Trip Date: October 1, 2020
Find this SpotI have been going up to the property just about every other week for most of the summer. This has been an epic year and we have stayed on schedule with getting the trailer up on top, getting the cover built over it, adding the decks on both sides of the kitchen and the stairs leading up to it from the path. We also have built the cabin, with the exception of the windows and the door. So it was definitely time for a relaxing time up there, or so some people thought.
The kids came up for a birthday weekend in July and I got one day of work out of them in exchange for one day of fun. Our work day consisted of shingling the West side of the shitter and painting the trailer. We had a ball adding some art work and designs to make it fun and interesting. Our fun day was spent up at Mill Creek. We had a great picnic in the Mill Creek campground, then hiked up to Falls, and then on up to Clear Lake. We swam out to a log and hung out in the water for a while, cooling down on a great summer day. We had 2 great nights and dinners at camp, with fantastic stars and music and laughter. They were great days.
This trip, I had wanted to get the Boys up so I had to advertise the event as “work free”. I am not sure how many people believed the billing, myself included, but it seemed to work, as we had 8 guys come. It was a blast to have so much energy, activity, sound, and mischief up on the Hill. I was stoked to have such a turn out and happy to share the property and all our progress with everyone. There was much anticipation.
With all the nonsense Trump and his shit show stirs up, the horrible toll of the Corona Virus, the immense destruction and smoke filled skies from the 4,000,000 acres burned in local forest fires, the racial violence, and the general concern about the election and the future of our post-Trump country, had us all unnerved a bit. It was definitely time to get away.
Vince talked to me a couple months back about getting up to the property so we put the date on the calendar. As the date approached, we gathered much interest; at one point we could have had 10 guys up there. By the time we were a couple days out and I sent a reminder we were down to possibly 9, but a great crew nonetheless.
Steve came up with me as we stopped in Red Bluff at the Tractor Supply to pick up our first 1100 gallon water tank. The forklift lady loaded it into the bed on its side as we had asked, but this turned out to be problematic. The tank is 87”x53” so it rose high above the cab in an irregular orb. We had to stop 6 or 8 times to re-strap the tank, tighten the ratchets, or reroute things entirely. We never lost it onto the highway, but she traveled all over the bed, side to side and front to back.
It had already been a big day as we glided to a stop on Highway 36 East of Chester at the ongoing and increasingly long construction site. After checking the load we were settling in for our “30 minute wait” when the sign lady came up to casually mention that it would be at least an hour as they were blasting. Too tired to raise a fuss, Steve inquired about a detour, and sure enough there was a reasonable option. We pulled out of line and turned around, just as a few others had done when we made fun of them. Heading back a couple miles to Westwood, we headed North on county Road A21 about 18 miles to Highway 44, then came back South on 44 to just a few miles West of Susanville.
The truck was extra thirsty this trip, so we got gas again in town before heading out 139. With the stop in Red Bluff, gas stops, load maintenance stops, Steve falling out of the truck, and the detour, it took us almost 8 hours to get up to the property. It was awesome to come up the hill and see 4 rigs up there already and be greeted by Mike, Tom, Bill, and Kevin as opposed to me almost always being the first up. It was awesome to see the guys and have such a great sense of being together in addition to the relief of finally making it up top with our load in place. It was also great to just be able to open the trailer door and throw my bedding and clothes inside and be done. Steve set up in the cabin and we were ready to unload and get into a better space.
The boys had kicked up some beverages and Kevin got the BBQ going. We were grubbing on Steve’s seafood pasta and pie in no time. This first night was the Harvest Moon, so it was massive, orange until it gained elevation from the horizon, and bright as hell once it got up in the sky. There were still some stars visible, but just the main constellations and the brightest of planets. The tunes were great, and of course the conversation, but I was off to bed early. Stupid moon.
I have to admit sleeping in the trailer is pretty sweet, even if it is sleeping in a trailer. Some of the boys don’t typically sleep well and/or get up at the crack of dawn on our trips, so some were already stirring well before I got out of the rack about sunrise. We had a small morning fire and plenty of coffee to ward of the early chill. Despite my prior suggestion of it not being a work trip, I knew I had to get a couple things done to prepare for Bob the following week, and I certainly hoped the boys would pitch in.
Kevin, by far being the smartest of the crew, immediately headed out for a bike ride, so I was instantly down one laborer. I grabbed my pry bar and started pecking at some of the rocks on the trails that still poked up quite a bit. In no time Bill had his hefty rod in hand and was thrusting it violently into the ground. Mike quickly followed. Having them attending to stone removal, I started filling up the wheeled barrow to haul the dirt over to smooth out the trails. After only a bit of hinting, Steve and Tom figured it out. Soon I was on a lengthy coffee break, enjoying the fruits of the crews labor.
It was awesome to have everyone chip in and it didn’t take long to have made huge improvements in the trail and use up just about all the soil; all of it that was in the way of the water tower construction anyway. We could have finished off the pile and moved on up to less used sections of the trail system, but I didn’t mind keeping some dirt, and we had done plenty to enjoy a lunch break and beverage for hydration.
I was feeling great about the day, and the boys didn’t complain enough, so I figured another fun activity would be boulder transport. In this activity, you wrap a boulder in chains the best you can, attach one end of the chain to the truck, and drive off as fast as you can to pull the boulder along with you. Even when the chain fails, you might get another roll or two out of the momentum of the truck. It is great sport. Bill, and of course, Steve were quite involved in this activity and eventually we had moved one boulder to approximately the spot we wanted it.
Taking a moment to enjoy our victory, Mike and Tom came down to sit in the shade of the trailer to spectate upon our next boulder roll, and of course provide their opinions and advise. It was great fun trying to wrap the chain around the boulder each time in hopes that it wraps tight to secure the load, but alas, it never did. We had longer pulls and shorter pulls, each person taking a turn at applying the chain to the stone. Finally, Bill used not only the heavy chain, but also the choker cable to wrap the stone, leaving only a short length to attach to the truck. That seemed to be the winner as the boulder stayed encased right up to the spot we wanted it. There was great rejoicing.
After a nice break in the shade of the trailer, and with Kevin back to provide even more advice and commentary, I successfully suggested we engage in the final activity of the day, the massive boulder relocation. This was a huge boulder the RV cover guys and I dislodged out of the earth when they erected the cover. It had a cool concave top side with a slight depression enough to hold water or melted snow when the time came. I wanted to use the huge stone to weigh down the RV cover on that all-important NW corner, but also to incorporate it in the deck building and hopefully catch and hold some water.
This was going to be a little tricky because it had to be moved back over the base of the RV cover and we couldn’t get the truck behind it to pull it. It wasn’t going to be pulled into place, it had to be positioned by hand, but the boys desperately wanted this activity badge, so off we went. We got the truck in place and lifted the front end off the ground. The boys filled the hole with smaller rock and gathered a load of soil. After much pry bar work, and back and forth and using wood to slide it into place, and removing the wood and leveling front to back and side to side and much input and scratching from everyone involved and less involved, it finally found its spot. All were satisfied.
To ensure the badges were completely warranted, Steve got a pot of water and poured it into the depression. Like a late stage meadow evolving into the deep Piney woods, it held a small pool of standing water. I hope someday we will see a little birdy get a drink from it, but for now, we were much pleased with our work. Trails much improved and three boulders moved into place. It was time to celebrate.
As the boys would have it, we were sitting in the shade admiring our success alongside an ice chest containing 2 bottles of Tom’s handmade Margarita’s. Springing into action, we had cups and ice and a round of most excellent beverages. The second round and perhaps a third for some, emptied the 2 bottles to our chagrin. It was shower time for some and dinner prep for others whom professed to only have one eye on the showerers.
At approximately the height of nudity, Ken and Vinny arrived, no coincidence I am sure. It was great to have them, the crew now being complete, as Kier and Reino would not make the trip. They found tent spots and unloaded and got set up, and quickly found their groove.
Tunes, Kevin at the fire, Steve at the stove, dinner was quickly on its way. I had a precooked tri-tip, Mike had one to BBQ. Steve had an outrageous Mexican stew and I stirred up some zucchs and onion, which were eventually cast in with the stew. It was amazing. These guys had all caravanned up from Auburn and had taken the opportunity to stop at a bakery for pies. The last thing I remember of the night, with many prior holes in the evening (and some of the afternoon apparently), was heating up pie in a water bath and plastering my pie hole with much zeal. Sleep was good.
The boys had wanted to head up into the Modoc to explore, so I was glad to have some time to putz about the place. I was able to secure the gutter on the cabin, seal some ill-advised screws on the ridge cap, fill the ends of the ridge cap, complete the drain line for the shitter sink, and splash some bleach in the shitter water tank to freshen it up. All the little tasks went really smoothly and easily, so I had some motivation left for the big job, one I wanted to play with, but that may not be worth the effort in the long run.
Our biggest job left on the schedule for the year is to build an elevated platform for the kitchen water tank. It will be more than 6’ off the ground and hold some 9000 pounds when the tank is full, so it is an exciting project. With lots of input over the weeks, we decided where to place it and I started to place the most sound railroad ties into place. The upper/North side is up against the Western Addition deck of the kitchen and only about 4’ above the ground.
Of course, where most of the posts need to sit is littered with pointy rock, so some amount of improved stabilization will be needed, in addition to final exact placement, but for the most part they are where they need to be. I was able to get 8 of the 9 posts upright, connected with 2×6 bracing on all sides. It is already very stout, so I am confident once we get them settled into their exact locations and beef up bracing, solidify the top, and keep it level, she will be worthy.
I was working on the last 8’ post when the boys returned from their adventure. I was exhausted and filthy, so the timing was perfect to call it good and hear the tall tales of the day. I took a great warm shower off the back of the trailer which has become my “go-to” spot. After a beverage or several, cleaning up, and a change of clothes, I felt like the next concubine at Bukkake Way. Tommy was in a Manhattan way and, before I could straighten out all my gray curlies, he and Kenny were dragging the bar to the lower terrace. Soon the band was complete and a huge “hurrah” went up to the god’s for all that we are grateful for.
The dry air of the Western side of the Great Basin seems to make liquids disappear faster than in other regions, so the bar was soon closed and packed back to the kitchen where Vinny already had our vittles ready. He had cooked a delicious brisket with taters and carrots. The boys vied for the reheating of Steve’s Mexican stew from the night before and all was devoured in great haste. Tommy acquiesced to his DJ roll and somehow “Big Hair Bands of the 80’s” became the theme. I went to sleep with Boy George dancing in my head.
Sleep again was outstanding, and the early morning cool and calm. Coffee and stoolage got the boys moving about and soon they were rolling down the hill. I had given some thought to doing a few odds and ends before heading down the Hill, but I just wasn’t feeling it. By the time I picked up and organized, I was ready for a beverage. Fortunately, Billy was taking his time packing up so he joined me on the deck for a sweet respite, beverage, and conversation. It was a perfect ending to an awesome weekend.
With his departure, I finished packing, cleaned up, changed, and took a few minutes to soak in all the positive energy the boys brought up the Hill. I could still feel the laughter and fooling around, smell the cooking, and hear the voices. I took note of all we had accomplished and felt gratitude for all their help. I felt good about where we left things and our preparation for Bob’s arrival in a couple weeks to “dry in” the cabin. I was excited for Mike to see all our progress and feel good about what we had accomplished and a sense of being ready for winter.
What a trip it’s been.
One for the Ages, Hart Hill Photo Gallery
