Police say Cody Mortensen was told not to try crossing the steep pile of rock and dirt blocking Monterey County’s scenic Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast.
The 28-year-old bicyclist from the San Bernardino County community of Lucerne Valley was warned that there was no safe route through Regent’s Slide, the California Highway Patrol said, and that it is against the law to ride, drive or walk past a “Road Closed” sign.
But Mortensen attempted to cross the landslide anyway on Friday morning, the CHP said, and fell more than 100 feet toward the ocean, suffering injuries and requiring a helicopter rescue to be airlifted to a hospital. He’s facing charges of disobeying posted signs and endangering public-safety responders.
The perilous slide, triggered after fierce winter rains, is steep and lacks a trail. Located at post mile 27.5, it is still active. Video shot last month by Mark Readdie, director of Big Sur’s Big Creek Natural Reserve, shows dirt and rocks cascading into the sea.
Although landslides have closed the route through Big Sur since December 2022, tens to hundreds of people drive up daily to the closures “surprised that the road is closed … catalyzing the entire spectrum of consequences from inconvenience to hospitalization,” said Readdie. He urges the California Department of Transportation to invest more in staffing and public outreach.
“I wish for the situation to improve before someone dies,” Readdie said.
As Mortensen approached the slide around 9:30 a.m., a construction worker told him that the road was not passable “and if he attempted to cross it, he will probably die,” the CHP reported. “Mortensen said he was going to try anyways.”
About one hour later, State Parks Ranger F. Bettencourt arrived on the scene. Looking across the side, he saw a backpack and a bloody arm below them.
Mortensen, who survived the fall, abandoned his bicycle and climbed down to the beach, where he was rescued by Bettencourt and Big Sur Fire.
An eyewitness said he seemed confused and complained of head injury, according to Big Sur resident Kate Novoa. He spoke of falling on the slide, hitting his head and having a rock roll over his arm. He was treated for a laceration to his forearm and possible head trauma, then driven by ambulance to Post Ranch and airlifted by helicopter to Natividad Medical Center for his injuries.
Mortenson faces at least two charges: wanton disregard of failing to obey a person directing traffic and failing to obey the traffic signs and signals. He also endangered the lives of rescue personnel who had to traverse an active slide, the CHP said.
Some riders may be unaware that the route is closed until they arrive, discovering too late that they must detour down the Salinas Valley from Monterey to San Luis Obispo.
Over the past week, Readdie has encountered four people who insisted on climbing through the slide. Of those, two were on foot, and two were on bicycles.
“Three were not people that were likely to read the news, nor plan ahead,” Readdie said. “They were either unhoused or visibly with a mental health issue. The fourth thought they had it all figured out on their own using digital maps.”
The slide is one of three that were caused by winter storms. The two others, Paul’s Slide and Dolan Point, have been repaired and reopened.
It has turned the breathtaking coastal Highway 1 into two cul-de-sacs, accessible only from the north and east, preventing travelers from making the full trip along the world-renowned coast.
The Arthritis Foundation’s 2024 California Coast Classic Bike Tour in September is detouring riders around the closure on an alternate riding route or a bus transfer from the village of Big Sur to Paso Robles.
The closure has delivered hard times for businesses in the region, which relies on tourism from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and other Southern California cities.
Caltrans said it expects to reopen the section of highway affected by Regent’s Slide in the fall. Work has been delayed due to the danger and daily unpredictability at the site. Every day, workers check for new cracks above and below the working bench, according to Novoa. The “spider excavators” are cabled to bulldozers in case the hill collapses.
Meanwhile, “I recognize the challenge involved with public outreach trying to inform those that are not easily reached,” said Readdie. “I hope Caltrans puts more investment in this, perhaps by having more of a law enforcement presence — or at least an improved response time to dissuade those who don’t want to listen to a lone construction worker on the highway.”
Road information and updates can be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
