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Ditchmonkey
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2017 13:43
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We got hit hard here in a december ice storm. 9 days without power and water. Good thing we had a wood stove!
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hattie
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# Posted: 15 Jan 2017 13:00 - Edited by: hattie
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Julie2Oregon - The only time an inspector came was when we changed insurance companies last year. He was looking for wood stoves. We found one company that was cheaper ($3,300 as opposed to $3,600 per year). 
It is very hard to find a company that will insure us because of the volunteer fire dept. rather than a full time fire dept. and we are also a small business.
SilverwaterLady - So I found a beautifully warm comforter and put it on our bed (hey I run a motel so I have lots of old ones stashed away that aren't good enough for my guests but they are good enough for me). I put it on and Bob walks in and says "what is THAT?" I said it would keep us warm at night and I can turn the temp. down a degree more. The next morning we wake up and I asked how he thought it worked? He said he was boiling hot and couldn't sleep. Then when he got up to use the bathroom, he froze. *sigh* So we are back to our normal comforter and I turned the thermostat back to what it was at night.
I did, however, turn the living area down to 55 at night and it goes back on at 6:30 am to 68 degrees. I also turned our laundry room to 50 at night and then 60 degrees at 7:00 am. Hopefully that will help a bit.
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paulz
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2017 20:21
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Well it's still raining here in NorCal. Sure good for the drought but I'm getting sick of it! Showing some mud slides on the news. My cabin is OK so far, fingers crossed.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2017 22:10 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Looks like you have lots of roots around your place to hold the soil paulz. Best wishes.
Two storm fronts are headed for the West Coast off the Pacific this weekend, and are predicted to be heavier than any we have thus far gotten. As it is now, we have gotten 100% of our yearly average rainfall- half way thru the rain season. The rain graph is in new territory- never has there been this much rain by this time of year.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/precipapp/get8SIPrecipIndex.action
And here comes two big ones, which they say could bring 4-6 feet of snow above 4000 ft in two days.
This is one of the few times I'm content not to be at my cabin.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 20 Jan 2017 23:56
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bldginsp
Um, WHAT?! I'm not THAT far from Shasta and def above 4,000 ft but we haven't heard anything about that much snow!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2017 00:25
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paulz
Great-looking cabin!!!! Yeah, I could see where landslides would be a concern with the crazy amount of precip the Pacific has been sending our way lately, sheesh! Hoping you stay high and dry!
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2017 08:56 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon Um, WHAT?! I'm not THAT far from Shasta and def above 4,000 ft but we haven't heard anything about that much snow!
Hi Julie-
that's what the national weather service folk in Sacramento were saying for the Sierras yesterday, here's their link which has been updated since-
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?prod=XXXAFDSTO&wfo=STO
But the first part of yesterday's prediction did not come true- there was supposed to be a severe front Friday night into Saturday and now, Sat morning, there isn't much. They are still predicting 2-4 feet through Sunday, we'll see. Don't know whether they think it will extend up into Oregon.
So apparently it won't be quite as dire as they were saying yesterday. As the saying goes- it's like predicting the weather...
You staying warm and dry Julie?
Edit- here's nat. weather service forecast for Klamath- only predicting inches of snow-
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mfr/getzfp.php?zone=ORZ029
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2017 17:14
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bldginsp
Yep, warm and dry here! Mt. Ashland is predicted to get some snow, up to a foot. Same thing south into Cali, it seems. I hope I'm not cursing this, heh, but things seem to be easing up for the time being. More is melting than falling.
It's tricky for me to figure out what's coming. Just 7 or 8 miles west or north of me makes a big difference in snowfall, I've learned, because the elevation is higher. Lake of the Woods is just 9 miles away but, geez, they get hammered.
Looking forward to a lengthier stretch of good weather and days in the 40s so I can drive across the mountain into Medford to enjoy the scenery and shop. Gorgeous drive. Cascades, forests, Rogue valley.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2017 17:23
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I took a raft trip on the Rogue river once. Lots of fun. In summer of course.
Where my cabin is located tends to get heavier precip than other parts of the valley, so I am told. I'm on a northeast facing slope, and the storms come from the west. They say that the storms dump more heavily on the other side of the mountain from the direction they came. The north side of the valley, facing south, gets a lot less precip and you can tell by looking at the forest. Trees are smaller and fewer of them. It's all about microclimates I suppose.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2017 13:37
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The 'great big storms' that were supposed to hit California over the weekend have come and gone, but didn't quite live up to the build-up. These were supposed to bring more rain and snow than the previous storms of January, but not quite. Rain was about 5-6 inches average over NorCal. Higher elevations got good snow. Kirkwood ski area reports 36" in the last 24 hours, 48" in the last 48, and 8 feet in the last 7 days. Total 20 feet for the season with a 12 foot base at the moment. Good year to fly to Calif. for skiing if you are so inclined.
So everyone is wondering- is the drought over? A look at reservoir storage through the state shows, overall, at about average for the time of year. Over the last 5 years of drought they have depleted aquafer reserves so much that the hydrologists don't think they will recover for many years.
But the snowpack is high for the year so the farmers will get a larger allocation this year.
Don't know how much there was at my place but I'd guess 2 feet snow or less.
Stay dry and warm
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2017 23:47
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bldginsp
Here's hoping for drought-relief for Cali, without further awful storms and damage. From what I understand regarding snowpack, how it melts/the rate is vitally important, too. I believe most or all of Oregon left drought in the fall. Heh, I 've been behind the 8-ball for building since I got here but I'm so glad that the tide has turned with regard to drought and such.
Weird weekend. Topsy-turvy. Didn't get the several inches of snow predicted by Saturday and thought, that's that. We picked a few but there was melting, too. Went to bed Saturday night thinking it was over. Forecast for early Sunday was an inch or 2 but woke up to at least 6 on the ground. Hard to tell because there were drifts and it was higher in some places. Yay.
I just finished shoveling the car out today. It's thankfully very light, powdery snow but I can't do a lot at a time. Nor do I want to impose on friends/neighbors for help or can afford to pay for a plow every time. A bit of exercise does me some good as long as I know my limits.
And it's part of the learning curve for next year. Ryobi lithium battery snowblower, check! Carport, at the very least, check! And most, importantly, the cabin is going much closer to the road than I originally planned and there will be a short, U-shaped driveway. Backing up when ice is throwing you toward/into a wall of snow SUX!
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:46
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Wow- electric snow blowers- didn't know they exist- looked them up on Amazon- mixed reviews, some people love them. I'm sure you'll love yours. Don't strain yourself, young lady.
Da Gub'ner, 'Moonbeam' Jerry Brown declared 50 counties in Calif. disaster areas due to flooding. 4 dead, several missing.
Stay dry and warm.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2017 14:15
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bldginsp
The Ryobi battery-powered snowbliwer is the winter mate to the Ryobi battery lawn mower I bought last year, and I love it! Check it out on the Home Depot website. Good reviews there since they sell it. The lithium battery is the same for the mower and snow blower so I'll have 2. Pretty powerful, and last about 40 minutes on a charge.
I've seen the reports of deaths associated with these storms, so sad. One lady in Cali died when a tree fell on their house while they were sleeping. Her boyfriend next to her survived.
Our whole state was under a state of emergency. From incredibly treacherous ice in the north and east to feet of snow and cold for us and bad ice and snow in greater Portland. Absolutely terrible everywhere. The pics were amazing.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2017 15:02
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Costa Rica is looking better all the time....
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2017 22:52
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Quoting: bldginsp Costa Rica is looking better all the time....
wiener
it's not so bad here
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Julie2Oregon
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2017 23:52
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LOL, Gary O! Looks like the Biblical parting of the Red Sea. In winter.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2017 00:35
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Was it you who shoveled that.... or Cabi.....
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2017 00:58
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We fought over the big shovel, but cabi won
Boy, those pine needles are HUGE this time of year
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2017 11:44
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Another big storm rolling through today on the heels Monday's. Ground saturated, lots of flooding and mud slides. Checked on my cabin Tuesday, so far so good. This should be the last of the whoppers. What a change from the last few winters.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2017 13:59
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Rainfall and snowpack are currently at 200% of normal for time of year.
Keep us posted on your place, paulz
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2017 22:27
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Ah, not a cloud in the sky today! Got up to the cabin and everything A OK. This old photo shows the notch I cut in the hillside pretty well. It's been a few years now but the amount of rain we've gotten this year tops all the other years combined. Another storm due later next week but at least some time to dry out. The steel cable from the ridge beam goes to a tree, another one in the back, so hopefully if it does slide at least it won't land in the public roadway below. 
35 inches of rain since Jan 1 according to the local news.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2017 22:33
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Congrats! Is there good drainage behind the cabin on the uphill side? If it accumulates there it would absorb in and further saturate right under the cabin... but you probably thought of that
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paulz
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2017 22:46
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Yes, I dug a ditch along the bottom of the notch with my backhoe before I started building. It remained an open ditch until this summer when I finally put in a french drain: 6" perforated PVC surrounded by drain rock and filter fabric. It's always been dry under the cabin but I forgot to look today. Thanks for the reminder to check. I was advised it would be better to have the ditch on the uphill side of the notch but there didn't seem to be any practical way to do that with all the trees.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2017 00:53
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But you could still put some surface diversions up there, I,suppose. Such as that plastic 1x6 landscaping border stuff, squiggly to fit wherever and it won't rot. Maybe I'm over thinking this. But you did make a pretty serious cut in an otherwise intact hill, and if it's gonna slide, it will do so where it was disturbed.
My cabin is also on a hill, but far lesser slope, so I was able to get 10 feet sloping away from the foundation on the cut side. Glad I did- during the heavy October rains a spring appeared on the face of the cut, draining water from 5-6 feet below surface in totally saturated soil. Underfloor dry, at least at that time.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2017 17:53
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Weather finally cleared up in California this weekend but water is still draining down from the mountains in near record amounts. Highway 70 through the Feather River Canyon north of Sacramento has been closed due to flooding, with 6 feet of water over the highway in spots. The road has been undermined in several locations and may not reopen for weeks.
The Feather River drains into Lake Oroville, the second largest reservoir in the State. Built 50 years ago, it contains flood waters along with providing hydroelectricity and water for crops. The dam at Lake Oroville is the highest in the US, so they say, and when it was built was the largest earthen dam in the world. Never in its history has the dam over spilled its emergency spillway, until this weekend. Here's a drone video of it overflowing.
More rain due next week...
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article132290569.html
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paulz
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2017 20:53
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Just in:
Ressidents of Oroville and nearby towns were ordered to immediately evacuate on Sunday afternoon after a “hazardous situation†developed involving an emergency spillway at the Oroville Dam.
The National Weather Service said the auxiliary spillway at the Oroville Dam was expected to fail by 5:45 p.m., which could send an “uncontrolled release of flood waters from Lake Oroville.â€
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2017 23:10 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Latest info seems to be that the break in the emergency spillway is not as bad as they thought, and they have reduced flow on it by increasing flow on the main spillway. They had reduced flow to the main spillway because it developed a problem 2/3 down the concrete shute, which isn't threatening, just expensive to repair so they were limiting the damage by limiting flow. Still they are evacuating around 130,000 people from Oroville to Marysville and the surrounding areas. Highways are choked as people leave.
Local news station- http://www.kcra.com
LA Times- http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oroville-update-20170212-story.html
Sacramento Bee- http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article132355164.html
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paulz
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2017 10:43
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This rain is going on and on.. Stayed in the cabin last Tuesday, all good, and thought we were over it. But no, lots of rain the last few days. Going out to check again tomorrow. The neighbor on the hill across from my cabin has a nice house, he's sleeping in his horse trailer on the valley floor for fear of trees/slides.
March looks pretty dry. Come on March..
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2017 15:33
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Good to hear your place is safe and sound. Today, Presidents Day, we are seeing another 'atmospheric river' coming in off the Pacific, into tomorrow. Should bring 2-6 inches rain in the mountains and more flooding in some areas.
What I read a few weeks ago was that we are having a La Niña this winter, but those conditions should start to taper off in March, so hopefully less of this heavy stuff. But even with this heavy stuff aquifers will not be replenished after sucking them down for five years of drought.
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snowho
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# Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:26 - Edited by: snowho
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One more storm and the cabin will be buried.
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