Last trip down the drive.

With heavy snow and possible rain predicted for Hope, I felt it was the last chance to get the canopy down before we had structural failure.  Didn't get to head north until 2 PM, so time was tight (or daylight anyway).
The subd roads were well-plowed, the only new tracks on the Alley were snowmachine.  The first thing I noticed was a big spruce down on the side of the Alley, off our northeast corner near the drainage culvert.
It's green and big.

  I noticed that Willie must have pushed the berm away from our drive, so I headed on down the hill with 4WD Subaru confidence.  The little car began drifting a bit on the way down, so I knew I was in trouble.  Got it turned around and tried the hill right away.  Not even close, way high-centered, nearly got stuck trying to back down.  Parked it and got busy getting the snow off the canopy; it was right at it's load limit.  Loaded every tool and rope and lawn chair and baby swing into the car, took the roof tarp off and folded it over the big trash can and a plastic tote in the middle of the standing canopy frame.  Noticed two more spruce tipped over; one just south of the canopy, one on the trail to the outhouse.  Luckily it won't hit the building.

That was a big, unusual wind storm we just had, but it's getting real hard to trust any of those tall spruce on the property.  It was dark before I got the hill shoveled off, then the car just barely made it out.  It was snowing heavy all the way back.

Link to Matt's online photo album

This should work:

Whiskers Holler https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/110741625355731730721/albums/5636086760282301105

Lots of snow

Sue and I took the truck to Hope with the plan to bring back some firewood. Surprisingly, it snowed all the way there, and there was a snow berm at the top of the driveway. Looked like about 10 inches of snow on the ground, more coming down, and it was warming up. We knew the canopy tent would need clearing; couldn't just turn and go home. While I began shoveling a spot to at least get the truck off the road, Sue went down to bump the inside of the canopy with the broom. She had to work pretty hard to get it to clear. I started working my way down the drive making a slot one shovel wide along the left side. At the bottom of the steep part, I went back up and made another slot for the other wheel. Before too damn long I was around the corner and to the parking spot. Made a slot for the truck to tuck in against the canopy, and then drove it down. We were committed at that point. With the newspaper, birchbark, and kindling we brought, we soon had a nice little fire going right on top of where the F-1 had been dumped. Sue tended the fire while I finally cleared enough to get that lame little fake 4WD turned around, and then we had lunch of weiners and pretzels and ginger beer. It was lightly drizzling so we had chairs under the end of the canopy; pretty cozy. I knew that the only way the Ranger would get back up the hill was with some weight in it. Thought about just loading some birch, but we always need dry wood at home, so I checked out the standing dead spruce behind the parking pit and decided to drop it. Waded back there with the saw and soon had the tree jammed up in the timber. Managed to get a number of lengths cut off it, and left the top still standing amidst the birch. By the time I had carried the chunks to the truck through the snow, I was whipped and it was nearly dark. We cleaned up, crossed our fingers, and I drove out in compound low without a hitch. Not the time to get stuck.

Will have to keep an eye on the Hope weather and try to track how much snow is falling. That canopy can only handle so much loading. May have to call Willie (227-4378) and have him plow the driveway if we can't stay on top of it (or just wait out the winter?).

Belugas in November

Cathy mentioned to Sue that Tom and Dylan were in Hope, and had time to come over and check out the view from the bluff at the cul-de-sac. When they got there, they found a pod of beluga whales right off shore, and got to watch them for awhile.

Hope to hear more about that. What would belugas be feeding on at this time of year?

Rachelle

Harold back, picked up a load of wood. Had a warm-up fire (no paper, tough go, finally used road flare for extended ignition), pulled the wood off the little hemlock alongside the pile by the canopy and tied the tree up straight, cut a dead leaner spruce off the north line and loaded it up. About two inches of dry snow, no trouble on the driveway. Met “Rachelle”, the older gal running the Dacha grocery, while getting weinie roast supplies. Very few tracks in the subdivision.

Final Row of Shingles

Harold stopped by on the way to an appointment in Anchorage, and brought a battery-powered saw to cut the top shingle rows. Thought about wire-brushing the ridge metal and spray painting it one of the bright colors, but it was a bit wet, time was tight, and it actually looks pretty cool the way it is, gives it a aged look, like barn wood. So, fit, cut, and installed the top shingle rows on each side, replaced the cap, threw everything inside the structure and raced to a 2PM appointment. Was only 4 minutes late, got the tendon anchor thread pulled out of right thumb, a couple more short stops, and then back to Hope. Stacked the remaining shingles in the shack (nice de-odorizers), straightened up, lashed Ben’s ladder to the roof rack, and got out just at dark once again. The gravel path towards the cabin site looks great. There is not much F-1 left, we will have to get more next year.

Cedar Shingles for the Outhouse

Another weekend of work in the Holler. Harold showed up on Friday evening (10/21) prepared to shingle the outhouse, but before too long realized that the glue and tape he had brought was not capable of holding the shingles in place as required. Also, he didn’t bring any food. So he headed to Anchorage for burgers and beer (and a hardware store run).

Saturday morning (10/22) Harold headed back to Hope and with better tools began kicking ass on shingles. “It’s actually a lot of fun!” he was later heard to say. Around 10:30 am Harold woke up a beer-bleary Matt with a phone call and suggested he come down and join the fun. A short time later Harold called Matt again with a supplemental hardware store shopping list. After waking up, getting sufficiently caffeinated, and making stops at three hardware stores, Matt had gathered all the needed equipment and realized that enough of the day had been lost so that Arran was nearly off of work and would be able to go to Hope as well. So Arran and Matt made plans to stay at the Gillespie cabin that evening (which necessitated more lost time, as overnight gear and groceries had to be gathered).

Finally (around 3 pm) Arran and Matt arrived at the Holler to find Harold, Darren, and Keri. Harold was almost done with the first roof panel worth of shingles. Within a few minutes, Nick showed up from Seward, and Nick and Matt got a fire going to burn brush. Nick, Matt, Arran, and Darren started hauling brush to the fire (which quickly became enormous). Only two or three brush piles are left from the driveway clearing effort! After Darren and Keri left for home, Nick started helping Harold with the shingles, Arran continued pulling downed logs loose brush out of the woods to feed the fire, and Matt starting cutting up some firewood for the Gillespie cabin (after learning how to/how not to use a chainsaw). As dusk approached, Matt brought a small truck load of firewood rounds to the cabin and dropped off Arran to start cooking dinner. Back at the Holler, he stoked the brush fire then helped Nick and Harold clean up in the pitch black, as the final shingles were placed. Nick and Harold then headed home.




The shingles look fantastic, especially with the painted ones thrown in; one side is fairly randomized while the other has a systematic progression. After placing the sheet metal cap along the crest of the roof, Harold realized that each side is going to need another half-row of shingles to look right. So close. Oh well, it won’t take long to finish up now.

In the morning (10/23) Matt went back to the property to check on the fire. After stirring the ash, he got the heat back and the fire going again then re-stacked the remaining logs. While waiting for it to burn down one more time, Matt placed gravel on the pathway to the yurt.

Outhouse Up!

Monday morning and reporting! Friday night and Saturday morning Harold and Nick put the finishing work into the outhouse, mainly putting in the actual seat structure. Then Harold and Nick, with some help from Jeanie, Sue and Joey, broke it down and got it onto the trailer for hauling to the property. Sue and Jeanie packed up food for the week-end and we headed out, arriving in Hope approximately 2:30 p.m. We had to clear a tree that had fallen across the driveway and then attempt to back the trailer down onto the lot. The backing down proved problematical due to the steepness and “dip” of the driveway and we had to wait for Matt and Arran to arrive for help in straightening out the truck/trailer for a second more successful attempt. Finally arriving in place everyone hustled back and forth hauling large panels and various pieces over the trail to the outhouse site. In order to level the outhouse securely, several loads of gravel had to be hand carried from the parking area and placed around the buried drum. Once the floor panel was in place, the rest of the panels came together relatively smoothly, and everything (except windows, doors, and trim) was assembled in plenty of time to head to the Gillespie’s cabin to make dinner (quinoa salad, salmon, and burgers).

After a relaxed start on Sunday morning (we didn’t get to the Holler until noon) everybody put in another solid day of work. The finishing touches (which take the most time) were put to the outhouse, and it is currently fully functional (all that remains are the cedar shingles). Jonas was the first customer. We started a large brush fire in the pit at the parking area and hauled and burned two huge piles of brush. Jeanie and Sue also assembled the white canopy shelter at the end of the parking area.

Last to leave, Sue and Harold ran into Robbie and talked about the finishing touches he would make to the driveway. He and his brother Willie were busily dumping F-1 gravel (two grades smaller than D-1; spec’ed for paths and tent sites in campgrounds)) and packing it down when we returned after a quick sandwich at the Discovery Cafe. They smoothed out the dip in the driveway hill and created a parking spot at the top. Harold took a couple pictures but we didn’t stay to see the end result. Robbie gave us the final bill, which is $3468.00 (works out to $1156 each partner). We put the check in the mail to him on Monday. They dumped a small pile of the gravel near the canopy for us to use on our paths. Robbie said if we need any more, we can go to the big pile at their property.


 

Outhouse loaded for transport!

Tricky trailer work.

Hauling outhouse panels through the woods!

Culvert Installed

Larry Harmon called from Hope, said he was standing on top of our newly installed culvert! Larry’s driveway is completely done, and he said that the 30’ culvert is not too long. He said ours has a fine-looking layer of D-1 over the culvert and the upper drive. The upper parking slot has not yet been covered with gravel, and apparently there is not yet any gravel added to the hill. 

Also, the first birch on the right (which had its roots chopped into a bit during the digging) has toppled in the wind and is blocking the drive. Our security system is in place! We will have to move a small hemlock into that spot and let it grow.

Loreto

Harold called Robbie and had a long chat.  It turns out Robbie and his wife have started a small vineyard near Loreto, Mexico, on the Baja, and they had to be there for the grape harvest!  He said their timing was off, but they had to come back anyway.  He said they have a lot to learn about making wine; they have made 60 gallon batches but have yet to get a tasty batch.  Robbie is still busy making sand in Portage (he said the excavator broke down there twice and he had to get an exchange), and could not yet make a promise on when he will get the culverts done.  He will get them fairly soon, spread D1 on the top landing, and add some fill to the steep spot on the hill.  He will leave the pit open for burning, and figure on filling there next year,  He said it’s likely to settle a bit by then anyway, and will take 3-4 loads of pit run, plus some D1 to cover.

Finished Digging the Outhouse Hole

We all met in the Holler, and finished digging the outhouse hole.  Nick, Matt, and Arran dug, and then back-filled the drum level with the ground,  while Sue, Jeanie and Jonas cleared more trails and branches (Harold supervised and stayed out of the way).  We got a fire going in the pit at the back of the parking lot and burned a lot of branches.  We are thinking of telling Robbie to leave that pit open until next year, so we can get a bunch of burning done.  When it was time to go, Nick loaded up the Ranger with birch to carry home.  Harold checked on Robbie down at Davidson’s store, and talked to Robbie’s son Drew, who seems like a real nice guy.  He said Robbie took a week-long trip to Mexico, and left his phone with Drew (that’s why we get no answer).   He is to be back on Monday, but has a sand contract in Portage that must be completed by 9/15.

Tendon Surgery

Harold had surgery to re-attach the tendon and nerves in his thumb.  It will be in a splint for about 6 weeks, so that right hand is seriously out of action.

Left a Message for Robbie

Left a phone message for Robbie; no call-back yet.

Stopped By on the Way to Cordova

Sue and Harold stopped by the Holler on the way to Whittier, to get to the Cordova Invitational small boat regatta.  Nothing has changed; neither Larry’s nor our culvert has been installed.  It looks like Larry’s driveway gravel is completed.

Tablesaw Incident

Harold gouged his right thumb in the tablesaw blade while cutting roof trim for the outhouse roof.  Dr. Abbott at the Seward Prov IR stitched him up and made contact with Dr. Jensen in Anchorage.  It looks like time for surgery.

Driveway Driveable!

Robbie called in the morning, said the driveway was ready to use.  We have to go...

Nick and Harold brewed the HOTK IPA and moved the kegerator into the shop while Sue, Jeanie and Jonas were in church.  Then we headed north in two rigs, with the fire ring in the truck.  Robbie was on Larry’s lot with the excavator, and he walked over just after we all drove down the driveway.  It’s pretty sweet; very solid and smooth.  The entrance needs fill, the culvert is not yet installed, and the top of the hill is still red soil.  There is a steep spot, but we all drove up and down just fine.  The back of the parking spot needs fill, probably 3-5 dump loads, and Robbie said his dumptruck can handle the hill ok.  He will also dump at least one load on the steep spot; he apologized because that will have to be “fines”.  Durn.  We stood the fire ring against a birch near the big bottom pile, and started the outhouse hole dig.  Once we got through the moss and roots and big rocks on the top, the digging got better.  Harold borrowed the steel pick bar from Larry’s place, and that works well for going straight down.  We got it dug down about 16”, with the hole about 4’ across.  Sue and Jeanie clipped branches and brush on the trails to the spot, and entertained Jonas.  After we had enough digging for one day, we loaded the spruce rounds into the truck and went to the Seaside for beer and sandwiches.

It was an excellent day in Hope!

Round trip gas for the truck with a wood load was $30.

Jonas' Birthday Party

It was pouring rain in Seward, and Hope, so we stayed home and had the birthday party at Mormor’s; Heather and Laif came over, the boys had a great time.  Apparently, Robbie was busy on our drive that day...

Our Driveway as an Advertisement

Talked to Robbie on the phone.  He hopes to get more done in a few days, if the rain lets up.  He said there will not be enough gravel from the pit area, and he will definitely have to haul loads in.  He said the steep part will still be rough, but he will make it passable, until we can afford more work.  That’s what we ordered.

He did say three things which were encouraging:  he will be done before Labor Day; he wants our driveway to be seen as an example of his work, as advertising for more driveways in the area; and he said that we will get a “good price”, which should help us speak well of his efforts.  Can’t argue with those concepts!

I told him we will be in Hope for Jonas’ birthday party tomorrow, which he thought was great, and that we might see him then.

Gravel Into Driveway

Larry Harmon called from Hope.  He said that our driveway has base gravel placed on it all the way up.  He said you could almost drive on it, but there are huge rocks and the steep spot is still pretty steep.  The excavator is parked near the top.  He was going to call Robbie later today, to see what he has planned.  Larry is pushing to have his driveway finished by Labor Day.

Larry also said that he will be taking his trailer up empty nearly every time he goes to Hope, to bring back firewood.  If we have something to take up (perhaps the outhouse panels), he would be glad to take them up.

Harold got the door sections hung today, and most of the door stops.  The hinges are on the left side.

Finishing up the Color Painting

Sue finished up all the color spraying, and the white on the louvers.  The rainbow shingles and louvers look great.  Harold got the louver screen frames done, and installed the window stops and trim for the rear louver.  The louvers and door will be removed for the move to Hope.  He also built up the lower section of the door, which is fir boards glued and screwed to a piece of ⅝” AWW ply, in the same pattern as above the door.  Nick suggested that the screen for the rear louver window be installed on the outside, in order to simplify access to the louver adjustment rod, and that will help a lot.  The screen on the door louver will be on the inside, which will work well and will let the beautiful colors show from the front of the unit.  Jonas was great and stayed out of trouble while Sue was busy painting and Harold was running the table saw.

Outhouse Trial Fit

Nick, Jeanie, Matt, Harold and Sue put in another week-end working on the outhouse.  The boys put Tyvek on the main panels, and painted white primer on the inside ply of the roof and lower wall panels.  They fitted all the spruce siding, using some creative patterns.  We used Tom Swann’s air nailer with 6d finish nails for the spruce siding, and that really made the attachment quick and easy. The building panels were screwed together for a “trial fit”; that went great and it is now sitting in our driveway with visqueen over it.  It looks pretty cool. The shutters still need a final coat of white but the colors are done and looking pretty good.  Eighteen shingles were pulled out of the shingle pile and have got the first side of primer on before the spray colors are added. Sue will try to get the shingle primer finished this week and Harold will do the last finishing touches on the outhouse.  Installation possibly Labor Day Week-end?  

Harold tried to call Robbie on Sunday, but did not connect with him.  Sunday night Harold called Larry to see what progress he had seen.  Larry said he spent Friday night in Hope and hand-dug his outhouse hole.  He said it was very difficult, with the large rocks just under the duff, and he made it worse by trying to make a narrow hole.  He intended to go down 4 feet, but stopped at 3 feet due to the difficulty.  He did not see Robbie and said it doesn’t look like he worked on the drives this weekend.

Robbie called about 10 PM, and said he had been gold mining all day, and it has been raining pretty hard.  He has things to do on Monday but may get back over to the job on Tuesday or Wednesday to dig and spread gravel.  He said his son has a very small rubber-tired tractor with a hoe attachment that might be useful for an outhouse hole excavation.  The machine is parked over at the Davidson gas station, if we want to take a look at it.

Checking on the Driveway

Matt stopped by the Holler on the way down to Seward and checked on the driveway progress.  It’s still looking pretty rough.  It looks like Robbie spent several hours with the clean-up bucket, and has done the final scrape down the drive, piled that muck down on top of where the first hole was dug.  He has moved most of the gravel from the first dig onto the lower part of the drive, filling in the depression just before the parking area and creating a roadbed up around the corner.  The excavator is setting there at the corner.

Progress

Cutting the Driveway!

Jeanie edited the Hope Expenses spreadsheet to show debits and credits; total in and total out. Previously the total at the bottom was only the sum of the money coming in.  Matt added $6,971.10 to Mom and Dad’s cash in column so that the total accurately represents the status of our bank account.

Harold took photos and videos today while Robbie cut the driveway in with the big excavator.  He had already mucked out Larry’s drive on lot 6 and piled the trees near the road.  He crawled it onto our property just after 9 AM, and twenty minutes later he already had it down to the parking lot area.  The machine easily pulls up the root masses and sets them aside.  Robbie scrapped the duff and muddy gravel off the top several feet of the lot and piled it over by our scrap piles.  He then piled the good gravel from below along the right side of the lot and dug the hole down about 15 feet.  When the hole was big enough, he put the pile from the top layer in the hole and packed it down.  He then dug further down on the south end of the hole and pulled more great gravel out.  He got down nearly 30 feet, and the best gravel came from the deepest part of the excavation.  Once he had dug all he could reach, he started pulling the debris and top dirt all the way down the driveway to the hole.  He made several passes bringing much down and placing it in the hole.  It was amazing how much muck would fit into that deep hole.  Finally Robbie said that he had done all he could do that day without the “clean-up” bucket which is wider and doesn’t have long teeth.  That bucket is being delivered to Portage today, and he will bring it over to continue the work.  He will also dig another pit to the right (west) of the first hole to get more good gravel and to have a place to bury the rest of the muck.  There is not enough muck to refill a hole big enough for all the gravel we need, so Robbie will have to bring in some gravel he has made up to grade the top of the drive.  Harold told Robbie that he will not be back until the weekend at the earliest, and to continue as he may.  Harold moved the two upper piles of birch back away from the driveway to keep them clear of the gravel that may well spill over into the trees a bit.

Our Gravel Pit

Not a Goat Farm

Robbie on the phone said there never was a goat farm on lot 1; the land was cleared for a field of some kind, and then the topsoil was removed, so nothing can grow there worth a darn.

He was going to move the excavator onto our lot late today, and Harold will be there by 8 AM for the beginning of the digging.  Expect photos and video; here we go !!

Brush Burnin'

Harold spent two days in Hope, missed the rain.

I cut all the stumps down to ground level, and piled them next to the other wood piles.  I also took out one more birch at the back of the parking/pit and cut up more of that big downed spruce back beyond the clearing.  I moved one brush pile that was on the side of the road, right where the driveway will start, and then decided that I had the time and perfect conditions (wet woods, not a breath of wind) for a fire.  Burned both piles up completely, finished that up about midnight.  Stayed in Gillespie’s, which was great, then in the morning I stirred up the fire again, loaded the truck with birch from the utility road and the cul-de-sac, and spent the rest of the day helping Larry Harmon unload the culverts and cut the trees off of his driveway slot.  Robbie and Willie stopped by as Larry and I were assembling the culvert sections at our place (had to go back to Tom’s to get some dishsoap for the rubber gasket, then rigged two rachet straps to pull the sections together).  Davidsons were on their way to Portage in a big work truck.  Robbie said the big excavator got to Hope on Saturday, but he would not have time to get it over to our place until likely Monday.  I asked him again to give me a call when he was going to start, and we talked about the job description again, so that it should be clear we want the foundation for a good drive, but not necessarily all the fill that may be needed, unless he can get it out of our pit.  The last thing I did before leaving was to go over to the Bear Creek culvert on the Hope road to get two buckets of water to cool the coals and ashes in the burn pile.

Left on the site:  the drum for the outhouse (top and bottom cut out, and perforated), four shovels, two picks, a post hole digger.  Already there:  the big rope, the cable with pulley, 4 gallons gas, bag of gloves, axe, nippers.

Larry and his wife spent Friday night in their new “tool shed”, which is a nice 8’ X 12’ insulated cabin with a woodstove and 4’ deck.  Larry and his crew built it in two days!  He has a iron digging bar we can use to help dig the outhouse pit.  Larry’s dog chased a big black bear down our way that night.  We had dinner and beers at the Seaview, it was not packed.  I talked to Jim and Pam Skogstad there for awhile.

Saturday I met two more neighbors, the Bantas from lot 1.  Joe and Cheryl?  Joe grew up in Cordova, and was David Hatch’s roommate at UAF in 1975.  Joe said he is clearing the little trees off their lot with a set of nippers!  When I said we have wondered why the trees are so young and small over by lot 1, they said they were told it is because there used to be a goat farm on that land.  Joe said the wells at the church and across the road went in about 80-90’; one is hard water, one is sweet.   Also, the unconfirmed report (from Willie) is that the well on lot 9 went to 140’; 65’ of gravel, then 60’ of clay, then enough water.  The Holsteins on lot 4 had a entrance cut onto their lot through the road bank, but no culvert or topping gravel yet.  Jim Skogstad did the earthwork for them, according to Joe Banta.

Survey Pin

Harold spoke with Paul Voeller at the Borough Lands office, regarding the property marker that we want to build the drive on top of.  Voeller was very nice, and said that marker would only be needed if/when the property was sold and an as-built survey was needed.  We would have to pay a surveyor to replace it.  He also said that we could let it be buried a foot or so, as long as we could find it.  I told him we had pulled two dimensions, and he was impressed with our accuracy.  We recorded 59’ 11” to the pin across Whiskers Alley; the correct dimension as per the design should be 60’ (one inch difference).  We recorded 28’ 9 ½” to our southeast property corner; Paul said it should be closer to 28’ 8 ½” (we did go over the brush pile).  He said it sounds like we know what we are doing, and that we could find it again.  He also said several times, “That’s a great lot.”  He will come see the driveway sometime.

We Own a Culvert

We are the proud owners of 30’ of black plastic culvert.  Cost:  $401.25 at Metco.  They did not even have steel 15” culvert in stock.  We are actually buying 3 pieces 20 feet long with Larry Harmon, and we will cut one in half.  They have a male and a female end, so no coupler.  Larry will trailer the pipe out on Friday.  Harold will be in Hope Friday morning as well, to get the stumps cut down.  Robbie may start the dig Friday, don’t know what time.

Harold also purchased two sheets of ply for the outhouse roof, and some screws and framing connectors.

Latest Outhouse Progress

Culverts

Larry Harmon called, said he will have Robbie build his driveway.  Larry had not heard about the need for a driveway permit, he’s reluctant to conform to the 30’ culvert requirement.  Larry said he is taking his trailer out to Hope again tomorrow, and offered to haul our culvert out there from Metco for us.  After he talked to Robbie, he asked for the Borough permit number, is starting that process.  Larry said he already has a 8’ X 16’ cabin with a 4’ deck dried-in on his lot!

Harold priced the culvert at Metco:  $400/20’; $40 for the coupler; $40 for end funnels if we want.  $720!  They have 14” X 20’ in black plastic for about $280, so maybe under $500 total.

Robbie said today that he should have the excavator on site by this Friday!!  I told him I wanted to be there at the first cut, he said he works better by himself, but he was mostly kidding.  I gotta get those stumps cut.  
I asked Robbie how many more driveway jobs I would have to line up for him before we got a free one; he laughed and said “a few more”.  HF

Robbie said there is a well-drilling rig in place over on Branden’s lot 9, so we should soon know what his drill depth turned out to be.  He doesn’t yet know what outfit is it, or where they are from.

Harold called Paul Voeller at the Borough ( 714-2212) regarding the survey pin; had to leave a message.

*later Larry said that 30’ of steel culvert and a coupler at Metco cost him $606.  If they charge us more, he will cover ours until we pay him.  He will take the culverts out on his trailer on Friday.

Note:  It’s raining heavily; there is a flood advisory in effect, thru Thursday.  Not the best weather to dig a road.

Fire Hall Water Well

Robbie called Harold, said that he had talked to someone at the Hope Fire Hall, which is just across the Hope Highway (and considerably upslope) from the subdivision.  He was told that the water well they had drilled at the Fire Hall went in 180 feet.

Harold stopped by Harmon Construction to talk to Larry about perhaps getting Robbie to put in his driveway on Lot 6.  As it turned out, Larry was in Hope with several of his carpenters, building a small cabin on his lot.  Larry did not answer his cell (491-0206); Harold left a message.

Just noticed tonight that lot 13 did indeed sell, for $58K.

Final Driveway Clearing

Harold, Sue, Nick, Jeanie, Jonas, Matt, and Aubrey spent about three and a half hours working on the property.  A woodpile in the parking area/gravel pit was moved and the rest of the trees in the parking area were cut down.  Another large birch on the side of the driveway was taken down at the recommendation of Robbie Davidson.  A location was selected for the outhouse.  Tom and Cathy stopped by for a bit; it was raining pretty hard by then.

Outhouse Design Contest

Nick's Winning Outhouse Design

A meeting of the shareholders was held in Seward in the morning.  Harold updated everybody on what he had heard from Robbie Davidson, and relayed Robbie’s cost estimate ($3K-$4k).  It was agreed that we should move forward this year with the driveway, and to hire Robbie to construct it.  All stakeholders also submitted and discussed outhouse design ideas.  Through a democratic selection process, Nick’s “whimsical” modified A-frame design was selected.  Nick, Matt, and Harold took a trip to Spenard Building Supply for materials.  Jeanie and Sue took on the project of painting a pair of louvers for the outhouse.  By the end of the day, the floor, front, and back panels were framed.  The rainbow louvers are a knock-out!

Outhouse Framed Up

Outhouse Back Panel

Meeting with the Davidsons

Harold met Robbie and Willie Davidson at the Holler (they built the subdivision roads for the Borough) and discussed getting them to put in the driveway.  We agreed that our planned parking area would be a perfect spot to make the gravel pit and bury the stumps and duff.  If/whenever the pit settles, we can have more fit added. Several (?) loads of fill will be needed to be brought in to build the hill grade as well.  Robbie also suggested that we come off the street at an angle, rather than at a right angle.  That plan would make better use of the topography, provide some more fill, and make the driveway easier to get into and out of, and better for backing a trailer down.  Unfortunately, it will mean destroying a property line point, a pin that simply locates a very small turn in the east property line.  Robbie suggested we call Paul Voeller at the Borough to discuss whether we can do that (Tom Gillespie said that the pin is ours to do with what we want).  Robbie can have the right excavator on site sometime next week.  He will rent it from Airport Machinery, and they will bring it down when they come to Hope to pick up another unit at the Porcupine Campground job.

Called Robbie Davidson

Sue and Harold stopped by the property to pick up the Moseman’s tent they left there last weekend, when Jonas wouldn’t settle again.  We got it all bagged up about 15 minutes before the first rain in weeks!
Larry Harmon walked over to visit while taking a break from collecting firewood on his lot 6, with a four-wheeler and trailer.  He said they have been busy building a house for their daughter in Girdwood, so haven’t gotten over to Hope as much as they want to.  Larry also said that he is still deciding the route for a driveway onto his property.

Harold called Robbie Davidson to talk about getting a driveway roughed in, and Robbie was very nice and supportive about creating a primitive road at the beginning and improving it later.  He would advocate digging a hole to bury the stumps onsite, and using some of the removed gravel for the road.  Robbie said that he just “turned in” an excavator last week, but he can easily get another, better-sized unit to work on the drive.  Harold said he will call Robbie later this week and set up a time for them to meet and try to make a plan.

There was no new activity noted in the subdivision; Brendan’s drive on lot 9 is still pretty rough, with little gravel and no culvert yet.  Holstein’s white van was parked at lot 4, but they have not made a road yet.

Driveway Permit Extension

Received email attachment, driveway permit now extended to 9/30/11.  When Harold called the Borough yesterday to request the extension, he also asked if they could re-set the “No Camping” sign in the cul-de-sac.  Cari at Jim Connor’s office was real good about it, said they will take a look and put it back.  If it was not a No Camping sign (as we’ve been told; never saw the sign), Cari said the request will initiate a “Sign Request”, for consideration.

Received Quit Claim Deed

Received the original Quit Claim Deed; it has been officially recorded in the Seward District: 314-Seward, on 5/17/11.  Harold locked it in the safe.

Firewood Trip

Nick and Harold drove up to get a load of firewood off the utility easement.  Made two trips up the hill, so as to not overload the Ranger on the climb.  Got some of that cluster cleared out in the back corner, there still remains a load or two there.  The trees and leaves look beautiful.  When we were loaded for the return, we went out to the bench for a bit.  The wind was from the north, first time for that.  It was real nice.  We cleaned up the firepit in the cul-de-sac again.  This time it was from the Rothenbergers; they camped there last weekend.

There was a small excavator (Mel’s) parked on lot 9 (Brendan’s), but no one was around.  It looks like they have hauled in gravel to cover nearly the entire loop drive he had cleared.  We noticed that there is no culvert in the road ditch; probably waiting until they are done hauling gravel, so as to not crush the pipe. (He still has not closed on the lot..)

We met Michael Holstein at lot 4; they are the folks with the small shed back in the trees.  Still no driveway.  He is a nice guy, grew up in Kodiak, is a massage therapist, his wife sells skin products.  He said they are usually down from Anchorage every Saturday, stay until Tuesday.  Michael said he really likes our driveway cut design, loves our lot, and thinks we got it for a great price.  He has a tent platform and wall tent, hopes to have a driveway and outhouse in this year (sound familiar?).  I think they will be fine neighbors.

There is a fine driveway in on lot 3; Michael said Mel put it in, and that the culvert came last, after the hauling.

"No Expert" on Estimating Fill Volume

Jay with Denali Dirt Works called, said he was down looking at the cut, and talking to neighbor Brendan.  His impression is that we have a very big hole to fill.  He said that he is “no expert” on estimating fill volume, but thinks that 50 truck loads would be a minimum!  He thinks we should try to contact everyone who is pulling stumps, and figure a way to dump them on our slope.  When there is enough fill, it can be covered with a “geotextile” fabric, and then several feet of topping gravel spread on top of that.  He has done this several times, and although you have to expect some settling, it generally works pretty well.  Jay said he just completed a road down to the ocean out at the last place before Porcupine campground, where he covered muck fill from the beach with fabric, then gravel, and he was able to drive dumptrucks on it.  I am skeptical, told him that, and he recommended that I talk it over with Tommy again, see what he thinks.  Jay also said that Brendan was shocked when he got the estimate for the work on the 700’ of driveway he has planned; and that his competitor Mel has just put a simple driveway into lot 3 today.

Denali Dirt Works

Harold called Denali Dirt Works in Sunrise, talked to Jay.  Jay said congratulations, he thinks lots 10 and 11 were the best of all.  He has a crawler excavator, a medium size dozer, and a dump truck.  He also runs a rafting outfit, so he’s a busy guy.  He was glad to be invited to go down and check out our cut in the next day or so, and see what he thinks it will take to make it passable.  I told him that we were working out of pocket, had no hard schedule (the driveway permit may have to be extended), and also told him that if Metco can get a hoe to Hope we will be using them.  He said we should call and let him know when we will next be up there, and he will try to meet us to talk over a plan.  Cell:  441-7333.  Home:  277-7238.  This is the guy that Brendan said was highly recommended.

We bought a huge bear-proof garbage can from some folks for $50, and put a padlock hasp on it; it should be a pretty secure and portable storage box on site, maybe even fairly dry.

First Payment

Made the first payment; Harold got $423 cash from WF, carried it over to FNBA.  We also mailed in the paperwork for the automatic withdrawal/payment from now on.

Talked to Tommy on the phone, and their Hope job has fallen through.  The guy there got a sweet deal from the construction outfit he works for in Anchorage; they brought trucks to Seward, bought the sand and rock they needed, and will get their own excavator.  Tom said that Dave Dickgraef said that if several more driveway jobs come on line, they could still take the excavator up for several days (for  Larry’s and ours, plus?), we would have to split the mobilization costs.  Harold gave him Brendan  Maguire’s number, Tommy will call him and see if he will get on board.   Maybe we should contact the  Dr. from lot #12? Tommy also said that when he went over to walk our cut on Monday, there was a dump truck and some other equipment spread out at the end of the cul-de-sac, with an ad on it advertising dirt work, at $100/hr.  

He also said that their cabin is always open and available for overnight stays any time they are not there.  Wood heat, beds, cookstove available; just call Gillespies prior, to see what’s planned.

First Night Camping on Property

We all met at midday Saturday and  set up tents  on the property.  We then cut the remaining flagged driveway trees down to bottom.  We planned and flagged a parking area which should fit three rigs, then flagged a narrow walkway into a building site, an approximate 40’circle for yurt clearing. It sounds like we are in favor of cutting the trees in the circle spot, but leaving the moss and ground cover for now.  

Harold met Brendan MaGuire and his dad Dennis on lot #9.  Brendan (229-9232) works 2 on/2 off on the slope, is renting a cabin in Hope, his wife is an artist, they have a shelter on lot #9 and trees cut for a loop driveway. He has been in contact with the excavator guy from Sunrise, said that guy charges $100/hr.  Brendan is thinking about picking a spot on site to dig a pit for his driveway gravel, and then have all his stumps and debris piled in the hole and buried.  

We all met Kristen from lot #12, she was very nice, visited a while and walked down our driveway cut to take a look.  She has a cabin in Hope, and said she will not be developing #12 for some time.  She said the owner of lot #10 is a doctor (gastroenterologist) from Anchorage.  Kristen told us about Willie Davidson who runs dump trucks and lives at the “Fuck You Dump” mess near the Discovery Cafe.  Matt and Harold met Willie’s brother Robbie Davidson at Pioneer Liquor; he was very helpful and ready to bring gravel at $10/yard; said we should expect to hit the best gravel base about 2’ down (he and his outfit A&G built the subdivision roads and do the snowplowing).  

We set up a dinner site on the utility easement, and Jeanie and Nick created a great supper of grilled pizza.  Harold drove his truck down there for the night, and then drove out with a small load of seasoned birch cutoffs.  

That evening, Matt, Sue and Harold went down to the Seaside for beers and enjoyed the live music.  Jonas never would settle, so the Mosemans drove home to sleep; Nick came back in the morning to help out and pack up.  It was a great weekend, and the driveway cut is impressive!

This tear-off slip was on an ad in the Discovery Cafe:  “Equipment for Hire   782-3268 / 244-1604”     This is Mel.