We all have been holding our breath on this one….
After the 2005 landslide that led to the closure of the Ridge Route, the biggest fear has been another devastating blow to the road. The most recent rain storm was pretty brutal and hit the road hard. Here’s a first look…
(Click on images to enlarge)
NORTH RIDGE ROUTE
I made it about 2 miles south of Sandberg’s. There was flooding on the road but the road fared quite well. The culverts were doing exactly what they were designed to do and kept the hillside in tact. Crazy how after over 100 years, it still serves the purpose! It was quite windy so I had to ground the drone. I’ll head back up there in a few days to see if I can check out a little more of the road.
SOUTH RIDGE ROUTE
Recent burn area. The stretch between Ridge Road House and Martin’s is the most heavily impacted. There are some pretty deep ruts that look like they potentially go under the roadbed and a good sized washout that impacts the road. Further down, right as the Ridge Route comes up out of the housing development, there is significant mud in the road with minor landslides coming from the hillside above the road. This is an area I will definitely have to come back to with the drone and in daylight.
OLD RIDGE ROUTE
I will be going out to check on the Old Ridge Route with the RRPO after the next section of storms. I am not sure of the current conditions or if it is even safe to be up there. My hope is that it fared like the north end and will only have minor damage. Updates will be shared as I get them.
Thanks Sydney for the update. I’ve been on the east Coast during all the flooding. I’m back and will be riding my GS on the RR soon to check out the damage. Curious, what is RRPO?
Hi Rob! Hope you’re having a great trip! I have a video going up any minute now showing the conditions of the north end.
Please take lots of photos on your ride, I would love to see! The RRPO is the Ridge Route Preservation Organization