Month: May 2011

Seasons – Big Sur style

As I was changing over from the weather links to the fire links for the season, I realized that Big Sur has two primary seasons – at least as far as this blog is concerned — Road season and Fire season. Last year we had a bit of a spring with wonderful wildflowers, but really this year, while there has been some display, it hasn’t been as prolific as prior years. It seems as if we skipped spring and went from a very long winter to a very early summer – particularly this week.

While the road is still closed at Alder Creek, and will remain so until June something, the first fires were reported at the Grapevine tonight – near the intersection of 99 and I-5. Several grass fires of only 5 acres or so.

Also, Los Padres National Forest reported their first fire of the season (that I have heard of) tonight before 8 pm – “Santa barbara county working a fire the happy canyon area. FS assisting. Unknown on size or fuel type.” “This would be the Happy Incident and it looks like its about 3 acres with LPF.”

While any significant fires are still probably a few months off, depending on the weather, awareness should start creeping into all our consciousness once again.

Alder Creek Bad News

Issued today: “Due to the physical constraints of this very difficult operation, the estimated opening date (subject to change) is now four to eight weeks from today.”

Four weeks “from today” is June 1st. Eight weeks is June 29th. Plan accordingly – as in Rock Bob’s memorial is looking like July or thereabouts. Oh, darn. I just remembered the workers I hired and pre-paid for supplies; and the water tank I pre-paid for delivery from Loomis. I have several thousands of dollars out for things I cannot get until July, now. Darn.

Tin House Art

*PHOTO CONTEST* Submit your photo of what Big Sur means to you, by midnight on Memorial Day. As usual, the winning photo will be featured on my banner, so it must be in landscape format. Readers will vote and choose their favorite.

A reader from the UK, with family here in Big Sur, recently visited and sent me these photos taken at the Tin House. Abstract photo art that is really lovely.

Before I post those, however, you might want to wander over to this great new blog I found that details hikes in Big Sur. In particular, I would refer you to the post about the Tanbark Trail leading to the Tin House. There are lots of photos of the trail, and the house as it stands.
HikinginBigSur.com

I like this one so much, it is going into my links to the right. Full of great information!

Here are three Tin House Abstracts by Greta Jensen:

Tin House Art #1 by Greta Jensen

Tin House Art #2 by Greta Jensen

Tin House Art #3 by Greta Jensen

*Important Rocky Creek Update*

Just received from Cal-Trans today, Tuesday, May 3rd:

“Geologic drilling at Rocky Creek (Post Mile 60.5) will begin this Thursday, May 5 and continue daily through next Friday, May 13. Work hours are from 7 am to 6 pm. On weekdays, traffic will be held for up to 15 minutes to allow the maximum drilling to be performed. On Saturday and Sunday, reverse one-way traffic control with flaggers will take place, in conjunction with the existing signal. The purpose for this drilling is to perform subsurface investigations for the permanent roadway fix.”

And regarding Alder Creek, this was received yesterday, Monday, May 2d:

“Geologic instability and debris falling on Highway 1 at Alder Creek (Post Mile 7.5) have closed the roadway completely in both directions to all public, including motorized vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. THIS SECTION OF HWY. 1 REMAINS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE WITH CREWS CONTINUALLY MONITORING THE AREA. Two spyders (like a backhoe) and two bulldozers are now removing slide debris. The opening date is estimated to be 4 to 6 weeks.”

That 4-6 week estimate has not changed since the slide on April 14th, 2011. I will have to seek clarification of that from Cal-Trans this week and let you know what I find out.

Oh, and this wonderful shot was sent to me yesterday by Paul Danielson from the area of San Martin Top. From this perspective, while one cannot see the slide at Alder Creek, one can see Shale Point, just south of it, as well as the tiny cars of the workers on the south end, and the difference in the water color where the slide is sliding into the ocean. Fun shot. Thank you Paul! A closer look reveals what *may* be the top of the slide. Look at that bare spot just beyond the green in about the middle of the lower third of the photo.

San Martin Top by Paul Danielson, 5/2/11

Wildfire & beetle infested trees

The USFS commissioned a study which revealed (not surprisingly) that beetle infested trees burn faster, hotter, and spread embers farther than healthy pine trees.

“HELENA, Mont.—The red needles of a tree killed in a mountain pine beetle attack can ignite up to three times faster than the green needles of a healthy tree, new research into the pine beetle epidemic has found.
The findings by U.S. Forest Service ecologist Matt Jolly are being used by fellow ecologist Russ Parsons to develop a new model that will eventually aid firefighters who battle blazes in the tens of millions of acres from Canada to Colorado where forest canopies have turned from green to red from the beetle outbreak.

The new model incorporates a level of detail and physics that doesn’t exist in current models, and it is much more advanced in predicting how a wildfire in a beetle-ravaged region will behave, Parsons said.

“It gives you so much more information about what to expect,” he said. “Are these people safe here or should they run away? If we put a crew on the ground here, can they make it to the top of the ridge in ample time?”

Many communities in the Rocky Mountain West have beetle kill forests in some proximity.

And the new research dispels the notion that beetle-killed trees present no greater fire danger than live ones, a theory that had gained traction after a couple of wet, cool summers tamped down fire activity in the region, Jolly said.

On the contrary, beetle-killed trees can hold 10 times less moisture than live trees, Jolly found. That means they not only ignite more quickly than live trees, but they burn more intensely and carry embers farther than live trees, Jolly said.”

For the rest of the article, see this link: Sunday’s Monterey Herald.

I was just posting to Firefighter blog how it is fast approaching the time for me to make the seasonal change in my blog from winter/spring weather to summer/fall fires. I will start to make that transition this month, change the links to the right for my fire watch links, a bit at a time. Some links span the entire year, and will remain.

May Day & Photos

Big Sur Marathon in progress –

Nothing to do with the Marathon, but I have a few photos I have been wanting to share. There has been too much to cover recently to fit them in, but I am taking today easy, enjoying the gorgeous weather, spending time with family, and thought today would be a good day to share them.

The Back Way

Historical Jolon Store

The Jolon store is where the miners of the Los Burros Mining District came for supplies on horseback, and generally taking three days for the trip. Currently, it is owned by the U.S. Army and is fenced off to visitors. It is just outside the entrance to Fort Hunter-Liggett.
Reflection