Top photos by Inga Dorosz and bottom photos by Rock Knocker.
Yesterday on left Today on right
Mud Creek, yesterday, today, and on top
Category: 2016-2017 Winter Storm & Road Reports
Paul’s Slide Update, noon, 5/22/17
*A news release is attached (and shown at bottom of email) on the third and fourth convoys—scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday of this week.*
HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE – MONDAY, MAY 22 AT NOONTIME– PAUL’S SLIDE FUTURE ACCESS DEPENDENT ON SAFETY.
PAUL’S SLIDE ROADWORK HAS CEASED DUE TO SLIDE ACTIVITY WHICH HAS INCREASED. THE ROADWAY WILL BE ASSESSED AT EACH SCHEDULED ACCESS TIME (SHOWN BELOW), BUT IF ROADWAY IS DEEMED UNSAFE, SUCH AS MATERIAL COMING DOWN, LOW VISIBILITY DUE TO EXCESSIVE FOG OR SLIDE IS BEING ACTIVE, LOCALS/DELIVERIES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED THROUGH. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR TODAY’S EVENING ACCESS, LOCAL RESIDENTS CAN LINE UP, BUT IF MATERIAL IS COMING ONTO THE ROADWAY OR PAUL’S SLIDE IS ACTIVE, LOCALS WILL NOT BE GRANTED ACCESS.
MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans will continue the process of delivering construction equipment and materials to the site of the demolished Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on State Route 1 via Nacimiento-Fergusson Road from US Highway 101 on Tuesday, May 23 and Thursday, May 25.
These convoys will be escorted by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and will include intermittent closures of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road on Tuesday, May 23 from 7:30 am to 3 pm and on Thursday, May 25 from 8 am until 7 pm. Motorists wishing to travel east/west in the morning must do so before the first convoy begins. On Thursday, motorists will encounter delays during the movement of these four convoys westbound from 8 am to 10 am and 2 pm to 4 pm and eastbound from 11 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to 7 pm. All vehicles must not exceed 30 feet in length and a weight of 15 tons.
The Tuesday convoys will include asphalt and other materials in 10 trucks while the Thursday convoys will include the remaining 50% of the rock and sand necessary to create concrete abutments for the new bridge. Future convoys will transport two mobile batch plants, two concrete boom pump trucks, vacuum trucks and rebar cages. This equipment will be used to construct concrete abutments and overall construction of the new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (PM 45.52).
EDITORIAL CONTENT: SO, LOCALS CANNOT GET THROUGH, BUT BIG TRUCKS CAN? AND IS ANYONE LOOKING AT WHAT ALL THESE TRUCKS AND LOADS ARE DOING TO THE 15 TON WEIGHT LIMIT BRIDGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE FROM NACIMIENTO? YOU CAN BET THAT THESE CONTRACTORS ARE NOT STICKING TO THE WEIGHT LIMITS IN A RUSH TO GET MATERIAL TO THE BRIDGE. AND IF THAT BRIDGE GIVES OUT WITH THE UNSTABILITY OF PAUL’S SLIDE AND THE MASSIVE HEMORRAGE OF ROCKS AND DIRT AT MUD CREEK, WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT BRIDGE GIVES OUT TO THOSE OF US CAUGHT SOUTH OF PAUL’S SLIDE?? YOU CAN BET I AM WRITING COUNTY ROADS AND MARY ADAMS THIS AFTERNOON
Noon access at Paul’s Slide Canceled
HIGHWAY ONE UPDATE – MONDAY, MAY 22 – PAUL’S SLIDE NOON ACCESS TODAY CANCELLED
No noon time access today at Paul’s Slide due to slide activity with minimal
visibility due to fog. We will provide an update this afternoon regarding this evening’s 7 PM access.
Highway Update – Paul’s Slide is unstable
From Cal Trans this evening: All photos were previously posted on my blog from readers.
MUD CREEK HAD A MAJOR SLIDE/SLIP OUT YESTERDAY AT 9:30 PM, SATURDAY, MAY 20—IT LOST MILLIONS OF CUBIC YARDS OF MATERIAL AND REMAINS IMPASSABLE. PAUL’S SLIDE HAS ALSO HAD SLIDE ACTIVITY AND HAS CEASED WORK FOR THE TIME BEING. HOWEVER, IT WILL ALLOW LOCAL RESIDENTS AND DELIVERY VEHICLES ACCESS TOMORROW, MONDAY, MAY 22 BUT CAN CLOSE DOWN AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. CALTRANS NEEDS TO RE-ASSESS THE SITUATION AT BOTH LOCATIONS AND DETERMINE WHETHER LOCAL ACCESS CAN REMAIN THROUGH PAUL’S SLIDE. NEXT UPDATE WILL BE BY MID-DAY ON TUESDAY, MAY 23.
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STATE ROUTE 1 REMAINS FULLY CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AT MUD CREEK DUE TO CONTINUED SLIDE ACTIVITY. DELIVERY VEHICLES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL NEED TO USE NACIMIENTO-FERGUSSON EXIT SOUTH OR TO CLEAR THE ACCESS TIMES AT PAUL’S SLIDE.
Photo showing good overall Perspective of Mud Creek today, 5/21/17
These were taken around noon (an hour ago) by Inga Dorosz. She says it is very active and you can see the dust all the way up top. Follow it up, and it is visible in her first photo – the long shot.
Mud Creek 1996
A blast from the past. Just found this. For those who don’t know, this is Rock Knocker when his hair and mustache were black.
Mud Creek Today Photos by Rock Knocker
Mud Creek today – 5/21/17
Okay, for comparison, here is the one from 5/19 previously posted:
And here is the one from this morning. Both by Tafay Wilson. Note the dust and the new point. Unbelievable.
Paul’s Slide Photos
I took these on Friday.
This is probably the spot of most concern, to me, as you can see the new nail wall is already cracking and giving way just next to that second cone up on the left. It is already extremely narrow, and those heavy trucks for the batch plant at the bridge can’t be helping.
And here, from Cow Cliffs, north of Big Creek:
Rock Slides have destroyed the fencing/catch netting. There were so many other places where the road is sinking, buckling, and all manner of protesting.
Mud Creek let go at 5:30 pm – 5/19/17
Heard and seen from Josh & Tafay Wilson’s front yard on Gorda Mountain – Photo by Tafay. The road is obliterated. And more is coming down. Went all the way down to the ocean.
