GCHBA spring project - day 1

---

This morning we crawled out of our sleeping bags and were very happy to find that we weren’t the worse for wear.

Originally, the purpose of this project was to clear vegetation from the lower part of the Old Bright Angel Trail which is an old route to the North Rim. However, at the last minute, it was decided that because of its historic significance, it would have to be checked out by park historians first.

Therefore, we needed to do something else… and that turned out to be some general maintenance around the Roaring Springs residence on the first work day. Our crew now consisted of the six of us who had hiked down on Monday morning, the leader who had hiked in from the South Rim, another member who had hiked in from the North Rim in the afternoon, plus a park maintenance person.

Some of the things we accomplished on the first work day:

trimmed vines over the porch
trimmed dead and overhanging tree branches
removed leaf litter around residence and flower beds
trimmed windbreak hedge around helipad
repaired lawn swing
cleaned and defrosted the refrigerators and freezer
washed some of the windows
repaired some of the window screens
cleaned and straightened up storage shed
stored mattresses under helipad
picked up trash in the general area of the residence
adjusted toilet flapper valve linkage in public toilet
reattached the metal roof on the fire hose shelter
repaired rock stairway leading to the creek

We also put electrolyte-laced lemonade out for the hikers passing by. This tradition was started by the pump station operator and his family, and it is always a big hit with the hot and tired folks who stop by to refill their water bottles and sit awhile in the shade of the trees.

Once again Pat fed us well. We started out with a big breakfast, enjoyed fresh-baked cookies on our breaks, and this night we dined on pot roast with carrots and potatoes plus green beans and salad. We were also treated to some wine by the project leader who is quite the connoisseur.

And again, we slept out on the porch. This is the first time we’ve ever slept outdoors, not in a tent, and I really enjoyed it. Between the gentle breezes that kept us cool and our luxurious Big Agnes Air Core pads, I actually slept well.

---