MASSIVE ROCK SLIDE - NEAR YOSEMITE

We tried to drive down the Merced River to see the rock slide which had closed one of the main roads into Yosemite -- Route 140 -- but the park ranger at the Merced entrance told us we wouldn't be able to get anywhere near it.

This is an aerial photo from the Mariposa County Sheriff's web site taken by Dave Lombard. There's also an impressive photo here.

The slide is so humongous that the road to Mariposa and Merced may be closed from 6 months to a year. That's because geologists think the slides will continue -- maybe until a whole lot of the mountain comes down. They'll have to wait until it stabilizes and then have to figure out where to put a new road. One lucky break -- the slide didn't take out the electricity for Yosemite Valley (it came close).

This is really hard for the folks who live in Mariposa, like the ranger who talked with us. The normally pleasant 30 minute commute to Yosemite now is a punishing 2 hours with the detour via the South Entrance. It's going to butcher all the tourist businesses on that side of the Park.