GCHBA spring project - day 2

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On the second work day, Gene, aka The Ice Cream Man and our project leader, took three of the guys including Mike to Cottonwood campground, about one and a half miles further down the trail. Cottonwood is where the previous four spring projects took place.

Two jobs were done at the campground. Lynn took on cutting down the tall grass around the buildings. Mike assisted in the other task which involved installing two solar panels on the roof of the CT (composting toilet) to generate power to run the fans. When there is no hardware store or Home Depot nearby, a fair amount of ingenuity is needed to “make do” with the tools and materials at hand. Since I was “back at the ranch”, my pictures were taken the next day… none of Mike on the roof.

The rest of us kept busy with more yard work and cleaning at the residence. We also kept the lemonade stand going. During the time we were there, we served up about 40 gallons.

That night we had chicken enchilada casserole for dinner accompanied by another bottle of wine and ice cream for dessert. Afterwards, John, the NPS guy, entertained us with stories from his many years of employment at the Grand Canyon. I especially enjoyed those about the mules from his days on the trail crew.

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Photos

Canyon Wren
You hear these birds all the time in the canyon. The Cornell "All About Birds" website describes their song as "a musical descending cascade of liquid notes. Call is a loud, metallic buzz." It's very distinctive.

Roaring Springs stream
This is right below the helipad... a nice place to sit in the water and cool off.