Congressman Jimmy Panetta gets a closer look at the damage in Big Sur

BIG SUR, Calif. - Congressman Jimmy Panetta took a look first hand at the conditions many Big Sur residents live in as some people are still trapped between mudslides and the closed Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge.

The Big Sur community is learning to deal with a whole new set of challenges. Which is why members of the community arranged a roundtable discussion with Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

"Anytime we can get anybody south of the bridge, just walking that trail, changes one's perspective entirely," said Nepenthe owner Kirk Gafill.

And that's exactly what Panetta did on Friday morning. He hiked through the Pfeiffer Canyon Access Trail to get a first hand look at how lives' have changed in Big Sur.

"This is evidence for me to go back to Washington DC to let them know what's going on here," said Panetta.

The roundtable discussion gave Panetta a chance to speak with Big Sur locals face to face about their needs and how he, on a federal level, can help.

"The scenery behind me, the people you come across down here, you understand why people live down here," added Panetta. "The best thing we can do is come down here, support them, help them out in anyway we can."

This meeting revealed to be very important for many of the Big Sur community, because as Gafill shared, every day has become a challenge.

"Some days are better than others," said Gafill. "There are some days where you really have to pick yourself up in the morning and just put a good face on because the conditions are what they are, and that's what you realize."