter

This second photograph of the same view uses an application called HDR. For non-photographers, this stands for high-definition resolution. Generally, 3 photographs are exposed and combined- one normal, one overexposed, and one underexposed. This brings out the highlight and shadow details better than a single photograph. In the application called HDR, only two photographs are taken and then combined, but the details and saturation are much more like what is actually depicted than a “normal” photograph.

I also have a set of still lifes taken with different filters I will use to demonstrate shortly, but just had a visitor show up.

Alright, here are a set of still lifes that demonstrate the range of photographs available with the built-in camera and camera bag.

Still in Helga

The Helga camera is a common medium format 120 film toy camera, made in China, known for its low-fidelity aesthetic. It was created in 1981 by T.M. Lee.

The Holga’s low-cost construction and simple meniscus lens often yields pictures that display vignetting, blur, light leaks, and other distortions. The camera’s limitations have brought it a cult following among some photographers, and Holga photos have won awards and competitions in art and news photography. (Info from wikipedia)

Still Magazine

This is a rich style popular for the glossy pages of a magazine.
60's Still

This filter emulates the high contrast black and white style of photojournalist art of the 60’s.

Okay, that should give you an idea, anyway. Now, I must be about the shooting this afternoon, but tomorrow, I have some photos of Big Sur I wanted to share – taken with my D-90 this past week.

There’s an app for that!

First, I apologize. I have been lost inside my new iPhone for the last couple of days. This technology is amazing! Once I figure out its application to blogging, I will share my experiences with you.

iPhone 4G

I also had to go to town for a few days, then spent Friday in Big Sur. During all of this, I followed the earthquake in Japan (my son has an earthquake app, and so let me know shortly after it happened) and the resulting tsanami, both causing significant devastation. Monterey was lucky, Santa Cruz was not.

One thing about being out and about is that I took some photographs I will share over the next few days. I am still getting used to the iPhone camera, but it does have some capabilities my more expensive Nikon D-90 has not, so I can tell I will be carrying and shooting both.

But here is one I took with the iPhone and the camera bag app. It imitates some of the old-fashioned cameras and photo styles.

1974 style

This was taken of the field across from Don Harlan’s place. The new owners completely covered several of these ocean terraces with poppies. It is beautiful!

Looks like I have found out that I can, at a minimum, edit posts from the iPhone.

Abbott Lake Restoration Project

Date: March 10, 2011
Los Padres National Forest

Abbott Lakes Restoration Project

KING CITY, CA…. The Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest is proposing to re-fill the lower Abbott Lake at Arroyo Seco. The Abbott Lakes Restoration Project is all on National Forest Service land.

The proposal is to pump water from the Arroyo Seco River during winter and spring when river flow rates are high. Haviong a full lake in the summer will benefit firefighters by providing access to an open water source, and it will also benefit the threatened steelhead trout in the river by keeping pumps and helicopters out of their area.

Taking water from the lake, instead of the river, in the late summer when flow rates are low will minimize impact to steelhead and their habitat.

“I’m looking forward to hearing from the community on this proposal,” said Monterey District Ranger Sherry Tune. “We want to ensure that any concerns the public has are properly addressed as we move forward.”

To encourage informed participation from the public in this planning process, a description of the proposed action along with the purpose and need for action is available from the Monterey Ranger District office in King City, at the Big Sur Visitor Station, or electronically from peterharris@fs.fed.us.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit suggestions and/or comments by standard mail or email to: Peter Harris, 406 S. Mildred Ave., King City, CA 93930 or peteharris@fs.fed.us.

For more information contact the Monterey Ranger District at (831) 385-5434, or on-line at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres.

Pt. Lobos views

I don’t take the time – I don’t MAKE the time to stop in Point Lobos, like I used to when I lived in Palo Colorado Canyon. My focus has become more narrow – the south coast is my coast, now.

So, when Dan Danbom sends me some great shots he took there yesterday, and as this is a slow “news” day, I am posting them here so we can all enjoy them. Thanks again, Dan!

Dan hardly ever does B&W, which is my favorite, but here he was led to by the conditions, and he is correct. The strength of the composition here carries the shot.

B&W by Dan Danbom

Pt. Lobos Joy by Dan Danbom

China Cove by Dan Danbom

Musings from the Mountain

January was so warm and clear and beautiful that it had lulled me into a false sense of security. It was as if winter would slip right past this mountain without leaving so much as a ripple to show its passing. I got complacent about winter preparations and how hard winter up here can be, mentally, as well as physically. I basked in the early, false spring along with my plants. It was better than summer, or even spring in some respects, as the bugs had not been given the signal to begin their season, and so, I had the outdoors to myself.

Then came February. Some of the storms were brutal, here, and elsewhere in California, but Big Sur danced through and around these storms with her cloak of passion swirling in the shouting winds. Her adornments went from early bloomings to mountains turned a winter white. We responded with the child-like wonder, we children of the Sur. We hunkered in and drifted in and out of hybernation. We took time for ourselves.

Now it is March, and Spring arrives in two weeks. I am so ready, but I recognize that spring can bring more storms … more snow … more mudslides. And so, I try not to get my hopes up, yet. It is still early.

I don’t buy my tomato starts until May.

BTW, the view from Lucia of my mountain top taken about 5 pm this afternoon. I am the one in the clouds!

Mountain Top by Brendon Shave

More Fracking information and links

I have a collection of informational emails sent by HOLD to post here, as my internet connection has decided to become problematic. Still haven’t figured out exactly what the problem(s) is/are. May be a combination of internet and computer issues, but I am fed up with it, that’s for sure!

These are only a few of them, others in my inbox and/or on other computer. I will add the newer ones when it all comes back together again.

a new report you may be interested in

Oil and Gas Bonds: BLM Needs a Comprehensive Strategy to Better Manage
Potential Oil and Gas Well Liability GAO-11-292 February 25, 2011
GAO Report on BLM well liability

BLM Must Improve Oil, Gas Well Risk Oversight: GAO

By Martin Bricketto

Law360, New York (February 28, 2011) — The U.S. Government
Accountability Office said in a report Friday that the Bureau of Land
Management has failed to consistently implement policies for
overseeing potential liabilities related to an increasing number of
oil and gas wells on leased federal land.

The GAO said the agency, within the U.S. Department of the Interior,
should tighten its handling of policies that cover reviews of the
bonds that oil and gas operators must provide before beginning
drilling operations and the management of idle and orphan wells.

The GAO said the number of oil and gas wells on leased federal land
has jumped dramatically in recent years.

About 19,000 of the 93,000 wells on federal land in fiscal year 2010
were drilled within the past five years, according to the report,
titled “Oil and Gas Bonds: BLM Needs a Comprehensive Strategy to
Better Manage Potential Oil and Gas Well Liability.”

During fiscal year 2010, 11 percent of the country’s natural gas
supply and five percent of its oil supply came from wells on federal
land, the report says.

Oil and gas operators are required to reclaim the land once operations are finished, returning it as close to its original condition as possible, the report says.

Such work can include plugging wells, removing structures, reshaping
land around the wells and installing vegetation, according to the
report, which adds that operators are supposed to provide a bond to
ensure they perform reclamation work and satisfy other lease terms and conditions.

Thirty-three of 48 BLM field offices manage the agency’s oil and
natural gas program and fall within the jurisdiction of 10 state
offices, the report says.

Under the BLM’s bond adequacy policy, field offices are supposed to
regularly review bonds when certain events occur, or periodically, and
increase the amount of the bond as necessary to reflect the
appropriate level of risk, according to the report.

The GAO said 13 of the 33 field offices reported that, for fiscal
years 2005 through 2009, they either did not conduct any reviews or
did not know the number of reviews conducted, with most blaming a lack of resources and more pressing priorities.

The GAO further found that BLM state offices didn’t consistently
follow policies on when to increase bond amounts, noting officials in
three state offices who generally required evidence of operator
noncompliance before raising a bond amount and another state office
that increased amounts for most operators because it viewed them as a potential risk.

The BLM’s policy covering idle wells, which haven’t produced for at
least seven years, and orphan wells, which typically aren’t tied to a
responsible party, is intended to ensure nonproducing wells are either
plugged or returned to production, the GAO said.

BLM offices under the policy are supposed to put together an inventory of such wells and rank them for reclamation based on environmental harm and other factors, according to the GAO.

However, 11 of 33 field offices had not conducted any reviews in one
or more years of the five-year period under review, the GAO said,
adding that the field offices blamed a shortage of resources.

The GAO also said two BLM state offices and 22 field offices don’t
have action plans for analyzing bond adequacy and idle and orphan
wells, as required by BLM policies.

The GAO recommended increasing regulatory minimum bonding amounts over time to better ensure operator compliance, and revising the policy for bond adequacy reviews to better define terms and conditions that lead to an increase.

The agency also recommended improving the completeness and consistency of well records and better monitoring agency performance on reviewing bond adequacy and idle wells.

Representatives for the BLM and DOI did not immediately return
requests for comment on Monday.

–Editing by John Williams.
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The below information and link to article were sent to us from concerned citizens

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-01-like-natural-gas-then-get-used-to-earthquakes
The following issue arose in Arkansas today after a strong quake. Given the Chemical and Radiation Injection drilling just beginning to get underway in our area, earthquake movement are a legitimate issue to require the county to work up in their EIR or MNDs on fracking wells.

The maximum credible quake on the San Andreas and other regional faults and the chance of techtonic shifts sufficient to release injection chemicals and radiation into ground and surface water should be calculated.

Thanks all……..

Note that Arkansas is now added to the lists of states with moratoriums in place on all forms of hydraulic fracking. And Arkansas is not typically in the forefront of environmental issues……..

Until studied by the EPA, this seems a reasonable position to take.

It also suggests full EIRs on all chemical-radiation hydraulic fracking injectiion wells are required.
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Toxic Contamination From Natural Gas Wells

The New York Times collected data from more than 200 natural gas wells
in Pennsylvania. Many of them are tapping into the Marcellus Shale, a
vast underground rock formation. But a method being used to stimulate
wells, called hydraulic fracturing, produces wastewater containing
corrosive salts and radioactive and carcinogenic materials. In
Pennsylvania, this wastewater has been sent through sewage treatment
plants that cannot remove some of the contaminants before the water is
discharged into rivers and streams that provide drinking water. The
Times was able to map 149 of the wells.

Go to the below link to view the interactive map –

interactive map

RESOURCE:
(Could be time for a new computer. Lenovo coupon codes might come in handy.)