Rockslide near Cabot Vineyard

WINE TALK
1

A rockslide closed Hwy. 96 near Orleans over the weekend and the road is still closed, but just saw the news report today:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/04/state/n104503S50.DTL
Guess it takes awhile for the news to reach civilization from way up there in the boonies!

John & Kimberly - hope everything is ok up your way!

Yow! Someone actually captured the rockslide on video:

2

Ken,
Kimberly and John and the business and home are fine but it’s a lot more work to get from one place to another as the 96 is the major hwy up there. The video is pretty impressive but it’s also depressing considering all the hassle, time and money that will be spent due to this slide. I’m sure that Kimberly or John will give more info. I’m just glad that no one got caught in the slide.

3

That video - whoa!!! Seen that in Yosemite before, after the clean-up, but never as it happens!

Glad The Cabots are well.

4

Gary - thanks, and good to know that everything’s ok. I don’t know how close the slide was to their home or vineyards although from the video it doesn’t look like anything was affected other than the highway. But I can imagine this will have a major impact on people in the area until the road is cleared and safe again.

5

Bruce

6

I’m certainly glad nobody was hurt.

I’m sure it’s easier to say in hindsight, but looking at that video, that hill really looked pretty unstable.

7

I guess Ishi-Pishi Rd (favorite of bikers both pedal and powered) will see a bit of use from the locals for a while. It runs for 8 miles on the West side of the river from Orleans to Soames Bar (just beyond the slide).

8

Thanks for the concern guys.
The slide is on the other side of the river from our home. We live off Ishi Pishi rd., so we aren’t inconvienienced too much. It just makes driving Ishi Pishi a little more sketchy. There are many sections in the road that are no wider than 8 ft across, with little room to turn out and lots of spots where its death if you go over the edge- straight down to the river, no gaurd rails. This is normally fine, as there are only 50 or so people who use the road and they all know to take it really slow and carefully. The problem is people from out of the area who don’t. Makes it more dangerous for everyone.
The slide is pretty big. It will be a while before the 96 is open again. The geologist says they are going to have to take it down to rock, which means lots of blasting and hauling of material. This could take months. The terrain is extremely steep around here and hills are always coming down. The good with the bad…

9

Wow, you really are Back Road Bob! I am impressed when anyone knows this “out of the way area” not to mention Ishi Pishi! John and I live off of Ishi Pishi and in 14 years of living here I have never seen this much traffic on this single lane, windy road. It is an added danger for sure and takes extra time and will last for another month or 2. But, I did not move out here for the fast pace.

10

Take advantage of it! Put out a “Wine for sale” sign :slight_smile:
Be safe,
Alan

11

Good to hear you’re ok! Be careful on Ishi Pishi Road - sounds like it’s going to be a hairy drive for awhile.

12

Ishi Pishi? it sound like something a drunk would ask about whether is wife is mad. pileon

13

You have to remember where they live, it would not be a drunk [wink.gif]

John,
Glad to hear you & your family are safe

14

John isn’t exaggerating about that road. For those not used to such things it is disconcerting to say the least. [shock.gif]

15

A long time friend of mine owns Trinty River Farm down in Willow Creek. I’ve done quite a bit of bicycling in the area including Bald Hill Rd from the coast and quite a few trips from Soames Bar to Callahan. “Sharing the road” with logging trucks is quite a challenge. I taught my daughter to swim at Matthews Creek on the Salmon. Glad to hear you guys are safe. Hope the inconvenience doesn’t last too long.

So is Ishi Pishi (I love that name) open only to local traffic or is that now alternate 96?

16

Wow Bob, we have known Tom O’Gorman for many years, as we used to be produce famers ourselves for 10 or so years. The Salmon is a great place,one of the cleanest, undamed rivers left in America. Our kids learned to swim there at hippo rock, by the confluence of the Klamath. We love spending hot afternoons there with the kids playing and swimming.
Yes, Ishi Pishi (a local indian(Karuk) name for “the decent” down to their ceremonial grounds) is the route everyone is using instead of 96. A real PITA.

17

Wow, another slide just happened up on the Salmon river at Grants creek- around five miles up the river from somes bar. This is really bad as it took out a major section of the road. There is just hanging rebar. This section is basically a cliff and repairing it is inconcievable. There are 100 or so people, for whom this road, is the only way to town/work/school/etc. This is devistating for the poor people who live in Forks of Salmon and surrounding towns/environs. Our 6.5 earthquake a while back must have really loosened things up.

18

Man that just sucks. Forks of Salmon to Soames bar goes from 17 miles to 170 (around Marble Mountains) or 200 (through Weaverville). There are no Ishi Pishi-like alternates there that I know of.

19

No, there aren’t. A serious bummer for all the up river folks…