Sunday morning drive...
 

And for all those who slept in...

It was not the best morning for a drive, but Alarick and I tried to make the best of it. It started out very overcast, but we were both assured that it wasn't going to rain (drizzle) - yeah, right!

This doesn't look promising.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206904803.jpg

Top of Scheuren Road.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206905084.jpg

At least there's no one on the road.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206904847.jpg

Alarick.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206904876.jpg

After the drive, we made it to Super Car Sunday. I'm off to lunch, so those pics will have to wait.

SmileWavy

Great day for a drive
 

Victor (SSB) and I met for breakfast at the Saugus Cafe. Then took a drive up San Francisquito Canyon to the St. Francis Dam site.

Interesting field trip. Lots of speculation and left with a few questions.
The road was diverted 3 years ago due to the heavy rains so this old section of road is now a hiking area. Even better.

The trail leading to the tombstone
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206910919.jpg

Remains of the tombstone today
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206911364.jpg
Remains of the tombstone after the disaster
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206911408.jpg

More remains of the demolished tombstone

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206911967.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206911754.jpg

St. Francis Dam eat and hike
 

View looking back at the reservior
Then

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206912198.jpg

Today
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206912232.jpg

St. Francis Dam
 

The site is really big so finding landmarks can be a challange

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206912559.jpg

Mulholland and Van Norman inspecting the carnage
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206912588.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206912628.jpg

St. Francis hike
 

View from the top .
Remains of the railing and and top lip of the dam litter the area. You can still follow the shape of the arch.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913346.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913371.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913393.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913419.jpg

St. Francis Dam hike
 

Landmarks are nice to figure out where everything was.
Notice the probiscus shaped rock in the background.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913787.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913814.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913844.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206913868.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914028.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914119.jpg

A bit of a soggy start.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...g/DSC_0180.jpg

But the road still beckons...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...DSC_0190-1.jpg

Then we wound up getting chased...by a 997 GT3. Stopped off for a chat with him at the lookout. Turns out he's had 3 930s in the past.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...g/DSC_0195.jpg

Finished the morning off at Supercar Sunday. Can someone photoshop this little logo onto a particular 911's hood? Hint: my car's not white, but someone else's is...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...g/DSC_0218.jpg

St Francis Dam hike
 

This is all that remains of the backside of the dam (or dike area). A large earthen mound and concrete remains covered in brush, soil and lots of pulverized pieces.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914410.jpg

Aerial view after the collapse. The mound on the right is what what remains in the photo above.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914478.jpg

Jeff,

How much of the dam's remains were demolished? Or was most of it just left alone, to be covered by nature?

St. Francis Dam hike
 

On the climb down I noticed this stuck in the dirt. A stick of dynamite with fuse intact. They cut a new road about three years ago so I think this remains from when this section of San Francisquito was relocated.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914845.jpg


View from the top of the arch. This is what would have been seen looking down the spillway into the valley below. Big chunk's of concrete visable in the distance.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206914867.jpg

This is the old portion of San Francisquito that was washed out a few years ago. Now it is a walk only part of the site and this would have been facing the dam from below.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206915080.jpg

This puts everything in perspective of how large the site is and the tombstone remains are. Massive! I highlited the stepped portion of the dam and where it sits today.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206915892.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206915916.jpg

St. Francis Dam hike
 

As Victor and I were descending the top of the arch and taking in the views something unique happened. Let's just say Uncle Bill smiled upon us. The sound of 12s,10's, 8's, 6's and 4's broke through the silence of the canyon. Music to our ears from the top of the dam. What a way to end a hike.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916304.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916330.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916494.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916516.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916538.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916559.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916582.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916604.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916629.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206916650.jpg

Like this...
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206917495.jpg
:D

The dam was demo'd probably for safety issues (or evidence depending on which side you take). About 1/2 the face went away with the outflow so big pieces are just a lot smaller now. This left the west side and tombstone to be destroyed by demolition. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206918404.jpg

Concrete litter's the riverbed all the way down to Valencia and then some I am sure. Everywhere you look downstream is covered in broken and pulverized concrete and aggragate. Some pretty darn big pieces remain though. I do not think you could go two feet without seeing crete anywhere in the riverbed.

The remains of the upper span up top are broken up but you can still make out what part of the dam they came from. The top deck had a curb, the spillway reinforcement ribs are uniquely shaped pieces etc. Can still make out the impressions the forms made in the setting concrete. The hand railing posts clearly define the arch as the upper deck was the last part to come down. One thing we noticed right away was the lack of rebar in any quantity. Some pieces here and there along with some cable but not a lot of rebar at all. We did find some heavy sheetsteel that was twisted up but who knows what it came from?

I believe they dynamited the "tombstone", so that it would not fall over on unsuspecting passerby.

The final clues to the puzzle

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206919990.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206920068.jpg

Bringing it back to a "technical thread". As Victor and I walked around fissures, cracks and different types of rock are plainly identifiable on both the dam and dike side's. I am not a geologist but as Al Pacino said in And Justice for All "somethings really wrong here". Throw in a landslide and you've got big trouble's.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206920381.jpg

Wow! Fantastic stuff, Jeff.

Dave and Alarick... Did they put in a overlook turnout on the top of Stunt??? When did that happen?

Hey! Where's the beer tap?!

Happy now? :p
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206925939.jpg