Rock and Road

HungLikeJesus • Apr 24, 2010 1:08 am
We were driving home tonight and the cars in front of us came to a sudden stop. My wife took a few pictures of this rock that fell in the road. Unfortunately the only camera she had available was the one on her cell phone. For a sense of scale, this is a two lane road.

What amazes me is that this was during rush hour (5:30 on a Friday afternoon) and the rock didn't hit anyone. This is the major highway up and down the canyon.

If we were about 15 seconds earlier this would have been behind us.

One truck tried to drive around the rock on the right (it looks like there's plenty of room) but it scraped the rock and a piece broke off. There were more rocks falling after this, so we stayed in the car.

After two hours they had all the cars turn around and drive the wrong way down the highway. It was a long trip home.
glatt • Apr 24, 2010 6:23 am
holy crap!
ZenGum • Apr 24, 2010 7:08 am
:eek:

Notice that part of the concrete barrier near the mountain has been crushed, and that part of the dividing barrier has also been damaged. I guess that the large white streak across the front of the rock is an impact mark.

I imagine that rock came rolling and tumbling down and bounced around on the road before stopping. Dangerous and scary stuff.
Griff • Apr 24, 2010 8:50 am
Whoa. How'd you like that landing in your pickup?
Shawnee123 • Apr 24, 2010 9:58 am
JEBUS!

Were the gods playing hopscotch?
lumberjim • Apr 24, 2010 9:59 am
tarnation!
Cloud • Apr 24, 2010 10:15 am
whoa! Now that is a ROCK!
HungLikeJesus • Apr 24, 2010 12:16 pm
Cloud;651278 wrote:
whoa! Now that is a ROCK!


...and it rolled.

I thought about making that an IOTD, but I didn't think the image quality was good enough.
BrianR • Apr 24, 2010 1:37 pm
Maybe now we'll all take those "Falling Rock" signs a bit more seriously!
monster • Apr 24, 2010 1:44 pm
How can you take a falling rock sign seriously? If you do see it coming, how long will you have to do anything? I figure the only point of those signs is as a disclaimer "Well, we warned you, yet you still chose to drive on the road!"

Glad you're OK and had your camera -that is an impressive rock! I think it should be IOTD
xoxoxoBruce • Apr 25, 2010 1:07 am
sigh
Shawnee123 • Apr 25, 2010 1:10 am
It's so easy even a caveman can do it!
HungLikeJesus • Apr 25, 2010 10:36 am
xoxoxoBruce;651406 wrote:
sigh


I can't shrink it down - it's a big rock.
Cloud • Apr 25, 2010 1:38 pm
I wonder how, exactly, they're going to/have gotten that thing out of there? Is there a piece of equipment big enough to just push it? Do they put it on a truck? Do they have to break it up in situ?
HungLikeJesus • Apr 25, 2010 1:46 pm
I think they're going to blast it.
Cloud • Apr 25, 2010 3:20 pm
wouldn't that put a big hole in the road, too?
xoxoxoBruce • Apr 25, 2010 4:33 pm
No, it would split the rock, not pulverize it.
Griff • Apr 25, 2010 5:11 pm
Push it down the hill into the next county.
ZenGum • Apr 25, 2010 8:31 pm
Send in Chuck Norris.
HungLikeJesus • Apr 25, 2010 8:43 pm
Cloud;651493 wrote:
wouldn't that put a big hole in the road, too?


We just drove down to make sure the road would be open to get to work tomorrow.

It looks like they split the rock and pushed it off the road. There was some minor road damage, which has already been repaired.

The DOT website says they broke up the rock using ultrasonic waves from Clodfobble's brain.
ZenGum • Apr 25, 2010 8:58 pm
Shawnee123;651272 wrote:
JEBUS!

Were the gods playing hopscotch?


Almost!

The Stone Giant hurls a boulder at your party. Roll 1d12 to determine damage.

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