Huge slide buries main road into Yosemite

[Sequoia]

06-01) 14:57 PDT MARIPOSA - A 300-foot-deep rock slide has buried the main highway into Yosemite National Park and is now threatening two electricity towers, raising fears that it could eventually block the Merced River.

Some 250 to 300 tons of rock and debris have cascaded down a nearly vertical slope 10 miles east of Mariposa and 12 miles from the park since May 29, completely covering Highway 140, according to emergency workers.

The slide, which is 600 feet long, 600 feet wide and 300 feet deep, is between two towers carrying 72,000 volts of electricity to the park and to the town of El Portal, Mariposa County Fire Chief Blaine Shultz said.

If it continues as it has for the past four days, he said, it could topple the towers and cut off power to virtually the entire region. The wall of dirt and rock is now touching the Merced River.

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http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/01/MNG5QJ623T4.DTL

That route was closed before and now this!! I feel bad for people who were headed that way. Go through Fresno and up the south gate, lots prettier and you get the tunnel view. Don't forget to check out Mariposa Grove to your right as you come through the gate.

[Roland99]

1. That's going to take a while to clear. Dang!

[Richard D]

2. If it's even possible to clear

some slides are so big and the slopes are so unstable that they can never be "fixed".

Personally I think no cars and no electricity in yosemite is a great idea.

[kahleefornia]

3. That would be great

I was there a few weeks ago. I kept thinking how poorly set up the park is to handle modern traffic. The roads in the valley wind around, here and there, with cars parked everywhere along the sides. It would be great if the main transportation method was bicycles. I took the buses around, of course, but they were jam packed every time.

Beautiful place. Too bad about the landslide, but it wouldn't hurt if less people went there this summer.

[Sequoia]

7. I was there once when Hwy 140 was closed because of fire

and got to swim in the pool for free. Harldy anyone was there and got a parking spot right in front. Talk about peaceful I felt like the park was all ours. I just have to go there soon, it's been too long, way too long.

[lonestarnot]

4. heh heh heh... me too!

:evilgrin:

[Roland99]

5. True. There's already a bit less after the floods.

Mother Earth is bitch-slappin' the humans.

[sweetheart]

6. nature gives an overburdened park a rest nt