Requiem for a Ridgetop
January 2009 The Warren Bench isn't dead. But what has died is the soul of a place that inspired people to watch sunrises, make marriage proposals, and have marriage ceremonies. The following photos show an avalanche control project that I think is on a scale that is inappropriate for the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area. I don't know that it could have been done less obtrusively, but with our technological know-how and visual impacts expertise, I'd like to think that we could have done better. Time, effort, and money would have been the only additional costs. They are planning to paint them though. They did a good job on the rehabilitation of the soil disturbance. But watch out for explosions--large enough to vibrate windows in Lee Vining--when there is avalanche danger.
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