Glacier Trip-A-Go-Go Part 2

...continued from Part 1 (duh.)

Day 4

The first day of trail work began with some delicious oatmeal and raisin cinnamon toast. Following that was a two mile hike with heavy tools (pulaskis, pickmatix-s, rock bars, chain saw, etc.) to our work site. While there we smoothed out a creek crossing, and created a Check Dam which consists of burrying a log in a steep section of trail and then back-filling with dirt. This, I learned, reduces the amount of sediment moving down the trail as hikers and animals use it. Trees are heavy I realized, and dirt/rock is no joke to move. We completed most of the work there while others created a rip-rap retaining wall, more check dams, and a "turnpike" which is basically a wooden and dirt bridge over a Spring. Its amazing how much a motivated group can accomplish. When we returned I took another quick dip in the stream and finished the day off with some boxed wine and declicious noodles. Cheers to Montana. Oh, and I have blisters, weee.

Day 5

My biceps are killing me. Spent most of the day shuttling large boulders from the creek to a stream crossing. All in all moving about two tons of rock combined with the other team members. Hopefully the work we did to secure a bridge will hold with the next Spring thaw. Got very muddy today and took most of the afternoon washing the mud out of my clothes back at the creek. Lots of casualties today as well for some reason -> 1 cut to the hand of a guide by the chainsaw ( he immediately hiked out to get 11 stitches we later found out), close call to the head with a pulaski for one team member, and very tired arms and legs of everyone else. Going to bed early tonight (8:40pm). P.S. It rained all last night and I'm still drying out!

Day 6

New work site today to work on a washed out section of trail along Nyack Creek. Moved some BIG rocks to form a low side border to frame the trail in. View from our site was inspiring. Looked farther up the valley with an amazing 8,000ft high bowl that was just picture perfect. Cooked dinner for everyone and made salad, garlic bread, soup, and spaghetti. Everyone has lots of compliments for it. I was apparently caught snoring last night, who knew? I had some awful dreams, and slept terribly in general so lets see of tonight is any better.




Good Song: Snow Patrol - Warmer Climate