Tram Rd shut down indefinately

[guest]

Thanks Ed, I just found that site, and that photo, as Zip mentioned, says a lot, (looks like several of those chutes let go). I'm imagine Bigbear & Arrowhead ski spots are taking plenty of precautions.
Zip, does the trail from Jenks Lake, going through Dollar Saddle anyway close to this? I don't know that area well, it that Jepsen pk looming?
scott

[zippetydude]

Hi Scott. All those chutes empty out onto the area that I think is called Chistmas Tree Hill. It's the area directly south of Slushy Meadows aka South Fork Meadows. It's normally accessed by going up to Dry Lake from the meadows, then following a ravine up to the open area that lets you choose your route. The chute on the left is most common, as it's the most direct. Coming from Dollar Lake you would be up on the ridge to the west (right) and go over Jepson along the way, but that route would not involve the chutes. If you've ever taken the Dollar Lake route and then looked out at Dry Lake View, a camp and view point along that trail, you would be looking down from the west at the chutes.

z

[Perry]

That was an impressive photo, when clicking on it to see higher resolution. Was that 4 or 5 avalanches?

I had wondered, like Scott, if that was Jepson on top. But looking at Caltopo with the Google terrain layer it makes sense that it's the false summit of San Gorgonio. The Vivian Creek trail goes by it.

[Perry]

Those breaks can't be at 9,000 feet. Looks like around 10,500 to 11,000 feet to me. I think somebody meant the debris goes as low as 9,000 feet.

[Ed]

Noticed that CameraMann has the same photos, but larger, here under Outdoor-Related Topics.

[Ellen]

Howdy All

Last Thursday, I posted on Facebook that I'd head out to the desert on Friday for a hike. Fortunately Crystal Scanlon, Sue Robbins and others warned me about the extensive flooding and the city government's warning for residents to "shelter in place." I had no idea of the extent of the disaster until then. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy

Ellen

[Ellen]

The closure of the tram might have prevented a snowshoer from starting an avalanche on the east face.

I don't want to be "that" snowshoer Hopefully the snow will settle by the time the tram opens. Thanks to the Scanlon and Robbins families for alerting me to the devastation caused by the flooding.

From the heart,
Ellen

[cynthia23]

This recent article on the likelihood of a 'megastorm' in SoCal's near future was eye-opening. While the article focuses on the effect it would have on the LA area, it seems likely it would be even more devastating in the Coachella Valley, and, of course, the nearby mountains. It's not clear, either, that there is much we can do to prepare for a cataclysmic storm--except maybe buy a rowboat.
https://www.latimes.com/local/californi ... story.html

[zippetydude]

Hi Cynthia. You're right, that article seems to be focusing on LA, perhaps lobbying for flood control in the LA area. A sustained Atmospheric River event would affect more than the Whittier Narrows Dam. The event they briefly refer to was a crazy event that extended from California through Oregon and on up to Washington. Much of the Central Valley in California was under water, and there is really nothing that can be done about that if it happens again. The drainage of immense amounts of water over hundreds of square miles can't be significantly improved, it would simply be a mess. Here's a Wiki link. Click on the map near the bottom of the article to get an idea of how much land would be covered with water.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Flood_of_1862

There's also concern that something similar may occur in the Netherlands. The drainage there would simply be too slow to effectively deal with the amount of water that could be deposited, and the dikes would end up keeping water in instead of keeping it out...

Of course, there are a bazillion things that can and eventually will come to pass that are horrible, but since we don't know when, we just don't worry about them. While Kilauea was erupting, an article from UC Berkeley about the potential danger from the Hilina Slump came to light. It is an event that only happens every hundred thousand years or so, but each time it does, it's got to be absolutely insane...

http://seismo.berkeley.edu/blog/2018/05 ... slump.html

At the end of the article, they mention almost casually, "The huge slide could generate a magnitude 9 quake, which is comparable to the largest earthquakes ever measured. It would also generate a megatsunami with an estimated wave height of more than 1000 feet throughout the islands. Geologic records show that about 110,000 years ago, long before any of the adventurous Polynesian seafarers had reached the island chain, Hawaii was rocked by such a slump and engulfed in the resulting huge tsunami." A 1000 foot tsunami with close to zero warning time...just about everyone in Hawaii would be killed...but since we can't predict it, why worry? Sometimes, that seems a little crazy to me. But I don't see any good options, so I will quite happily vacation in Hawaii anytime I can.

z

[cynthia23]

Thanks for those great links, Zip! Loved reading about the history of the Great Flood of 1862. Of course the state was barely populated then, which made loss of life and property fairly minimal. I can't even imagine what would happen (will happen, according to these scientists) nowadays. Leaving aside the normal historical vagaries of weather, it seems our overall climate patterns are showing signs of change and instability. Desert Sun just posted today that Palm Springs has had its longest stretch of days without hitting 80 degrees--88 days so far--in recorded history. Bouncing between excessively hot/cold/rainy/dry--sure sounds like climate change to me.