On Friday, February 10 a chunk of Skyline Blvd. slipped away and so did my commuting route for the foreseeable future. Today is the first day I've had to hike to the chasm and assess the damage.
Skyline Blvd. is closed starting at Las Cumbres, which is less than a mile from our home. There is a slip out between the closure and the Sunnyvale Mountain parking lot. Caltrans installed a stop sign at each side to ensure no head-on collisions. With the road closed, the chances of a collision are unlikely. There are about 4 or 5 homes on the closed part of the road, so there is essentially no vehicular traffic. We encountered some hikers, a few bikers, one motorcyclist, and the survey crew who is trying to figure out how to fix the road.
The Chasm lies one mile beyond Sunnyvale Mountain. It's barricaded well into the woods, but it is easy to hike around the fence and find a break in the barbed wire to get a good look at the damage. The road falls off sharply. Fortunately no one was driving on this section when it was discovered. We suspect the homes on either side of the chasm heard the roar of the mud and trees slipping down the mountain.
The home on the other side of the slide is is lucky to be standing. Take a look at their water supply, perched on the edge of the chasm.
Some people have asked us if this might just be a small break that could easily be filled in. You can get an idea of how large the chasm is by comparing the people in this photo with the break.
A good sized portion of the mountain slipped away into the valley.
This panorama shows the path of the debris.
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