Tag: Big Sur

Elephant’s Trunk Construction, South Coast Big Sur

Yesterday, Cal -Trans held a community meeting at the Willow Springs Maintenace Yard regarding the 18-month long project at “Elephant’s Trunk” and “Cow Cliffs.” (I am going to work on getting Don Harlan’s paper on the various place-names for highway spots down here all on one page so that it will be easy to refer to.) It was well attended by both Cal Trans and the Community members. To accommodate businesses and locals, the times for the overnight closures have been changed to 10 pm-7am, Sunday nights through Friday mornings for a four month period which will begin on the first. The project will proceed well past that time, but like the Rocky Creek Viaduct, over night closures are necessary due to the narrowness of the road and the need to install the pilings.

Ever since the signals went in, even before they were operational, Rock Knocker expressed some misgivings about how well they would work, given the distance between them. Yesterday, just before 6 pm, we got a first hand demonstration of his concerns manifested. We were the 5th car in line when our signal turned green for us, the north-bound traffic, to proceed. We were all moving forward when a car came through toward us. We all stopped so he could wiggle through. We began to try to move forward, and again, another car came at us. Then another, and another, and another. All together, 12 cars proceeded south bound when the light was green for the north bound traffic to proceed. Either there was something wrong with the signals, or 12 different people decided to run the light. Given the length of this project, the length of the signaled area, and the curvy nature of the area, rendering oncoming traffic not visible until the last minute, it is only a matter a time before there will be an accident there, tying up traffic on Highway One for potentially a long time. I advise extreme caution when traveling through this area, north of Ragged Point. Even if your signal is green, proceed slowly and with caution.

Just another spectacular sunset

i really am awake for sunrises, too, I just don’t think before coffee.

   
 

Theses were taken Thursdsy, 5/14/15

Foto Friday by Dan Danbom

outstanding shot!

  

That is a mama gray and calf. Below is a humpback, “exfoliating” with the kelp, per Dan. Both were taken Wednesday, 5/13/15.

    

Local School Board seeks community input

To The Pacific Valley School Community:

Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Community Members,


The BSUSD board of Trustees are requesting your input on a matter that has been brought to the board and will be voted on in the near future, either at a open public special meeting or the next regularly scheduled open public meeting on May 26 at 6:30 pm. 

Luvlab Productions, a private locally owned business whose partners include Mike and Lucas Handy, has asked to use the PV school campus for parking for up to 150 cars for their Big Surreal Event up Willow Creek, scheduled for June 26,27,28  2015. The campus would be used for parking  for three days. LuvLabs has offered to compensate Pacifc Valley School. Safety and legal issues are being considered on both sides.

As representatives of the community, the board welcomes your feedback. Please reply to this email address only, bsusdboard@gmail.com. All input and  information submitted will be presented at the next meeting for review. 

There will be no response to your email. However, the board encourages you to come to the next meeting or call Gordon if you would like more information and/or details. 

Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,
The BSUSD Board of Trustees

Public Comment re Solar Power at PV STation

The USFS has sent out a letter requesting public comment by May 30th regarding the installation of a solar array system to become the primary source of power for the main firefighting station on the South Coast of Big Sur. The existing diesel generating system will be used for back-up power only. It will cover an area of approximately 15,00 sq ft and the total height of the panels will be 7 ft. None of this will be visible from the highway. This is a HUGE step, and I heartily support it, and will let the USFS know that. Of our 5 largest visitor-serving facilities down here (Gorda, Treebones, PV Station, the Hermitage, and Lucia) 2 of them will now be primarily solar powered, Lucia having been the first to take this major step. Both are setting good examples for the rest of us (I have been completely solar for over two years. I run my genie for 2-3 hours maybe 4-5 times a year in the shortest days of the year. BIG savings in gas and emissions.)

I would urge all interested parties to support this endeavor. Email to comments-pacificsouthwest-los-padres-monterey@fs.fed.us in either email, plain text (.txt) rich text (.rtf) or word (.doc). For oral comments or further information, call Jeff Kwasny, Resource Officer, at 831-667-1126. Snail mail comments to Tim Short, District Ranger, at the District Office in King City 406 Mildred, KC 93930

Town trips

When I moan about how long it takes to do some simple grocery shopping, Mother Nature reminds me how lucky I truly am. I think of my girlfriends in So Cal, my mother, God bless her, when she lived in Redondo, and on and on, and am struck by such incredible differences. Yes, they can get delivery of their groceries. Yes, they can choose from hundreds of different stores, and yes, they pay a price for this convenience … Too big a price, in my opinion. I get to see this when I go grocery shopping. What do you see?

   
 

Big Creek Annual Open House

  


Open House, May 9, 2015

UC Santa Cruz and the UC Natural Reserve System invite you to the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Saturday, May 9, 2015 9am-4pm

Entry is by RSVP only. Space will be limited.

Registration required here
http://bigcreek.ucnrs.org/open_house/index.html

Open House is the only day of the year that the Reserve is open to the general public. You are welcome to visit, learn what we are all about, meet the staff and explore the Reserve. We’ll have folks at the main entrance who can share their experience and knowledge with you about lots of topics. Bring hiking shoes and a sack lunch. Driving tours are not available. Parking is limited to the pullout just south of the reserve gates. Park on the highway pullout and walk down to the gatehouse from there. Watch for signs out on the highway. Please carpool if possible. Click here for driving directions. 
http://bigcreek.ucnrs.org/roads/index.html

We look for volunteers to help get the trails ready or even on the day of the open house itself. Read about our Volunteer Stewardship Program for more info.
http://bigcreek.ucnrs.org/volunteers/index.html

For more information, call or email 
the reserve director, Mark Readdie.
(831) 667-2543 
reddie@ucsc.ed

Happy Easter!

2:00 pm – I’ll be darned … Rain. It began around 1:30, and by 2 I had received .02″ and increased to .06″ an hour. Also had to build a fire in the first time in …. Hmm … Can’t remember. I am going to so enjoy this afternoon. Already had the company and the ham, rain started and Rock Knocker went home. I’m going to enjoy a quiet afternoon with a fire and a movie. Perfect Easter. Oh, and there is a “hanger” – a huge tree down, but caught up. Ralph said it was spooky, like a tunnel to drive through. Was going to town tomorrow, but rethinking that.

 Doesn’t  look like much, if any Rain, for Big Sur tonight, but Tuesday through Wednesday looks good! I am watching the clouds come in from just about every direction, though. Also starting to layer up, and thinking of bringing in more firewood. All good things. Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate this holiday.

  

Overnight closure of SouthboundHighway One at Highway 68

This is as clear as any opaque item, at least to me. It appears there will be a working detour, with signs, but darned if I can figure it out based on this description.


OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 1/HIGHWAY 68 WEST CONNECTOR RAMP IN MONTEREY BEGINS ON MONDAY, APRIL 6

 

      MONTEREY – An overnight project to stabilize a highway embankment will require the full

      closure of the southbound Highway 1/Highway 68 west connector ramp beginning Monday

      night, April 6, Caltrans officials have announced.

 

Overnight roadwork will require this connector ramp closure for four nights starting Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 9 from 8 pm to 6 am the next day. A signed detour will be in place directing traffic south to Ocean Ave. then return northbound using the adjacent frontage road back onto Hwy. 1, following signs back to the northbound Hwy. 68 off-ramp.

         

NOTE: No two consecutive ramps will be closed at one time. Electronic Message Signs will be posted to alert motorists, who can expect delays not to exceed 10 minutes, which is the estimated time to complete the detour. 

 

Roadwork will consist of stabilizing the slope adjacent to the southbound Hwy. 1/Hwy. 68 connector due to slide damage last December. Roadwork is expected to be complete by Friday morning, April 10.

 

The contractor for this $281,000 project near the Community Hospital is Monterey Peninsula of Marina, CA.