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Show 3. Tanner's, White Pine, Little Pine, Conrad's Gully, Big Hill ( Figure 3) Down Little Cottonwood Canyon from Mount Superior are numerous slide paths that can run across the highway. These slides do not run as frequently as the Superior- Hellgate complex; but in extreme conditions, these paths must be taken into account when making decisions on the opening or closing of the road. The major paths - those that most often run - are named and signed: Tanner's Slide, White Pine, and Little Pine. Between each of these paths are others that also can cross the road. In addition to these slides, there are two slides that cross the bypass road. Conrad's Gully has a high starting zone that is quickly loaded with winds from the south, southwest, and west. Great care must be taken in making the decision to close off the highway only under Superior and allow traffic to use the bypass road. Due to the steepness of this road, traffic can become snarled very rapidly on it, and people unable to move their cars may find themselves stuck underneath a slide path with a rising hazard. One of the best uses of the bypass road is in the spring, when there is a danger of wet slides from Superior. In such a circumstance, if the bypass road is clear and dry, it can be used effectively to avoid the Superior hazard. It can also be used for down- traffic when danger is high under Superior. Big Hill has never run near the bypass road. The other hazard to the bypass road is from Hasty Exit and slopes beneath cliffs along the west side of Peruvian Ridge. These areas are marked with signs on the highway, just the same as Conrad's Gully. |