Category: 2011-2012 weather watch

Big Sur welcomes us home

Coming home this afternoon, Big Sur welcomed Rock Knocker in a way only she could.

I was driving his ML 500. He was telling me how to drive. Suddenly, he cries out. A 3 ft boulder came falling down the Bear Chute, almost taking out the passenger side of the car. It landed right next to RK, and fortunately fell into a muddy ditch, so it didn’t roll, bounce, or otherwise cause damage. I was completely oblivious.

Bear Chute is the southern drain of Mud Creek, just north of Sea View Ranch. Clearly, it is moving. How much and how fast is something I can’t predict, but it will be interesting to watch the next few days, and even more so during the upcoming rains.

As I have warned before, sometimes the dry periods after week-long rains is the most dangerous, particularly if we have hot weather, and boy is it hot tonight!

Yesterday, Rock Knocker’s mother’s ashes were spread outside the Morro Bay Harbor that she loved. Three dolphins jumped out of the water to lead her home.

Rock Knocker & Volunteer

Rock Knocker did well during the surgery. He is in pain, and grumpy, but back in the motel room, sipping chicken noodle soup and wanting a vicodin he has to wait for.

I have a volunteer I am going to train on WordPress over drinks at the River Inn, and when she is ready, I’ll let her introduce herself.

So, tonight, all is in well.

Week in the life of … And Earth Day weekend in Big Sur

Last week’s storms wrecked havoc with my systems. My life was about staying warm and dry, and keeping things on the mountain, as opposed to being blown into the sea. High winds, rain, thunder and lightning made it interesting, for sure.

Rock Knocker’s hernia surgery was scheduled, canceled, and rescheduled, all for tomorrow. The celebration of life for his mother is Saturday. He can’t drive for a week, so that falls on me. My Mother’s tablet unveiling is next month and I have been busy making the arrangements, sending out notifications, getting RSVPs and the like. Add in my mammogram, my appointment with the prosthetist for a leg that is about to come unhinged, my three motions, two briefs, and one petition for review, and life has kept me focused on the physical world, not the cyber one. I’m working on my sense of humor – which is critical.

Lots going on Earth Day weekend in Big Sur, including at the Henry Miller Library (see the HML link to the right under non-profits)and at Pacific Valley School. Both are Saturday, the 21st. Details will be posted on the announcement page, if my hectic schedule allows. And if not tonight or while Rock Knocker is in surgery, it probably won’t get done. I have posters to download, and then upload, for both, and I will do what I can, but right now that is not much.

On top of that, there is a lovely painting of process from canyons to condors by my artist friend, Leslie White that I have been wanting to get up for over a week now.

Hope to be back on track next week!

I need a volunteer assistant, I think. Any volunteers?

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Today was a soaker

Today was what Rock Knocker used to call a soaker – slow, steady, consistent rain. It is the type of rain that sets up slides, particularly mud slides, and I noticed a couple likely candidates just north of Pitkins Curve, south of The Hermitage. I think that one is called Paul’s Slide – you know the gray stuff. I’ve only gotten 3/4s of an inch, so far today, but it’s been steady every where I went.

I had to go to Monterey and Salinas for appts I have had to reschedule until today. I got to drive in all this rain all over the county. What fun. An amazing amount of tourists out and about taking photos in the rain, coming back from Garrapata Beach under an umbrellas and the like. An amazing number of large RVs of every type.

My road was the bad, the very bad, and the gawd awful. Thank goodness only some of it is clay.

I am enjoying the sound of the rain on my metal roof, the crackle of a fire in the wood stove, and the smell of wet dogs at my feet.

Enjoy our Spring rains – they will be with us most of this week.

Happy Easter! Last Sunday’s waves

I have been trying to post for a few days, now, but seems to happen from time to time, the Internet Goddess was not cooperating. I think she is trying to tell me to get a life!

Anyway, here are some great shots by Dan Danbom of the wave action at JP Burns State Park. Magnificent, aren’t they?

Waves at JP Burns #2 by Dan Dabbom
Waves at JP Burns #2 by Dan Danbom

I finally gave up at home, and am sitting at River Inn before going to join the girlfriends for Easter.

Wild Ride and Big Waves

Wow, what a ride that was last night. Rock Knocker’s mother’s viewing was yesterday at 3 pm in Newman (north of Santa Nella). On the way home, we had to pick up a few items at the grocery store, and get some gas. We left Rio Rd. at 7:00 pm, and drove like hell to get through Rain Rocks before it closed for the night at 8:00 pm. We arrived at 7:55 pm, and the barricade went up behind us. We were the last south bound car through, then they let the north bound cars through and put the road to bed for the night.

When we went through in the morning, no one was working but the two flaggers. There was one truck, who seemed to be doing nothing, but talking with the flaggers. It was hard to see why the flaggers were there, when the lights could have been used, since there was no equipment or men working the road, slide, or any construction project.

What was harder to understand was why the road had to be closed at night. There were no spotters during the day, to make sure the hill wasn’t sliding, and possibly be authorized to close it down if something happened. There didn’t appear to be any difference between what we experienced during day light hours and evening hours, other than barricades were put into place, and flaggers went home. I’m just not sure why the lights couldn’t have been activated for the night time hours.

Oh, and if you were any where near the coast, you had to have seen the incredible waves. I have photos I will post tomorrow. Right now, I am helping Ralph and his sister notify people regarding his mother’s death.

Rain Rocks update, march 31

Overnight closures continue, but 8 hour daytime closure scheduled for Tuesday, April 3rd. Also up to hour delays in daylight hours are anticipated the rest of the week.

Be careful out there, we could have more slides after today’s rain. There are several unstable spots down here, I’ve noticed.

CALTRANS PRESS RELEASE
Today’s Date: Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 4:30 pm
District: 5 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (Bilingual) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 1/CARMEL TO CAMBRIA ROADWAY- UPDATE #5

DEMOLITION WORK TO CLOSE HIGHWAY 1 FOR 8-HOUR PERIOD ON TUESDAY

MONTEREY COUNTY — Hwy. 1 at Pitkins Curve/Rain Rocks (Mile Marker 21.3), about 25 miles south of Big Sur, will be shut down from 8 am until 4 pm on Tuesday, April 3 for crane and demolition repair work, Caltrans officials today announced.

No vehicles will be allowed through the construction zone during this 8-hour period. Alternate routes in and out of Big Sur are Highways 68, 101, 46 and Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.

In addition, three more days of major repair and roadwork from Wednesday, April 4 until Friday, April 6 between 8 am and 4 pm will result in traffic delays up to one-hour in duration. One-way traffic control with flaggers will be in effect.

The highway remains closed overnight from 8 pm until 7 am daily between Limekiln Creek and Lucia until further notice.

The steep hillside remains unstable. Inspection and removal of unstable rock continues.

Hwy. 1 was closed on March 28 at 9 am in both directions at Pitkins/Rain Rocks (MM 21.3), 25 miles south of Big Sur due to a large boulder and debris that came down just south of the ongoing rock shed project.

All businesses in the area remain open.

Rain Rocks Update, 3/29/12

3:00 – Cal-Trans expects to be able to open to one-lane traffic, with 15 min. delays, daylight hours only, starting tomorrow, Friday, 3/30. Weekend delays are expected to be longer.

This morning’s update from Cal-Trans states that it will be another 24 hours for an update and an perhaps they will have an idea about how long the closure will last. Cal-Trans geologists, construction, and maintenance crews are on site repairing the roadway, assessing the slide, placing netting, etc. So, tomorrow, we should know more. At this time, there is still no anticipated date of opening.

South Coast rumor (and sometimes it is accurate) is that there is another large boulder “hanging.” If true, Cal-Trans may work on getting that out of the way today.

Great weather coming up for today and tomorrow, and then another storm expected Saturday. I received 1 and 1/2 inches on Saturday, while Big Sur Valley reported 2 – 2 and 1/2 inches. The next storm (Monday or Tuesday) brought me another inch. But today, and tomorrow, I am going to enjoy the weather and do some painting.

Highway One closed at Rain Rocks

2:30 pm Cal-Trans Update: Hillside remains unstable and slide still active. Will remain closed overnight and an update will be provided in the am.

I have been having reception problems, which is why I haven’t been here, and why this is late.

As of 9 am, Cal-Trans announced that Highway One is closed in both directions due to a large boulder (pick-up truck size) blocking both lanes, just south of the rock shed project.

At this time, there is no estimated time of opening, thus, Highway One at this location will remain closed until further notice.

Weather & Road Conditions, March 24, 2012

So far, only a few drizzles this morning. I did have a report of a slide resulting in one land closed yesterday, just north of last year’s slide at Alder Creek. In checking in with online and phone sources, it does not seem to be a problem today. With the rain expected later today, and through tomorrow, rocks, mud, and other dangerous conditions may come to Highway One, so be very careful. This next week brings more rain, and long-range predictions are for very unsettled weather the first week of April, also. I’ll update this with the current NOAA forecast discussion, when it is released later today.