Well, this caught me by surprise Friday afternoon, even though the AT&T Pro Am was in town. I, too, was in town Friday. I was surprised by the glorious lack of expected traffic when the golf pros and celebrities are in town, but around two o’clock, as I am getting ready to head south, the drizzle started, and it never let up! Saturday is when I was expecting it, not Friday.

There is another, similar one coming. Not a lot of rain, but a couple of tenths, at most, is expected. This is what NOAA has to say about it:

“THE NEXT POTENTIAL RAIN/DRIZZLE EVENT IS SLATED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT
INTO MONDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES SOUTHWARD
ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST. RIGHT NOW SIMILAR QPF NUMBERS TO THE
LAST SYSTEM ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS NEXT EVENT.”

This morning, a controlled burn on the west side of the highway at MM 6 across from Gorda Mountain escaped its handlers and the BSVFB and the USFS were called in to get it under control. Unclear if Cal-Fire were called in from Cambria or not, but as of about 1 pm this afternoon, it looks like with the additional resources the controlled burn is under control again. If anything further develops, I will be sure to let you know, but from what I was able to gather, this one is done.

January 31, 2012

Dear Big Sur Friends and Neighbors:

The Basin Complex and Chalk Fires of 2008 made us all aware of some of the potential threats to our community. In order to reduce future fire danger in the wild land-urban interface in which we all live, the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade applied for and was granted, through the Monterey Fire Safe Council, $178,000 by the US Forest Service. This money is to be used to create defensible space along strategic roadways, on ridge tops and along slopes.

It is estimated that this amount of money will enable us to treat a maximum of only 175 acres on the South Coast. The area we are dealing with is huge. It is South of Essalen institute to the Monterey County line, from the Ocean East past the Coast Ridge Road. Therefore, funds will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis.

We are acutely aware of the aesthetic, environmental and archeological treasures of Big Sur. To this end, we are working with Jonathon Pangburn a Registered Forester with Cal Fire, to manage parts of this project. Jonathon is currently working on environmental review and compliance with the California Coastal Commission on this project. He will write prescriptions for each area to reduce fuel loads by thinning flammable brush, removing or mulching dead and downed trees, and limbing live trees. We will focus primarily on access roads to private property as well as fuel breaks on private parcels. This work is designed to create a mosaic, open, natural setting which is beneficial to wildlife while, at the same time, helping to create defensible space.

Bulldozers to create “fuel breaks” will not be used as part of this project.

If you would like to find out more about this unique opportunity to protect both yourself and your neighbors, we invite you attend an informational meeting to be held at Pacific Valley School in the Community Center on Sunday, February 26th, 3:00 – 5:00 pm. If you are unable to attend, please feel free to contact John Handy for additional information:

John Handy handyjc@mindspring.com (805)927-2820

Looking forward to seeing you on the 26th,

Sincerely, John Handy
Board Member, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade

Per Suzanne Cruz, PIO for Cal-Trans, Highway One remains closed, just north of Limekiln. Cal-Trans anticipates it will be open sometime mid-week. No more specificity. I guess they are allowing some leeway as to whether it will be Weds. or Thurs. I had to cancel two doctors appoints and reschedule. Life behind the slide.

3:00 pm – BTW, winds of 21 mph just blew in some sprinkles. Caught me by surprise, and I had to button things down outside.

Spoke with Collins Jones, PIO for Cal-Trans sometime between 4 and 4:30, but I was on the road, and this is the first opportunity I have had to post this update.

Resident geologist, John Duffy, and his climbing team went up today and did some “scaling.” Scaling is taking the loose stuff down from the top. That operation revealed that the top is still geologically unstable, so they will be going back tomorrow for more scaling. After that operation, Cal-Trans believes they will be able to give a definitive answer about when the road can be re-opened.

Based on my 23 years of experience dealing with rock, dirt, and mud slides here on the South Coast (I’m guessing probably over 100), my view of the photo Cal-Trans provided, my conversations over the years with old-time Cal-Trans workers, as well as more current ones, I suspect the highway may be open on Friday.