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06-27-2017, 07:28 AM
Saturday, June 17 - Rendy Day 3: The work project
Saturday morning we loaded up workers, goats, and tools into as few vehicles as possible to head to our work project on the Alpine Gulch Trail, which was about 2.5 miles from our campsite. As it was a short trip, we loaded a dog, four or five goats, and as many people into the bed of our pickup for the journey. I'm not sure it was very comfortable, but it was certainly comical! Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the whole clown car and I'm hoping someone else will produce one.
Get me out of this madhouse!
Marc Warnke's goats looked like prisoners on their way to the chain gang.
At the trailhead, we loaded bow saws, crosscut saws, and axes on our packsaddles. I left Finn's panniers empty because I was told we would be hauling rocks.
Near the trailhead sign, a series of railroad tie stairs had been transformed into a sliding gravel rock ramp, which Jordan spent half the morning digging out with a shovel.
This was the only intact bridge on the trail.
Marc Warnke's goats and mine loaded up rocks from a mine tailing dump near one section of trail and hauled them a short distance to spot where the creek had burst its banks and was running down the trail itself. We rerouted the water from the creek and used the rock to rebuild a 40-foot section of trail that had become a muddy ditch. Since it wasn't far or steep, our goats hauled about 70 lbs. of rock per load. We also used cut branches to block off the alternate route people had created to avoid the muddy ditch.
After this, our crew used trees to build new water crossings where the previous bridges had been washed away. Since we built these new bridges at high water, there is hope that they will last for a few seasons. Our goats were not so sure about crossing these narrow log bridges, but Finn was the bold one and led the way. Sputnik doesn't like log bridges, but since he doesn't mind getting wet he plunged right into the creek and crossed without a fuss. Good boys!
I wish I had photos of our finished work, but once again I'm going to have to wait and see if anyone else posts. It was a really fun project and I think we did a really good job. The work was much-needed and much-appreciated by the BLM. And I have to hand it to Jim and Eric from the BLM. They worked with us that day to facilitate the project and really set us up to succeed.
After the work crew got back to camp, we had an equipment "show and tell" time where various equipment makers were able to show off their products. Marc Warnke and Matt Lyon showed off their prototype packsaddle system and new pannier design. Charlie Jennings is continuing the "tried and true" Wind River pack system designed and used by John Mionczynski. And Charlie Hackbarth of Sopris Unlimited demonstrated his unique soft tree saddle design. All told, it was a very informative session and there was a range of choices offered for different use cases and personal preferences.
Saturday night's campfire was exciting as Phil played auctioneer to sell off the last of the store items. Phil is often perceived as being shy, quiet, and somewhat serious so he really surprised people with his auctioneer style! There were so many generous donations this year that our crowd was running out of money, but they still opened their wallets and made sure every last item was bought. Some folks got some really nice deals, but everything sold for at least its reserve price.
After the auction, John Mionczynski told stories and relayed his experiences working with Bighorns in Wyoming. Folks sat up listening to him until around midnight. It was a very full day!
Saturday morning we loaded up workers, goats, and tools into as few vehicles as possible to head to our work project on the Alpine Gulch Trail, which was about 2.5 miles from our campsite. As it was a short trip, we loaded a dog, four or five goats, and as many people into the bed of our pickup for the journey. I'm not sure it was very comfortable, but it was certainly comical! Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the whole clown car and I'm hoping someone else will produce one.
Get me out of this madhouse!
Marc Warnke's goats looked like prisoners on their way to the chain gang.
At the trailhead, we loaded bow saws, crosscut saws, and axes on our packsaddles. I left Finn's panniers empty because I was told we would be hauling rocks.
Near the trailhead sign, a series of railroad tie stairs had been transformed into a sliding gravel rock ramp, which Jordan spent half the morning digging out with a shovel.
This was the only intact bridge on the trail.
Marc Warnke's goats and mine loaded up rocks from a mine tailing dump near one section of trail and hauled them a short distance to spot where the creek had burst its banks and was running down the trail itself. We rerouted the water from the creek and used the rock to rebuild a 40-foot section of trail that had become a muddy ditch. Since it wasn't far or steep, our goats hauled about 70 lbs. of rock per load. We also used cut branches to block off the alternate route people had created to avoid the muddy ditch.
After this, our crew used trees to build new water crossings where the previous bridges had been washed away. Since we built these new bridges at high water, there is hope that they will last for a few seasons. Our goats were not so sure about crossing these narrow log bridges, but Finn was the bold one and led the way. Sputnik doesn't like log bridges, but since he doesn't mind getting wet he plunged right into the creek and crossed without a fuss. Good boys!
I wish I had photos of our finished work, but once again I'm going to have to wait and see if anyone else posts. It was a really fun project and I think we did a really good job. The work was much-needed and much-appreciated by the BLM. And I have to hand it to Jim and Eric from the BLM. They worked with us that day to facilitate the project and really set us up to succeed.
After the work crew got back to camp, we had an equipment "show and tell" time where various equipment makers were able to show off their products. Marc Warnke and Matt Lyon showed off their prototype packsaddle system and new pannier design. Charlie Jennings is continuing the "tried and true" Wind River pack system designed and used by John Mionczynski. And Charlie Hackbarth of Sopris Unlimited demonstrated his unique soft tree saddle design. All told, it was a very informative session and there was a range of choices offered for different use cases and personal preferences.
Saturday night's campfire was exciting as Phil played auctioneer to sell off the last of the store items. Phil is often perceived as being shy, quiet, and somewhat serious so he really surprised people with his auctioneer style! There were so many generous donations this year that our crowd was running out of money, but they still opened their wallets and made sure every last item was bought. Some folks got some really nice deals, but everything sold for at least its reserve price.
After the auction, John Mionczynski told stories and relayed his experiences working with Bighorns in Wyoming. Folks sat up listening to him until around midnight. It was a very full day!