"If we use the `A' here, we'll have OR-A-TENT and SIX-A-SOFT." --Gus Halper
After breakfast this morning, we headed back to Fort Abercrombie State Park. We all started together at a beach location and worked to gather stones; the stones would serve as the steps in a stone staircase on one of the park's trails. This was some of the most demanding work we've done so far, as each stone weighed between 80 and 100 pounds, and we collected about 20 of them. We moved them from the beach to the trail in the bed of a pickup truck, but we first had to move them from the beach to the truck. We worked in two and three-person teams, lifting the stones from the beach and carrying them about 30 yards to the truck.
After gathering the stones, we split into two crews. One crew worked to install boardwalk over a low spot in the trail, so hikers could avoid the wet, marshy areas that formed after rainfalls. This team worked to level the trail grade, arranged the timber, and used power tools (!!) to fasten the planks to their foundations. The second crew went to a hill on a different trail to work on the staircase. They cut into the hillside in order to place 19 individual stones, leveled the grade, and filled in around each one.
On our way home, we stopped to see tomorrow's assignment. We won't be in the State Park but will instead work on a community trail in Kodiak. We'll continue to work like we have the past two days, but it also looks like we may have to use a jack to raise and level a small pedestrian footbridge. We arrived home for an excellent dinner: chicken, pasta, veggies, and salad, and we'll put all that fuel to good use tomorrow.
Scrabble has become something of a post-dinner ritual, and both Justin and Gus have proved to be solid players. Perhaps we'll see a bingo before the end of the trip. Finally, we think we've solved our photo problems, so here's a slideshow from our first four days. Click the following link; when the first image appears, mouse over the photo to control the show. Enjoy!
Love the hardhats! Sounds like a strenuous and productive day. Weather.com says rain in Kodiak today. Hope not. Have fun with that jack, and send more photos soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Looks like muscle building work for sure! You all look adorable in your hard hats and gear. Stay safe and happy and keep the photos coming!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are fabulous! The scenery is breathtaking and it is such fun to see your smiling faces. Go Scrabble! XOX
ReplyDeleteHope you all are singing while you work.... by the way....who is cooking????
ReplyDeleteI am loving this blog. It is so fabulous to see you all looking like environmental scientists/forest rangers...I caanot wait to hear about your next adventure. thankyou sooooo much for keeping us updated!!
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