Life at 6,412 Feet

Hello!

     It's been a good week and I've gotten to do a lot of fun things in the Colorado Springs area. Last weekend I explored Manitou Springs, the town where I technically live, and Old Colorado City, a similar town whose business district is actually a closer walk from my house.  They are both really cute, and full of unique local businesses. 

I have to search for the best ice cream wherever I go... I am my father's daughter.  Colorado Creamery was delicious, though a little pricey.  I loved their Red Velvet.  Even better than Colorado Creamery was Josh & John's, whose main store is in downtown Colorado Springs but their ice cream is also served at Pike's Peak Chocolate and Ice Cream in Manitou Springs.  I am addicted to their Oatmeal Cookie!

     Last weekend Fire 6 and I also hiked the Manitou Incline.  The Incline is a popular, rigorous trail made up of the remains of a former incline railway.  It is very steep!  In less than a mile, you gain more than 2,000 feet of elevation. It is right next to our worksite on Barr Trail... many hikers actually will hike up the Incline and down Barr.  That is why the first 2,000 feet of Barr is our priority... it gets twice the wear!  Two other teams from my unit that have nearby projects came to do it with us.  We were all so tired and sore when we finished, but it was fun and had great views at the top.  The only downside was slipping and catching myself on a cactus on my way down.  I still have a few needles in my hand!  Haha.  I guess it was my official Wild West initiation. 

All of us before we started.  You can see the trail in the background!

          Work went well this week.  I feel I'm really getting into the swing of things, and can do more without asking a supervisor to double check me.  Nine hours a day of physical work is starting to wear on me, but I know I'm getting a lot stronger.  And the trail is looking nice!  We get constant encouragement from hikers and runners passing by, complimenting our work and thanking us for our time.  That really means a lot.

Here's an example of a section of steps that needed replacing.  They are steep and not very stable.  Can you see how the soil beneath them is eroding away?

We're replacing them with nice, new 6x6 pine timbers.  They're very heavy, but luckily there's a military base in CO Springs, and some Air Force cadets who needed community service hours helped carry a lot of them up.

My least favorite part of step construction is pounding in rebar.  That's the metal pole on the left... it's 2 feet long and a half inch wide, and has to be pounded through 6 inch timbers.  For that, I use the double jack sledge.  We have a love/hate relationship. (Those tools are lying on a new step.  See how pretty and level it is?)

The hard work feels worth it, especially when this is the view from my worksite.  Love all those pine trees.

     Now it's the weekend again.  I've done a little resting, and today I went downtown Colorado Springs for the first time.  It was nice, but I prefer Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs.  There's just more to do and a nicer vibe. 

And a French bakery with homemade eclairs.  Trump card!

     Hope you're all doing well.  Heard the weather in Michigan is terrible right now!  Hopefully spring will turn up soon.  And hopefully it will get consistently warmer here, too!  Only one more week until I'm living in a tent.  Bye for now!