Crossing the desert, just after dawn …
Month: January 2013
Cyclists and Chip sealing, Highway 1 Northern SLO Co.
Today’s Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
District: 5 – San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Benito and Santa
Cruz Counties
Contact: Jim Shivers or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3237 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALTRANS/UC DAVIS TO EVALUATE HIGHWAY 1 CHIP SEAL PROJECT
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY – Caltrans officials are partnering with UC pavement researchers to find effective and affordable ways to make cycling a smoother experience along a recently paved section of Highway 1 in northern San Luis Obispo County.
The Caltrans Division of Research and Innovation plans to tap the expertise of the University of California, Davis Pavement Research Center in response to local bicycle enthusiasts who say the chip seal project has made sections of the scenic route a rougher-than-usual ride.
“We’re looking for innovative solutions and are hopeful that this investigation will lead to both short and long-term improvements,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. “Caltrans plans to work closely with the local cycling community and UC experts as we sort this out.”
Gubbins said the challenge emerged after cyclists voiced concerns about the recent completion of a 20-mile long chip seal project along Highway 1 from Cambria to the Monterey County line.
The UC Davis researchers are currently developing a scope of work to examine conditions on Highway 1 and offer recommendations about various cost-effective surface treatments and how they would service cyclists as well as all users of the highway. Over the next several months, researchers will consider any positive changes that can be made to the existing pavement surface. The investigation will also include any potential long-term improvements to our chip seal program statewide.
In the meantime, Caltrans will maintain its enhanced sweeping of Highway 1 and repairing potholes.
“We will continue to update the community as new information becomes available,” Gubbins said.
Wind Dancer Ranch Sunset/Moonset
Quartzite Adventure
Tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, I will be leaving this gawd-awful cold for the desert in Quartzite, AZ. When we finally arrive on Weds. It will be mid-60’s there, and up to 70 by Saturday. We went last year with my aunt and uncle (it was their 26th year) and are going with them again this year. It is one of the biggest gem and mineral shows in the world, one of the biggest RV shows, the biggest garage sale/flea markets ever … And the biggest gathering of old farts you ever did see. A tiny town of 2000 turns into a gathering of about one million. It is the old farts Burning Man.
The local pizza parlor/bar has TWO happy hours. One from 10-12 and another from 3-5. What Rock Knocker finally discovered last year, when I took him to Silly Al’s, is that Quartzite is absolutely packed with Vietnam Nam vets, like him. He hated it until I introduced him to Silly Al’s … Then the venue changed drastically for him. Now, he wouldn’t miss it. We have our reservations, the RV is stocked and ready to rock and roll, and we will be on the road soon. I’ll be taking all my gadgets, and might even post a few things from there, but my wonderful backup, bigsurdeb, will be keeping an eye on all things Big Sur for me, particularly the Partington Ridge road debacle, and will keep us all informed.
I have my caretaker all lined up to take are of the critters, enjoy my space, and make sure no one else does.
Another Dusting of snow on Chew’s Ridge last night.
From Cara Nason:
Snow expected today
The above photo was taken up on Long Ridge by Zachary.
7:30 am – there is a light dusting of snow already, but more coming. Check out that blue making its way down the Big Sur coast!
I woke early, and checked the temp, 30 degrees, checked outside, and saw stars, checked online, and found this:
Winter Weather Advisory for Santa Lucia Mtns above 2000′
Gee, that’s me! Guess I’m not going anywhere tomorrow! Guess it is time to stock up my wood box, and make sure the windows are up in the Jeep … Oh, and better charge the batteries on my camera, too!
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS
PADRES NATIONAL FOREST ABOVE 2000 FEET FOR THURSDAY…
.A VERY COLD AIRMASS WILL MOVE OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE COLD AIRMASS WILL INTERACT WITH AN
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE…BRINGING OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS TO THE
HILLS…MAINLY ABOVE 1500 FEET. THE GREATEST CHANCE OF
ACCUMULATING SNOW ON THURSDAY WILL BE IN THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS
AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST ABOVE 2000 FEET WHERE 2 TO 3 INCHES
OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE.
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 6 PM PST
THURSDAY ABOVE 2000 FEET…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 4 AM TO 6 PM PST THURSDAY.
* TIMING: THURSDAY FROM 4 AM TO 6 PM PST.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 3 INCHES ABOVE 2000 FEET. 1 INCH
POSSIBLE DOWN TO 1500 FEET.
* IMPACTS: SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS WITH AREAS OF SNOW ON HIGHER
ELEVATION ROADS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. PERSONS PLANNING OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES ON THURSDAY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR COLD TEMPERATURES.
******************************************************************************************
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
242 PM PST WED JAN 9 2013
…SEVERAL DAYS OF COLD WEATHER FOR OUR AREA…
…ACCUMULATING SNOW POSSIBLE THURSDAY ABOVE 2000 FEET IN THE
SANTA LUCIA RANGE IN MONTEREY COUNTY….
.DISCUSSION…AS OF 2:30 PM PST WEDNESDAY…SATL IMAGERY IS INDC
THAT A COLD FRONT IS POISED JUST NORTH OF THE DISTRICT. IR IMAGERY
IS INDC PLENTY OF COLD CU BEHIND THE FRONT.
THIS FRONT WILL USHER IN MUCH COLDER AIR TO THE DISTRICT…IN
FACT…SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPS OF THE WINTER IS ON TAP LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING AND LATE FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY
MORNING. EVEN THOUGH THOUGH THERE IS NOT MUCH MOISTURE ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SYSTEM…THE VERY COLD AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL
RESULT IN UNSTABLE CONDITIONS ON THURSDAY…WITH THE LOW LEVEL NW
FLOW THERE WILL BE DECENT UPSLOPE…IN PARTICULAR IN THE SANTA
LUCIA RANGE. THEREFORE…HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR
SNOW ABOVE 2000 FEET IN THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS…WHERE 2 TO 3
INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE (PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SANFRANCISCO
FOR DETAILS). THERE COULD LOCALLY BE 1 INCH DOWN TO 1500 FEET IN
SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. THERE COULD BE UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW
IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS AS WELL…BUT NOT ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN
ADVISORY.
Sunset at Bixby Bridge
By Dan Danbom. Thank you.
Partington Ridge Slide Photo from up top
Photo by Sula Nichols of Partington Ridge
What a photo! What a challenge! What a mess! These are the same people who lost houses in the Basin Fire of 2008. They are a tough group. Thanks for sharing your world, Sula.
On another note, repairing this road will be an expensive and private affair. It has been suggested that the road association might want to set up a fund that people could donate to. Carmel Pine Cone indicates it will be 1/2 million dollars to fix. Ouch! I will keep you posted if I learn more.
Photo Fun with Snapseed
Also used collage, both for iPad