OMG, The Hill Ate the Road–Photos from the Highway 101 Slide

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Hwy 101 is buckled north of Redway. [Photos unless otherwise noted by Kim Sallaway]

UPDATE: I thought all you readers might enjoy knowing that WordPress.com (the most popular blogging platform online) has listed the OMG The Hill Ate the Road post as number 50 of their top 100 read posts today! They have over 400,000 posts per day. Thanks for reading, Humboldt and beyond. I’m glad you’re getting the information you need.

——————–

Caltrans District One Hydraulics Engineer, Major Damage Coordinator, Sebastian Cohen, says Monday morning Highway 101 should be open to 1 lane each way to the public and they hope to be able to allow emergency traffic through sooner.

In the photo above, Caltrans, contractors and CHP struggle to contain the damage wrought by nature as a massive slide North of Garberville (near the information sign for the Avenue of the Giants) rumples asphalt like piecrust.  Kim Sallaway, a well known local photographer (see his gallery of Reggae on the  River images here) set out to tell the story.  He calls this the biggest slide he’s ever seen in this area…ever!  “The area near the top is liquid.”

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

[Photo by Kim Sallaway]

The photos and Sallaway’s stories below.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

OMG, the hill ate the road.

Don't use without permission of Kim SallawayThis is Caltrans Senior Engineering geologist, Charlie Narwold  who according to Sallaway has been shooting lines to determine slope and width etc.  Sallaway relayed that the slope is 22 degrees vertical and over 600 ft across as well as a good 1/4 mile long.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Note the broken power lines.  PG&E says they only temporarily lost power to one customer but it has since been restored.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

There you can see the power line connectors but not the pole.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

The asphalt on the south side teepeed making little pup tents.  Sallaway took this photo before starting up the slide.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

By the time he made it back down, the pup tents became an entire encampment of boy scouts lined up across all four lanes.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

From near the top the slide stretches down towards the river.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

The geologist and another person peer back across the entire slide in the above photo.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

 

Four foot deep cracks shatter the slide.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

As Sallaway made his way to the top, he called me from the ledge in the lower left of the above photo, panting from the exertion. “Whoa,” his voice changed in the middle of a sentence.  “A tree,” he began and then panting said, “the earth is moving under me.”  More heavy breaths, some thumps, then saying only to me, “I think I need two hands for this, goodbye,” he hung up. Later, he described the experience. He explained that the large double root ball tree pictured in the lower right had begun collapsing and the land he was standing on slid down the hill.  He had run, jumping from solid spot to solid spot.   The tree, he said, as he ran “snapped and popped and laid down next to me.”

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Here you can see the sloppy look of the slide.  The river, Sallaway believes,  if the slide makes it that far, could act like a straw– sucking away the soil at the “toe” of the slide and carrying tons of earth across the already destroyed roadbed.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

From near the top he called me again calling the climb “one of the hardest things he’d ever done. The climb was vertical.  The land was “spongy, soft, and slippery.”  At one point to cut down on weight, he put down his camera bag with lenses about 15 feet from a drop off and draped a bright sweatshirt near it to make it easier to find.  He noted a tree near it and began to work his way up the steep slide.  Later he returned or tried to return.  The tree landmark was gone.  Eventually, after a 15 minute search, he found his expensive equipment only 3 feet from the drop off and the tree laying on its side.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

As he moved from spot to spot the ground hummed with noises.  The land was terraced with cracks.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

The north side of the side buckled,too. “Every single thing I stepped on here [in the picture above] moved.  It wouldn’t hold weight. ”

Below is the slide from the north side.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

The two pink lines matched at 11:12 am by an hour later the road had moved this much.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

Here is one of our local officers amazed at the power of the slide.

Don't use without permission of Kim Sallaway

South of the slide, ripples of asphalt roll down the road.

Once again a photo from the top.  If the slide keeps moving, this could very well be on the freeway in a day or two.

And as a final note here is a photo of Dyerville Loop Rd by Sara Champie.  It is only open to south bound traffic in order to minimize the chance of accidents. She adds, “It is pretty muddy up there, and can get windy/sharp turns.”

The Dyerville Loop Road

The Dyerville Loop Road By Sara Champie

UPDATE:  There are some great aerial photos of the slide on KMUD’s flicker here.

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68 Comments
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bobbi
Guest
bobbi
12 years ago

Wow Kimba risked life and camera for these shots. Special thanks to him and to you for a great story.

USelaine
Guest
USelaine
12 years ago

This is why we can’t have nice things.

M.E.
Guest
M.E.
12 years ago

Kim S. descriptions of his trek up the still moving mountain, made me get very nervous!
Wow! I don’t know……but you sure got some “sic’ pics! 🙂

M.E.
Guest
M.E.
12 years ago

Kim S. descriptions of his trek up the still moving mountain, made me get very nervous!
Wow! I don’t know……but you sure got some “sic’ pics! 🙂

tra
Guest
tra
12 years ago

Whoa!

tra
Guest
tra
12 years ago

Whoa!

capdiamont
Guest
12 years ago

What about the fiber optic line?

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  capdiamont

Good question. I don’t know. I saw Hank was trying to get the answer on LoCO. I’ll update here if he does.

capdiamont
Guest
12 years ago

What about the fiber optic line?

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  capdiamont

Good question. I don’t know. I saw Hank was trying to get the answer on LoCO. I’ll update here if he does.

simon
Guest
simon
12 years ago

Amazing photos, thank you so much! Maybe we could auction off some of these pieces of highway like the Berlin wall?

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  simon

Maybe that would help pay for the enormous cost! ;>

simon
Guest
simon
12 years ago

Amazing photos, thank you so much! Maybe we could auction off some of these pieces of highway like the Berlin wall?

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  simon

Maybe that would help pay for the enormous cost! ;>

Laura Paine Carr
Guest
12 years ago

wow. there is never a dull moment north of the border.

Laura Paine Carr
Guest
12 years ago

wow. there is never a dull moment north of the border.

skippy
Guest
skippy
12 years ago

Kimba lives to serve, too!

skippy
Guest
skippy
12 years ago

Kimba lives to serve, too!

lyndac
Guest
lyndac
12 years ago

Was this hillside covered with trees in the past that held it in place?

So glad everyone in the state will be funding fixing the road, just like hwy 1 down here in Monterey. What if we didn’t all chip in to help each other. Would the folks north of the slide, or within a 50 or 100 mile radius be charged?

Great photo’s,! book marking this site!

lyndac
Guest
lyndac
12 years ago

Was this hillside covered with trees in the past that held it in place?

So glad everyone in the state will be funding fixing the road, just like hwy 1 down here in Monterey. What if we didn’t all chip in to help each other. Would the folks north of the slide, or within a 50 or 100 mile radius be charged?

Great photo’s,! book marking this site!

gauri635
Guest
gauri635
12 years ago

These photos are amazing! Still, Kim must be crazy. Thanks for posting.

gauri635
Guest
gauri635
12 years ago

These photos are amazing! Still, Kim must be crazy. Thanks for posting.

leland s
Guest
leland s
12 years ago

When I came over the dyerville road I found it like it is always, if the road is fine normally, then how the hell can they justify telling you you cant drive the road just cause of elevated traffic, It is a ROAD ,. they are used for two way traffic all year. All the sudden the counties ugly little secret is out, they dont keep our roads up to proper condition for two dirrectional traffic, if the road cant handle it then shut it down permanantly or fix it. I find that the danger of a head on is always there, FIX OUR ALTERNATES HUMBOLDT! we need them. and next time there is a problem maybe we wont turn into nazi germany and tell locals they cant dirve home on a perfectly good road that meets qualification to drive any other day. If its a guarantee of safety one want in this world you must buy insurance, and to do that you need a drivers licence., o wait at that point you might actually know the rules of the road and the danger will be negated and we could all travel the same road. Our local athorities have resorted to treating us all like idiots and we let them. The ghestapo, CHP make the rules as they go.

Figures
Guest
Figures
12 years ago
Reply to  leland s

Hey, I bet you’re the kind of person who screams about high taxes at the same time as you scream about not getting enough of the services you THINK you are entitled too from the government. Well, guess what, you got one of your wishes. Taxes are at a 60 year low. But guess what comes with that? This. This is just one of the delightful things that comes with low, low taxes. Crappy roads. Congrats.

Linda
Guest
Linda
12 years ago
Reply to  Figures

Taxes are at 59%-what are you talking about? Too much t.v. and newspapers.

Figures
Guest
Figures
12 years ago
Reply to  Linda

You are paying 59%? Wow. That sucks. You should probably have your tax man investigated. My personal federal income tax rate was about 8%, and I have a low income, I could have really used that money, but I also realize I need good roads, sooooo….
Across the nation, taxes are currently at a 60-year low. That means lowest they’ve been in 60 years. Here’s a link to a USAToday story about that:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm

leland s
Guest
leland s
12 years ago

When I came over the dyerville road I found it like it is always, if the road is fine normally, then how the hell can they justify telling you you cant drive the road just cause of elevated traffic, It is a ROAD ,. they are used for two way traffic all year. All the sudden the counties ugly little secret is out, they dont keep our roads up to proper condition for two dirrectional traffic, if the road cant handle it then shut it down permanantly or fix it. I find that the danger of a head on is always there, FIX OUR ALTERNATES HUMBOLDT! we need them. and next time there is a problem maybe we wont turn into nazi germany and tell locals they cant dirve home on a perfectly good road that meets qualification to drive any other day. If its a guarantee of safety one want in this world you must buy insurance, and to do that you need a drivers licence., o wait at that point you might actually know the rules of the road and the danger will be negated and we could all travel the same road. Our local athorities have resorted to treating us all like idiots and we let them. The ghestapo, CHP make the rules as they go.

Figures
Guest
Figures
12 years ago
Reply to  leland s

Hey, I bet you’re the kind of person who screams about high taxes at the same time as you scream about not getting enough of the services you THINK you are entitled too from the government. Well, guess what, you got one of your wishes. Taxes are at a 60 year low. But guess what comes with that? This. This is just one of the delightful things that comes with low, low taxes. Crappy roads. Congrats.

Linda
Guest
Linda
12 years ago
Reply to  Figures

Taxes are at 59%-what are you talking about? Too much t.v. and newspapers.

Figures
Guest
Figures
12 years ago
Reply to  Linda

You are paying 59%? Wow. That sucks. You should probably have your tax man investigated. My personal federal income tax rate was about 8%, and I have a low income, I could have really used that money, but I also realize I need good roads, sooooo….
Across the nation, taxes are currently at a 60-year low. That means lowest they’ve been in 60 years. Here’s a link to a USAToday story about that:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm

Deane Rimerman
Guest
12 years ago

Too much logging and especially grazing for way too long made this land barren and slide prone! Yet again we see the consequences for everyone in Humboldt because a land owner didn’t care and wasn’t required to protect the health of their soils… And sure even with a healthy mature forest on these slopes the slide may of not been entirely prevented, but it could of been significantly minimized! So next time you hear a logger or rancher complain about environmentalists remind ’em how many millions of dollars in county commerce were lost to this preventable mishap!

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Deane Rimerman

Deane,
What I see in these photos is meadow and bay trees. Bay trees are an indicator of below the surface water. Water makes the ground move. There have been slide issues in that area since the original road was put in there. The photos don’t show that the grass is cropped short with eroded gulleys such as too many cattle would likely cause. In addition, over grazing tends to cause small local slides not deep earth shifts such as shown in the photos. Now logging can and does cause these kind of issues but I see no evidence of logging roads or logged over land nor to the best of my memory has the land been logged in the 51 years since I’ve been alive.In addition, this is not an isolated issue; these massive slides have been happening all over Humboldt not just on ranch lands in the wake of the massive storms that dumped tremendous amounts of water on the Southern Humboldt landscape.

Deane Rimerman
Guest
12 years ago

Too much logging and especially grazing for way too long made this land barren and slide prone! Yet again we see the consequences for everyone in Humboldt because a land owner didn’t care and wasn’t required to protect the health of their soils… And sure even with a healthy mature forest on these slopes the slide may of not been entirely prevented, but it could of been significantly minimized! So next time you hear a logger or rancher complain about environmentalists remind ’em how many millions of dollars in county commerce were lost to this preventable mishap!

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Deane Rimerman

Deane,
What I see in these photos is meadow and bay trees. Bay trees are an indicator of below the surface water. Water makes the ground move. There have been slide issues in that area since the original road was put in there. The photos don’t show that the grass is cropped short with eroded gulleys such as too many cattle would likely cause. In addition, over grazing tends to cause small local slides not deep earth shifts such as shown in the photos. Now logging can and does cause these kind of issues but I see no evidence of logging roads or logged over land nor to the best of my memory has the land been logged in the 51 years since I’ve been alive.In addition, this is not an isolated issue; these massive slides have been happening all over Humboldt not just on ranch lands in the wake of the massive storms that dumped tremendous amounts of water on the Southern Humboldt landscape.

Cyndy Sales
Guest
Cyndy Sales
12 years ago

What a great bunch of photos. We travel the stretch of 101 every year to just past the Humboldt county line to our Family Camp (Richardson Grove RV Park & Campground). It never fails to amaze me the changes that happen during the storms we just had. I live in Willits and didn’t believe my husband when he told me about the slide. I’m sharing this with him now!!!

Cyndy Sales
Guest
Cyndy Sales
12 years ago

What a great bunch of photos. We travel the stretch of 101 every year to just past the Humboldt county line to our Family Camp (Richardson Grove RV Park & Campground). It never fails to amaze me the changes that happen during the storms we just had. I live in Willits and didn’t believe my husband when he told me about the slide. I’m sharing this with him now!!!

Leigh
Guest
Leigh
12 years ago

What time did this happen? This is not far from the 3.5 EQ, 8 mi WSW of Rio Dell at 10 pm PDT 3/30 last night. Hmmmmmm

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Leigh

This happened around 10 o’clock yesterday morning. (March 30th)

Leigh
Guest
Leigh
12 years ago

What time did this happen? This is not far from the 3.5 EQ, 8 mi WSW of Rio Dell at 10 pm PDT 3/30 last night. Hmmmmmm

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Leigh

This happened around 10 o’clock yesterday morning. (March 30th)

Autumn
Guest
Autumn
12 years ago

Hey Kym! I know times are tough but what do you think about a beer and snack fund set up for the Marty and the Road Crew Gang at the Liquor Store? I’ll throw a $20 down for that:) Who is with me? Somebody call Dave!

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Autumn

I’m in. Should I make a paper airplane and toss the money across?

autumn
Guest
autumn
12 years ago
Reply to  Staff

If you are serious about thinking this is a worthy cause then just say so and I will be on the phone with Dave:) If folks really want to contribute to feeding and praising the various road crew efforts with food and libations then by all means ” Let’s Git Her Done ” as that redneck comedian likes to say. I will gladly facilitate this effort:)

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  autumn

Let’s see what we can do.

Autumn
Guest
Autumn
12 years ago

Hey Kym! I know times are tough but what do you think about a beer and snack fund set up for the Marty and the Road Crew Gang at the Liquor Store? I’ll throw a $20 down for that:) Who is with me? Somebody call Dave!

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Autumn

I’m in. Should I make a paper airplane and toss the money across?

autumn
Guest
autumn
12 years ago
Reply to  Staff

If you are serious about thinking this is a worthy cause then just say so and I will be on the phone with Dave:) If folks really want to contribute to feeding and praising the various road crew efforts with food and libations then by all means ” Let’s Git Her Done ” as that redneck comedian likes to say. I will gladly facilitate this effort:)

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  autumn

Let’s see what we can do.

Farmer
Guest
Farmer
12 years ago

While it’s totally true that clear-cutting and road building exacerbate already unstable hillsides, the geology in Humboldt is naturally covered with deep seated slides like this. This goes to show that if it’s forested, it would be best to keep it that way.

There are many big slides in this county that no one hears much about because they don’t take out the highway or bury houses. Two that immediately come to mind are the one on Van Schoik mountain in the Mattole and one on the lost coast a little south of Petrolia not far from Sea Lion Rock. Last I saw it there was a big flat chunk of land that had slid part way down it with a small patch of mature Douglas Firs standing up perfectly straight. I wonder if thats in the ocean now.

This also brings to mind many slides originating from old logging roads in the Mattole.

Landslides happen without the help of humans, but human damage to the land has increased their frequency.

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Farmer

Well said.

Farmer
Guest
Farmer
12 years ago

While it’s totally true that clear-cutting and road building exacerbate already unstable hillsides, the geology in Humboldt is naturally covered with deep seated slides like this. This goes to show that if it’s forested, it would be best to keep it that way.

There are many big slides in this county that no one hears much about because they don’t take out the highway or bury houses. Two that immediately come to mind are the one on Van Schoik mountain in the Mattole and one on the lost coast a little south of Petrolia not far from Sea Lion Rock. Last I saw it there was a big flat chunk of land that had slid part way down it with a small patch of mature Douglas Firs standing up perfectly straight. I wonder if thats in the ocean now.

This also brings to mind many slides originating from old logging roads in the Mattole.

Landslides happen without the help of humans, but human damage to the land has increased their frequency.

Staff
Member
12 years ago
Reply to  Farmer

Well said.

trackback

[…] OMG, The Hill Ate the Road–Photos from the Highway 101 Slide Caltrans District One Hydraulics Engineer, Major Damage Coordinator, Sebastian Cohen, says Monday morning Highway 101 […] […]

trackback

[…] OMG, The Hill Ate the Road–Photos from the Highway 101 Slide Caltrans District One Hydraulics Engineer, Major Damage Coordinator, Sebastian Cohen, says Monday morning Highway 101 […] […]

Greta Grizz
Guest
Greta Grizz
12 years ago

As Lori Dengler was quoted today, sedimentary “rock pudding”. The Blue Goo is ocean sediment, and was under the ocean not “too” long ago.

Greta Grizz
Guest
Greta Grizz
12 years ago

As Lori Dengler was quoted today, sedimentary “rock pudding”. The Blue Goo is ocean sediment, and was under the ocean not “too” long ago.

eric
Guest
eric
12 years ago

Slides happen.The ground gets to wet, tree roots arent that big, ya some may have been helped but some just happen. Anyone travel over hwy 20 by blue lakes that whole hill you travel over is a slide. It was treed why did it slide? Maybe it rained to much!

eric
Guest
eric
12 years ago

Slides happen.The ground gets to wet, tree roots arent that big, ya some may have been helped but some just happen. Anyone travel over hwy 20 by blue lakes that whole hill you travel over is a slide. It was treed why did it slide? Maybe it rained to much!

Tracy
Guest
Tracy
12 years ago

Awesome photos!

Tracy
Guest
Tracy
12 years ago

Awesome photos!

trackback

[…] Some updates on the Hwy 101 closure & amazing pics of the slide…looks like it may be a couple of weeks before they open the Highway again. “The hill ate the road photos”: https://kymkemp.com/2011/03/30/omg-the-hill-ate-the-road-photos-from-the-highway-101-slide/ […]

trackback

[…] Some updates on the Hwy 101 closure & amazing pics of the slide…looks like it may be a couple of weeks before they open the Highway again. “The hill ate the road photos”: https://kymkemp.com/2011/03/30/omg-the-hill-ate-the-road-photos-from-the-highway-101-slide/ […]

Sarah Cox
Guest
Sarah Cox
12 years ago

My professor hooked me up with this website n I’ve been lovin it since so many good post and replys Im from so Hum live in eureka now and though this site I feel more connected to my home so thank you

Sarah Cox
Guest
Sarah Cox
12 years ago

My professor hooked me up with this website n I’ve been lovin it since so many good post and replys Im from so Hum live in eureka now and though this site I feel more connected to my home so thank you

trackback

[…] crew on the huge slide just north of Garberville marked the spots for drilling water drains in the Hill That Ate the Road with Happy Faces. (Click on the photo to enlarge.) These horizontal drains will hopefully help keep […]

trackback

[…] crew on the huge slide just north of Garberville marked the spots for drilling water drains in the Hill That Ate the Road with Happy Faces. (Click on the photo to enlarge.) These horizontal drains will hopefully help keep […]

trackback

[…] cones and signs. Intrepid local photographer, Kim Sallaway, was climbing the slide within hours and gave us a legacy of incredible shots and a sense of his personal bravery.  For months now we have watched as contractors manipulated masses of soil and restored the […]

trackback

[…] cones and signs. Intrepid local photographer, Kim Sallaway, was climbing the slide within hours and gave us a legacy of incredible shots and a sense of his personal bravery.  For months now we have watched as contractors manipulated masses of soil and restored the […]