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10b4me
Social climber
Lida Junction
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 21, 2018 - 03:13pm PT
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PREPAREDNESS UPDATE:
HIGH WATER FLOW
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be performing emergency repair work on the Control Gorge Power Plant beginning June 26th, with a projected completion date of September 5th. Water being released from the Crowley Reservoir will enter the Owens River at the Middle Gorge Power Plant and flow downstream through the Owens Gorge and into the Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
Inyo County residents and visitors can expect extremely high water flow in the Owens River below Middle Gorge Power Plant. “Normal water flow rates are at 55 cubic feet per second, cfs. During this time period, the flows could be as high as 500cfs. Once the higher flow rates have started they will remain at these elevated levels until the Control Gorge Power Plant is returned to operation in September,” stated Jon Crook, LADWP.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 21, 2018 - 04:47pm PT
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Get your pack rafts ready!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jun 21, 2018 - 05:36pm PT
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So that water is going to be coming down those penstocks by DWP and Flash Flood? I don't see any other way they can insert that added flow from the central gorge power plan on downstream.
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Bob Harrington
climber
Bishop, California
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Jun 21, 2018 - 11:12pm PT
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Right, the high flows are below the Middle Gorge Power Plant, so the river crossings at Warning Signs and below will not be possible. As I understand it, flows upstream of the power plant should be in the range of what we climbers would consider normal. The full press release is on the Inyo Sheriff's web page.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jun 22, 2018 - 11:29am PT
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Whoa. The Warning Signs bridge is pretty high. It will be interesting to see if it's submerged. Bridge to Big Tower was raised, too. Anyone know how big the flows were last year? CFS? At least middle, inner and upper Gorge will be accessible.
Bring yer snorkels.
BAd
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jun 22, 2018 - 12:56pm PT
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Perhaps as much as 9 times the flow. Those pipes are gonna be rumbling. I'm not sure I would want to hang out right there. I guess they know what they're doing, but didn't they blow out one of those pipes uphill from there a few years back, shut off the flow at the bottom too fast?
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Jun 22, 2018 - 01:22pm PT
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Kris, that is how the gorge got rewatered. When they blew the pipe they tried running the water down an old creek bed rather than in the gorge. Someone noticed and the DWP was immediately sued because the only time you can run water outside its natural bed is in pipe or sluice. So they were forced to run it back into the gorge. A day later and people were planting trout in there and they were forced to keep the gorge watered to support the trout population. We should all thank the people of Bishop who took those steps because the gorge is a much nicer place to climb with water and greenery in it.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Jun 22, 2018 - 05:48pm PT
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I wonder how the trout will fare with the higher flow regimes?
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jun 22, 2018 - 07:01pm PT
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We should all thank the people of Bishop who took those steps because the gorge is a much nicer place to climb with water and greenery in it.
Word.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jun 24, 2018 - 06:13am PT
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double word^^^
Access Update: MrE was down in the Lower Gorge yesterday- the new (high-water) crossings from the plant down
are not under water at the moment.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jun 24, 2018 - 12:48pm PT
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xCon for the win!
BAd
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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Jun 24, 2018 - 07:57pm PT
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Climb above the the Central Power Plant.
Pretty warm down there now mid day
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Aug 14, 2018 - 07:26pm PT
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It was a little cooler today and I felt restless so I walked down the south entrance road. The river was the highest I have ever seen it. The near end of the bridge at the bottom of the hill has water flowing over it. The far end appears to have detached from the bolts and is a foot right of where it should be.
The next bridge, I think in Erik's area has water lapping over it and is covered in green slime, looks treacherous.
Driving back to Bishop, White Mtn has new snow at the top.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Aug 14, 2018 - 08:55pm PT
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Thanks for the bump Eric - we thought we had the high water crossings high enough. Not high enough obviously. We will fix the BT bridge once the flow goes down - that one has been moved a few times now to get it further off the river. Appreciate the heads-up!
Here's some pics Erik took a couple weeks ago - still the same, it sounds like:
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Aug 14, 2018 - 10:38pm PT
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Hoh man that’s some big water.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Aug 15, 2018 - 06:55am PT
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Dayum! Thanks for posting those pics, Maidy.
BAd
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Hoots
climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Aug 15, 2018 - 07:37am PT
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Aug 15, 2018 - 07:43am PT
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Whoa^^^ Erik and were wondering if anyone ever did that. Seems pretty freaky given the large amount of debris blocking the river in certain sections.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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Aug 15, 2018 - 07:50am PT
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^the bridges for instance
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Aug 15, 2018 - 12:37pm PT
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Thanks for the pictures. Never did I imagine I'd see that much water in the river...wow!
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Aug 15, 2018 - 12:41pm PT
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While this kind of sucks for access right now it will be great for the river. This kind of flow will wash all the silt out and dig nice deep holes. The fishing will be better for it.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Aug 15, 2018 - 01:10pm PT
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That's nuts! Yeah, what about the bridges? I want to know more about this mysterious kayaker and his descent.
BAd
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Aug 15, 2018 - 01:47pm PT
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How is it that that DWP is able to inject the water at the Middle Gorge Power Plant? I don't get this at all.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Aug 15, 2018 - 05:31pm PT
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That's a question maybe for Bob H. to clarify - I assume they have several bi-pass tubes that can be adjusted for specific flows since they seem to be able to divert and increase/decrease water at any section along the Gorge skipping sections they don't want to flood. They recently buried a new one under the road right at Pub Wall.
Edit: Here's a couple more pictures:
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Aug 16, 2018 - 06:37am PT
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Boy, with these flows, you can see the value of all then new riprap along the channel near Banana Belt. Intense.
BAd
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bit'er ol' guy
climber
the past
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Aug 17, 2018 - 11:21am PT
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drain the swamp
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The Vulcan
Social climber
bishop ca
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Aug 17, 2018 - 03:40pm PT
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Are the bridges to China Wall and Social Platform above water?
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Aug 17, 2018 - 09:09pm PT
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Don't drain the swamp. Scour it clean with a high power water canon!
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Aeriq
Social climber
Location: It's a MisterE
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UPDATE: All bridges below Warning Signs are damaged or gone!
Went down this morning to check on things - didn't get to Warning Signs, so that is an unknown, but here's the pics I got:
Rockfall and dirt has been cleared on the hill side all the way to the Middle Pwer Plant
The high bridge to the Big Tower/Pink Wall areas got knocked loose, but I was able to cross & reset it. Still needs to be re-fastened
The low-water crossing to the Diamond Face is missing 1/2 of it's span
And the worst damage was to the Diamondback crossing. Something big hit the bridge or the water flow eroded the boulder, releasing the road-side end of the bridge. Luckily, the other side held - but some rebuilding and re-setting is going to be needed - as well as finding another crossing nearby...
Here's the pile of debris below Big Tower- pretty substantial increase to the mass
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mike a.
Sport climber
ca
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Happy Friday thanks for the up date, going to the lower gorge next week to climb so this up date is helpful, thanks again happy climbing Mike A.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Damn, Arique! Heavy doody bridge carnage. Count me in for the work party to fix 'em up.
BAd
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Aeriq
Social climber
Location: It's a MisterE
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Damn, Arique!
That's "AEriq" - the old english a/e where the legs on the E are part of the... do I have to draw it for you?
Does nobody care about language anymore?
*sigh*
I'm kidding, of course...
;^)
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Aeriq
Social climber
Location: It's a MisterE
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Sep 28, 2018 - 05:47am PT
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Went down on Wednesday to finish the survey.
The Warning Signs access bridge is toast, the tree that held the hand-rope is gone, and the anchor boulder moved.
Access is pretty easy - the level is really low due to the DWP diverting the water past the power plant from the Banana Belt:
We climbed at Warning Signs, but the jet of water coming out of the pipe made it really hard to hear each other - possibly because the water noise is at a higher elevation?
The Blocky Top crossing I built is still intact, but needs some "pruning" - notice the water level on the boulder:
Time to re-think the "permanent high-water" crossings...
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Sep 28, 2018 - 08:02am PT
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The "Diamondback bridge" gave access to the Diamond Face/ Diamondback areas in the Lower Gorge just upstream from Pink Face. There's a slew of new routes there.
The new climbs on the left side of Warning Signs are directly above that new outflow pipe- so it was loud. No biggie- just not used to having to yell stuff. Water is super low right now but if they increase the output that will be a dangerous crossing without a new bridge.
The new bridge you guys put in at Gorgeous Towers should be fine ( although we didn't inspect it) since the big water release happened below that.
We are pow- wowing this week with Marty about repairs. Like to get it done in the next month before the season starts if possible
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Sep 28, 2018 - 11:10am PT
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How is it that that DWP is able to inject the water at the Middle Gorge Power Plant? I don't get this at all.
The water that spins the turbine in the power plant comes down through those two huge pipes (penstocks) which drop down behind the wall with DWP and Flash Flood on the frontside. I would expect that is the source of the added water.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Sep 28, 2018 - 05:42pm PT
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With the water as low as it is, everything on the north end is good to go - easy crossings. Just a couple of weeks ago the Flavin crossings weren't even possible. Trivial now. The Gorgeous bridge sits so high that I think it's pretty safe even with big flow. The short log span just after, not so much so. But if approaching from the north with high water, good luck at Flavin.
I've been from the central to the north parking recently. Again, with the low water, trivial. Even multiple places to cross at the old bridge footings at the mouth of the narrows. Good thing, because with the growth at the Crystal bridge one couldn't even see it, much less get to it to access the narrows from that side (trees/brush have been initially cleared.)
The main trail is acceptably clear now (but no work done on sub-trails accessing individual walls - yer on your own...) What a chore hacking through fields of stinging nettle and tumbleweeds to open it back up, especially below Flavin and Trinity. Days later and I think I still itch in spite of gloves, long shirt & pants.
Yeah, opening day is just around the corner.
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Aeriq
Social climber
Location: It's a MisterE
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Lower Gorge update:
Today, Skip and I leveled, repaired & re-anchored the Big Tower crossing, replaced the missing low water crossing board to the Diamond Face/Diamondback area - as well as some pruning of the Blocky Top crossing.
More stuff in the works, but the basics are back in place for the areas in the Lower Gorge.
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