The possible large labor force to shovel off the gravel didn’t pan out due to scheduling difficulties, so we went out after lunch to do it ourselves. We = Michael Donovan, Scott Oyagak, Courtney Hammond (all from BASC) and me. Mike rode out on an ATV, and the rest of us rode in style in Scott’s truck. It was a beautiful day, perfect for shoveling.
We used flat shovels to uncover the blue tarp and driftwood that had been buried to try to protect the structure (remember, we didn’t know if we would get funding to do this) and then to get about another foot (30 cm) of gravel off the surface we want to get to. The surface had been covered with trash bags to protect it, and we didn’t quite go down to that level, although they could be seen.
Then we set up the windbreak. It is long enough to shield the entire area we want to work in, and has small wings on either end, so it should be good for a variety of wind directions. We added a couple of supports to the front, so it should be OK unless we get a huge storm, which it doesn’t look like we will for a couple of days, if the NWS isn’t lying. We may need to add props to the ocean side on Friday, though.
Tomorrow four of us will head out to start the actual excavation.
Out of Ice and Time 