Road Washout

Observation: The scenic road to the old Red Mountain Chromium Mine was built in the 1940s and although the mine is now closed, it has been painstakingly maintained by Seldovia residents and has served for years as an important connection for the people of Seldovia, Jakolof Bay, and the region for recreation, logging, fishing and access to important hunting and harvest areas. There were extreme rain events in September of 2012 that caused landslides, erosion and ultimately blockage of a culvert over Jakolof Creek. The flooding that resulted washed out the road and extension repair work has been on-going to restore the lower sections of the road just past Jakolof Bay. I heard that the road had washed out and went by bicycle to take a look. I was amazed to see the devastation that has occurred since last fall. The upper road is now completely washed out in several areas, eroded and impassable. This event makes the Red Mountain area as well as Rocky River, the trailhead to transect across to Chugach Islands region of the Gulf of Alaska, inaccessible by vehicles. It results in the lost vehicle access to an area that was frequently used by people in the area. Unless some way is found to restore the road, the damage to the road may mark the end of an era as far as vehicle access to this area. Mike Brubaker