By Pepper Fisher
Port Angeles – We knew it was coming after last winter’s erosion. Olympic National Park officials announced on Monday that a contractor will begin removing structurally compromised cabins in Kalaloch next week.
The ten cabins slated for removal are within fifteen feet of the bluff edge and unsafe for occupancy. All have been closed to public use since January 1. The main Kalaloch Lodge is not threatened.
Park officials said a combination of King Tides, strong winter storms, and freeze-thaw events have eroded the bluff beneath the cabins. Over 12 feet of bluff sloughed off in some areas between this winter alone.
They say the bluff’s loose composition of sand, gravel, and stone makes it especially vulnerable to erosion.
The bluff erosion is a natural process, but it has accelerated over the last ten years.
(ONP photo shows erosion of the bluff just below the cabins)