Poetry — No definition of poetry is adequate unless it be poetry itself. ... You might as well think to go in pursuit of the rainbow, and embrace it on the next hill, as to embrace the whole of poetry even in thought.
January 26, 1840
Friends — They are like air bubbles on water, hastening to flow together.
January 6, 1840
Henry David Thoreau - Journal
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| Crepuscular rays in sprinkler spray at a park in France., photo Georges Noblet |
Surprise, surprise ... the workers are on the summit this morning!! My thought was that progress must be behind schedule ... and I was correct in my thinking. I spoke to one of the workers before they became seriously engaged with the work of the day, and he confirmed my thought. He also said they want to get the cab and the observation deck completed by the end of the month, but even that is a stretch. Bad weather and shorter periods of daylight are slowing progress. This morning we faced a beautiful sunrise and a perfectly clear sky. While windy and quite chilly, especially high up on the tower platform where they are now concentrating their efforts, we might say "cold." The temperature this morning at 7am was in the high 40's.
A few weeks ago, I reported that a park ranger said they wanted to get the road open for Columbus Day. Well ... that time is now and they have met their goal. The road is open today - it may have been open earlier this week. Mission Accomplished.
I also learned that the crane was how the box was placed inside the Base envelope. So, while I thought a helicopter might have been utilized, it appears that it is not the case.
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| Cone at Up-Summit Road on approach on Mt. House Trail |
I knew the road would be open today as I spied a red cone at the crosswalk on Mt. House Trail and Up Summit Road. The cone was placed as a warning for motorists to watch for pedestrians. With no motorized traffic, it has not been necessary for several months; now it would serve as a warning as cars, trucks and motorcycles reached the top.
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| Crosswalk Cones on Mt. House Trail |
There are also present, some 4 x 4s; evidently a sign of some type is going to be placed. They have been there for a couple of weeks now.
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| The Cab Gets a Roof |
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The gate was open so I took a few steps inside to get a bit closer, but not so much as to extract a call from the workers. Soon enough, we will all be allowed inside.
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| Joists for the Cupola go into Place. |
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| Preparing for the Work Day |
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Notice the sky showing through the interior of the base ... still no roof!
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| Gassing up the Crane |
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| Cage of the crane |
I did notice that all workers who were sent to the top, were fit with safety harnesses and observation told me that they made sure that they were safely clipped on before the lift went into the air. One can also notice the presence of hard hats and plenty of cold weather wear. As I mentioned above, it is cold up there on top with the wind blowing.
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| Preparing for Lift-Off |
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| Crane Fully Extended to the Top |
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| Cage at the Top Depositing Lumber |
From this picture, looking up, the deck of the cab appears to be of plywood while the roof appears to be of the planks. I still don't know where all that Brazilian and Baltimore teak went! ???
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| Detail of Cab Flooring |
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| Lumber Transfer |
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| Cupola Construction |
High above the ground, work continues on the cab. It appears as if it will be a
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| Crane Extended to the "Summit" |
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| Lift in Operation |
Assuming that the workers in the cage are about 6' tall, I estimate that the tower will be about 55 - 60' high and sit at
Latitude: 42-29-20, Longitude: 72-53-12 The present tower is 68' high and sits at
Latitude: 42-29-20, Longitude: 72-53-14. The top room of the Summit House Hotel was used as a fire watch tower; it was approximately 50' high. The Summit House rested approximately 15 yards north of the new tower. It was at
Latitude: 42-29-22, Longitude: 72-53-12.
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| The Old NW Corner ... No Change |
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| Western Wall |
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| NW Wall with Old Glory |
Signage has been placed for this weekend, now that visitors are allowed. One sign was a welcoming sign indicating that the road is open only on weekends; another indicated that entry inside the fence would be considered Trespassing.
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| North Facing Wall |
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| Lumber Yard - Plywood |
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| Eastern Wall |
Crane Lifting Workers to the Cab
And so, the work continues. We will see if they make the end of the month schedule. Come visit next week and see the continued progress.
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