Waterfall Across Hwy4

[Flyfishr]

Wasn’t there a fatality at the crossing? There is a memorial marker just downstream from the bridge with the date of the slide. Still gets fresh flowers on a regular basis.

[AZbunch]

Remember that New Years Day well….similar conditions – lots of snow combined with a pineapple express system created all sorts of chaos. My most vivid memory is seeing the steel beams of the Sourgrass bridge twisted like spaghetti. A testament to the power of mother nature!

[Bootstrap]

Most likely heavy rain on deep snow and the excess runoff found a new concentrated path downslope….let’s hope no debris comes with it…

How many folks remember the Sourgrass Debris Flow that hit on New Year’s Day, 1997? Started on the north side of Highway 4, just below Cottage Springs, crossed OVER the Highway and ended up all the way down at the Stanislas River…taking out the Sourgrass Campground bridge..

Here’s a current photo from Google Earth showing the scar in the landscape that’s still visible…

..and here’s an engineering paper on the event..

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259439999_Sourgrass_debris_flow_a_landslide_triggered_in_the_Sierra_Nevada_by_the_January_1997_New_Year_Storm

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Bootstrap.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Bootstrap.

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   1997-Debris-Flow.jpg
   

[mtndad]

Any one know the source of the water coming down in the waterfall?

[michelle s]

Thanks! This caught me by surprise yesterday, glad they had the road crew out today to slow people down.

[gagacabin]

YIKES!!

[Sandi]

[Author]

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