POWER/PHONE LINES DOWN ON SKINNY! And a lost? dog

[x3mta3]

Hey all, I've been kind of lurking on this board for a couple of months, occasionally checking in on trail conditions (I'm usually running the trails rather than riding), but I though this was definitely important enough to register and make a post about

We got started on Skinny at about 4:30 this morning and almost ran straight into a downed line on the segment of trail that goes out into the power line clearing from the trailhead side of the woods and comes right back into that same side of the woods. We hit this part of the trail around 6:00am. I'm pretty sure it was the phone line that was at trail level, but it was still pretty dark (headlamps only cast so much light). In either case, it comes up on you quick when you're running, so it will only come up on you that much quicker when you're riding.

Anyway, at least one, maybe two poles were snapped and many others looked stressed. Please keep an eye out. Those lines go over all the other trails too.



Also, there was a friendly, dirty, white dog at the trailhead hanging out in the bushes. He strolled out when we showed up, and decided to tag along for the 7 mile run. Because that's what stray dogs do early in the morning. When we finished up, I gave him some water, and when he was done drinking he strolled back into the same little bed area he had made himself near the parking lot that he had originally wandered out of. If anyone knows whose dog it is, please pass the info along. Thought about bringing him home, but didn't want my daughter to think it was permanent.

[Angela]

Just got off the telephone with SCE&G and they will need a little more location information to send their team in to make the repairs. If the poles are close enough to the trail to get a pole number they can identify it and send the crew out based on that, is that possible?

[x3mta3]

It should be. There was a yellow sign on one of them but we didn't look close enough to see if there was a pole number. Not sure if I'll be heading back out there anytime this week, so maybe if someone is heading out that way sooner, they can take a look.

[Angela]

Rode out this evening to get some pole numbers so the utility company can come out and repair the damage. Here is the damage and this was on the Skinny at the 2nd powerline crossing if you are going CCW or the 4th one if you are going CW.

This view is from a distance from the 1st powerline crossing CCW on Skinny -



The next pictures were taken from the 2nd powerline crossing:



The tree in the background is actually on the telephone lines so appears to be the culprit!



They are actually across the trail but you can get across them.



The second pole up the hill past the tree is also broken -



This is from the 3rd crossing looking back towards the 2nd crossing -

[Angela]

It's been a real challenge trying to determine who owns/maintains those poles! I have sent an email to one of our contacts at the USFS since these are on USFS land. If anyone happens to know let me know otherwise I will wait to hear back from them.

[Angela]

Just got off the telephone with the USFS and they think the lines that are down are power lines (I sent them the pictures). They are taking care of the situation please use extreme caution since these lines could be live.

[DK]

Jun 20, 2011 8:57:58 GMT -5 Angela said:

Just got off the telephone with the USFS and they think the lines that are down are power lines (I sent them the pictures). They are taking care of the situation please use extreme caution since these lines could be live.

They appear to be power lines from the photos. As for live, it's a wonder that whoever snapped that shot from right in the middle of them didn't find out the hard way.

Any lines that are on the ground should ALWAYS be treated as a live electrical wire, whether they are or not. Electricity does not discriminate, it will take the path of least resistance, even if that happens to be through you. There's no warning, your warning is that those lines are not where they are supposed to be to begin with.

[Angela]

Oh-oh Doug that would be me. Someone said telephone lines and I honed in on that and know those are low voltage. I was careful not to touch any of them!

[bikerpanda]

Jun 20, 2011 11:59:36 GMT -5 Angela said:

Oh-oh Doug that would be me. Someone said telephone lines and I honed in on that and know those are low voltage. I was careful not to touch any of them!

may have gotten a shocking surprise. (couldnt help it)

thanks for the heads up bc i was planning on riding after work. Thank you!

[brianW]

might be a good idea to say "bottom of Skinny is closed" and tape it off 'til the lines can be fixed IMO.

[DK]

Jun 20, 2011 11:59:36 GMT -5 Angela said:

Oh-oh Doug that would be me. Someone said telephone lines and I honed in on that and know those are low voltage. I was careful not to touch any of them!

And they may very well have been fine. One thing about modern phone lines though, most are fiber-optic and run underground.

Scary thing about electricity, you don't always have to touch a cable to get hit. The arc that you see is actually the voltage jumping the air gap between two objects that are close enough to conduct.

Watch these guys work. Notice the wand that they use to make contact with the line for the transfer, there's an arc before the line is touched and also when the helicopter moves away. That's the power from the lines finding a path, it doesn't have to be to the ground.



Those funny suits that those guys are wearing are actually made of wire mesh and is what protects them from the current flowing in the lines. It allows the current to flow around them instead of through them.

Here's another video showing the distance of the wand arc.



We watched a few videos on these guys in school. Gotta be one of the craziest things I've seen someone do on a daily basis for a paycheck. Here's another video showing more about what those guys do.

Jun 20, 2011 13:25:46 GMT -5 brianW said:

might be a good idea to say "bottom of Skinny is closed" and tape it off 'til the lines can be fixed IMO.

+1

Not only for safety, but to avoid the eventual formation of a ride-around from people avoiding the downed lines. There, I said it. Ya'll were thinking it though. ;D

[x3mta3]

Thought I had to work today, but guess I didn't. Decided to run one of the other trails, but saw a guy gearing up for a ride when I finished. Warned him about the downed lines, and he said a bunch of trucks had just headed out that way. This was at about 3:45PM.

[Angela]

I didn't have any caution tape with me but had warning signs and posted them at the trailhead, on the kiosk, and at both of the entry points for the skinny (totally amazed - found the one near the Brown Wave junction and even more amazed that I made it through the woods and back without running my stockings!

[Angela]

I spoke to the USFS office earlier and they indicated that the lines should have been repaired by now and all clear to ride the Skinny. If anyone will be out there riding this afternoon it would be greatly appreciated if you could remove the signs I put up (trailhead, kiosk, and both entrances into lower Skinny) since I will probably not be able to get back out there today!

[azdrawdy]

At least three new poles in the dirt. All appears to be cleaned up. No wires to hop. This was our first ride on the Skinny and Brown Wave in several months, but all appears to be well. We needed to get some miles in during these hunnert degree temps!

We removed all the warning stickers we saw.

MD

[Angela]

Thank you! Spoke to the ranger again today, apparently the larger, higher poles and lines are the feed straight from the dam and the smaller ones are local electrical lines. Due to the fact that there was no apparent arching or fires started he does not think the lines were live while they were down across the trail but better safe than sorry.

Just nice to know that both sets are electrical lines and they are taken care of by SCG&E - just in case there is a problem in the future.

Thanks for taking the notes down! And thanks to x3mta3 for the quick alert.....still thinking about that 4:30am trail run....WOW!

[oddcouple]

Talked to a electrical engineer tonight that works for SCE&G he said that you are very very lucky that the lines were not hot.Please if that ever happens again stay clear very clear.

[Angela]

I normally run on the cautious side but really got it into my head those were telephone lines since I've never noticed or paid attention to parallel power lines like that............all that said if my ignorance had prevailed and the lines were hot..........well there you go another story for the Darwin Awards! Now the word at least will be out for everyone who reads this forum!

[speedemon105]

Just thought Id add something to this that nobody mentioned (and few people know). The danger from downed power lines doesn't just come from touching the line itself. When the line is in contact with the ground, it will charge the ground. Think concentric circles radiating outwards from the point of contact. Each circle is a specific voltage. When you take a step from far away, towards the line, your feet are now touching two different circles at 2 different voltages. That completes a circuit and could electrocute you.

You don't have to touch a downed power line for it to kill you, that's why linemen are always so adamant about staying away from downed lines. Even if there's no chance of you touching the line, just don't go anywhere near it.

Judging from a couple of those photos, you are lucky to be alive.

[Angela]

And all the information people have given here is great as warning in case these lines ever go down again but remember that x3mta3 happened upon them on a very dark trail at 4:30am and I suspect things were quite damp at that time since it had rained hours before then. I think given what the USFS guy told me those lines were probably dead by then.

His big concern was they have had lines go down that were still live so dangerous across the trail for sure andlines down have started fires before in the woods quickly.

x3mta3 reported no arching, smoking, fire and I saw none of that as well - now granted no guarantees that those factors are always present so for sure if they ever go down again everyone stay way away and we'll close the trail as quickly as possible. But I suspect knowing what we all know now, that they are indeed electrical lines, they were probably dead - I didn't touch them but was within inches as I carried my bike over them to get to the other side of where they were down (you can't just ride around at that point).