As promised, here are more photos of the Alder Creek slide. I’m going back to the day before to show its development. Think of it as a mini course in slides – Big Sur style. Thanks to Rock Knocker.

This was taken on April 12, 2011, 2 days before the big slide. The climbers were going up to check a big crack up above that had developed. They checked it the next day, and knew it was giving way. There was LOTS of movement.

This was taken the day before the big slide.

This was 5 days after the slide with dozers and trucks working both ends. Hard to make any progress that way with a monster like this.

Now we move on to yesterday, Tuesday April 26, 2011 –

That is the Chinook. If you follow the cable one can see the dozer or spider being brought in. I cannot tell from this photo which it is. But two of each were brought in by helicopter to the top of the slide. The spiders are blue and the dozers are yellow.
Here, one can tell it is a spider being ferried in. Follow the cable.

Diane flys in for a look-see.

Ah, and here is my very favorite one of this series. Look at the size of those silhouettes up against the raging power of Mother Nature. “Men of Courage” I titled it, but it could have easily been The Crazy Men of Cal-Trans, Big Sur.” I know, I was married to one of them.

10 am – Last night Sherry Tune, District Ranger of the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest confirmed that the Chinook was bringing in the equipment needed by helicopter to work the slide from the top. At 8 am, I heard the sound of the Chinook somewhere in the area – there is no mistaking that sound. Of course, as the slide is on USFS property, or at least begins there, then proceeds down to Cal-Trans’s road, and then into the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, overseen by NOAA, all of which is under the umbrella of the California Coastal Commission, a lot of governmental agencies must coordinate and be involved in this slide removal. Is it any wonder our government is dysfunctional?? Sorry, it is not personal, I like all the representatives of these agencies, but let me be clear about my position on this — this is absolutely friggin’ nuts. Want to know why it will take 4-6 weeks to clear this slide? Look at the coordination and scheduling involved when you have 5 levels of governmental agencies.

Okay, later today, I am expecting some photos of this portion of the slide removal operation, so come back this evening for an update.