BIG SUR, Calif. — Caltrans released its strategy to expedite the rebuilding and reopening of Highway 1 at the massive Mud Creek landslide, south of Big Sur.
A new road will traverse over the landslide, Caltrans announced Tuesday afternoon. “The new roadway will be realigned across the landslide and will be buttressed with a series of embankments, berms, rocks, netting, culverts and other stabilizing material,” Caltrans said.
Caltrans did not say when the construction project is expected to be complete.
“This plan is a win-win for the hard-hit Big Sur community and this pristine coastal environment,” Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins said. “Our emergency contractor continues working dawn to dusk every day.”
(Sorry for the dirty windshield, but given where and how I live, this is a regular occurrence.)
Recently, Xasauan Today posted about a day with the Ventana Wilderness Alliance cleaning up the Arroyo Seco. In it he discusses campfires.
“Former Forest Service Ranger, now Ventana Wilderness Alliance Volunteer Wilderness Ranger, Steve Benoit, dismantles a fire ring. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would want a campfire in the middle of the day when it’s more than 100 degrees out, but we found people in the act of laying a fire in this ring and, in another location, an active campfire. For some people, apparently, no outdoor adventure is complete without a fire.
Steve, and his fellow VWA Volunteer Rangers are amazingly patient and effective when it comes to explaining the reasons why fires aren’t allowed to clueless visitors, but there are only so many people they can reach. Given the scope of the problem, they are, literally, voices crying in the wilderness.”
Saturday night, one of my neighbors reported to me that she saw TWO campfires after dark on the ridge. It was hot on the ridge Saturday night, so the only possible reason is the one XT postulates above…outdoor adventure. We, the locals and volunteers, are so far outnumbered by the tourists, that reaching more than a tiny fraction ourselves is unlikely.
As a result of the above, another one of my neighbors wrote to KSBW and KSBY asking that given the recent anniversary of the Soberanes Fire, would they consider doing a story on the banning of campfires in the Los Padres National Forest. I will write a few of my media contacts to see if they would be interested, as well.
This is Chelsea Belle Davey’s contribution, and I love it! It is something we ALL could do (except the few people who wash their vehicles regularly.)
We have been lucky, so far, and I am praying our luck continues until the rains begin.
