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Week of October 13

On October 13, a big track hoe, dozer, and two scrapers joined a logger and two tree movers in the “moundumental” task of reshaping Camp’s footprint for the future. The old brick house was the first to go, followed by other sheds and a number of trees in the designated RV park. Soon thereafter the scrapers attacked the 13-acre corn field and nearly 60,000 cubic yards of dirt that will be moved around the site, including 10,000+ yards that will be hauled down to the lower basin. With goals of completing the major work by October 31 (start of Quilt Season!) and seeding by Thanksgiving, the pace will be wild.

Rain, rain, rain! causes a slow start to the big project.

Facilities Manager Phil Gerth and crew attempt (unsuccessfully :-( ) to move & save the "little green shed." Would have been a great place to store those snow tubes!

The old brick house comes down. As soon as funding becomes available, the first of three duplex housing units will be built in this area.

The last bits of the old brick farmhouse are cleaned up.

Local contractor Geise Excavating (Freeport, MN) begins scraping and stockpiling topsoil from the new ballfield area. Over 60,000 cubic yards of earth will be moved in the project.

The process of transplanting over 100 spruce trees begins.

Project manager Tom Klemenhagen (left) of LandTeam Inc (Alexandria, MN) reviews the grading plan with contractor Gary Geise (center) and Eric Heipel, Camp's Director of Operations.

We've made friends with "Woodtick Gary" from Baum's Logging (Burtrum, MN), who has put in many hours with chainsaw and skidder to clear out the trees in the new RV area. In addition, Gary will selectively thin the remaining pine and spruce plantations according to DNR Forestry recommendations, resulting in a healthier forest ecosystem in the long-term.