The weather was beautiful and we had a productive morning at PA Gamelands 285 and Watt's Mill yesterday. Lee Fairbanks, Dennis Garrett, Bob Cody, and I started off by installing a North Country Trail sign built by Bob at the Sterling Road trailhead. Bob is a master craftsman and a wizard with the router - the sign looks great! The digging was easy and with teamwork we had it in the ground in no time at all.
Which gave us an opportunity to drive over to Watt's Mill and select, dig out, and transport some cut-sandstone blocks that we're going to use as foundation stones for the backpacking shelter to be built there. Again, with teamwork (and a rickety Chevy S10), in no time at all we had six very heavy stones transported to within fifty yards or so of the site and a no-pain plan to take them the rest of the way in on Sunday evening (barring a rain delay).
Hope to see you at 4:00 Sunday afternoon!
Kudos to Lee and Eleanor Fairbanks who suggested we make the trip to Watt's Mill at 2:00 today to get in some work on the backpack shelter before the thunderstorms arrived, and kudos to Dave Wright, Jim Houk, Jim's grandson Shane, Lee, Eleanor, and Dennis Garrett for coming out for the short-notice event. We accomplished much in the hour or so that we had available to work. I apologize for the confusion resulting from the sudden change of plans.
ReplyDeleteJim brought a couple of heavy-duty wheel barrows that made short work of moving the six foundation stones the last fifty yards to the site of the planned backpacking shelter. Once the rock transporting work was accomplished we jumped in with Eleanor doing battle (SERIOUS BATTLE) with the massive multi floral rose jumble occupying the spot where the shelter is going to go. We also moved some logs out of the way and grubbed some roots and stumps and the site is basically ready to go. We finished up and skeddadled as the thunderheads came booming over the hills from the west and the first raindrops of the afternoon started to fall.
We've had a busy weekend as a Chapter - sign planting and rock procurement on Friday, rock transport and site prep today, and sandwiched in-between was the Ellwood City Earth Day celebration held on Saturday. Lee and Eleanor made the trip out and represented the Wampum Chapter, spreading the word about the North Country Trail and the work that we do to the attendees there.
Photos start here: http://community.webshots.com/album/577334854UNgKrW?start=24
Thanks everyone for all you do for the NCT!
Dave Brewer
Co Trail Work Coordinator