Signs at both ends warn that it is impassable when it rains. The feeling of being trapped has been too much for some people. About a third of Big Sur's residents have fled, some vowing never to return. But those who stayed have been reminded of why most of them came here in the first place, seeking the adventure and beauty of Big Sur that the emergency seems to have accentuated. In the last few weeks, I've really enjoyed being able to explore who and what I am.
Many residents speak with pride of a spirit of sharing in response to the disaster.
Competitors are cooperating. Restaurants stagger their business hours so everyone gets a piece of the local trade. The community food pantry, supplying about 200 residents who have run short of cash, offers fresh lettuce and Brussels sprouts from the gardens of the Esalen Institute. Esalen, a nonprofit alternative education organization, is best known for its spring-fed hot tubs where guests bathe naked while gazing out on the Pacific Ocean. Staff members filled up the undamaged hot tubs perched on a ridge, watching the waves pounding the shore below them.