5/26/12 - Antenna Work Continues

Talk of mysteries! — Think of our life in nature, — daily to be shown matter, to come in contact with it, — rocks, trees, wind on our cheeks! The solid earth! the actual world! the common sense! Contact! Contact! Who are we? where are we?

Henry David Thoreau - The Maine Woods, Ktaadn, Pt. 6 (1848)
 

Today was supposed to be the first day of opening the Summit to the "driving" public!  And I suppose it will happen.  And the site perimeter fence was also supposed to be down, and it was hoped that the old tower would now be down!  Well, I guess 1 for 3 is not a bad average ... at least in baseball!  

Perimeter Fence Still Stands

I hadn't visited since May 5th as there really wasn't much to see from week to week - remaining work tended to be focused on the transfer of the antennas and making the electrical hook-ups.  Today, I found pretty much the same, although I can see that progress is being made.

Unfortunately, once again, the summit is bathed in a thick early morning blanket of fog.  But, I could see enough to make a determination as to some of the progress.

The first thing I noticed was that the silver crow's nest was gone ... and now rests high above us on top of the tower cab.  Through the fog, I could barely see it, but it's there.  And I noticed antennas set on the roof of the cab as well.

Also in evidence, as I walked about the site, is the fact that some landscaping has been ongoing now that spring is here.  The old summit parking lot appears to be covered with a layer of dirt and the NW slope from the tower to the Radio Relay Shack has been smoothed with a new layer of dirt and seeded.

West Side Landscape - new grass

West Side Landscaping Newly Seeded

And the steel beam is no longer in front of the ramp ... it now rests against the perimeter fence!

As I walked the perimeter, I noticed the South side door to the bunker was banging open and closed as the wind blew ... I guess they didn't lock it when they left work yesterday.  

Open Door - South Wall

I also noticed a gap in the fence - back when the fence came down in the winter, they really never closed it off with a tight wire seal.  It has, over the past weeks, loosened itself.  Now, I found it just big enough for me to squeeze through.  And I did.  

While inside the fence, with the purpose of closing the door to the bunker, I thought I would peek inside and see what has changed since my last visit.

Dual Air Conditioners - West Side

 It was a real foggy day the last time I was in here also!

Overhead Wiring - Open Grating

Same as Above - with Flash

 Looking up through the deck grating to the tower N Side from inside the Base structure.

Looking UP to the Tower From Inside Bunker

Bunker on Left; SE Support Beam

On 12/23/11, the space was empty except for the bunker which was also empty.  Now it appears as if the air conditioning units are installed.  I heard no sound, but they still may be connected.  Otherwise, it looked as before.

I left and pushed some stones against the outside of the door.

"Locked" Doors

And of course, the usual were viewed - no changes of course.  Just to show that the old tower still stands, we took a shot of that through the fog as well.

New and Old Towers

 It really is still there!

NE Corner

Antenna Detail

 Here you can see that they really are making progress on the wiring of the antennas.  From inside the bunker, as well as on the antenna supports and down the support beams, connections are being made.

West Wall

 I am beginning to wonder if that plywood is a permanent part of the structure!  One other thing about this view ... there has always been an orange extension cord running from the old tower bunker supplying power to the new.  It is now gone so the new site must be living on power from it's own generators at the base of the summit ... see below.

Rocks to the Power Generator - West Side

SE Corner with Power Lift

The lift was probably used to raise and place the crow's nest on the roof of the cab.

So now what are we looking at?  I predict a July 4th final completion, occupancy of the new tower, and dismantling and removal of the old tower.  These things just don't happen over-night.  

And so I departed this morning, hoping to return soon to a sunny day with better viewing.