Work In Progress

Our living accomodations for this project are posh. We're staying in a ski lodge! It was built in the seventies, but some trail groups and hikers objected to the idea of this mountain becoming a ski/resort area, so the plan was basically abandoned but the lodge was never torn down. So now it's used for groups like us, who come through every once in a while.

As cool as living in a tent is, there have been no complaints about the lodge. There are enough rooms that we each get our own, we get to eat at an actual table, and there's a decent-sized fireplace in the living area. Our evenings are usually spent sipping hot chocolate, reading, and chatting around the fire. Also, it rained the first three days we were there. We got so much pleasure out of just sitting inside and basking in the fact that we weren't out in the rain, or out sleeping in tents. Like I said: nothing to complain about!

Our project is at Flagstaff Lake. We're working on a relocation, in order to get the AT away from the snow mobile trails and to get the new section closer to the lake. It's a lot of sidehilling, which is basically cutting into a hill to make a flat trail. We also got to bring out the grip hoist to pull out tree stumps. You hook two ends up to tree trunks and use a pulley system to crank the stump right out of the ground. It's a little less cool than it sounds (because it can get anticlimactic), but it's still pretty cool.

So, what have I been reading? I finished Stardust (Neil Gaiman) and Sunfall (Aiden Bell), both fantasy books. My sister sent me the next two Sword of Truth books for my birthday, and I'm already about 60 pages into book five. I've also started another Neil Gaiman book called Neverwhere, and I've recently read some short stories by Arthur C. Clarke and Edith Wharton. Aaaand I also picked up a nonfiction book called Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy (because I'm really that dorky!). So I'm pretty much living the good life when it comes to reading. I just need to remember to bring more than one book next week, in case I finish the first too early!

This morning, we all decided to wake up at four o'clock to walk down to the lake to see the sunrise. No one really knew what time the sun rose, so we ended up waiting for almost an hour, but it was definitely an experience. I got some pictures, which I hope turn out well. After about ten minutes of staring at a slowly-lightening skyline, we all kind of shifted on the uncomfortable rocks we were sitting on and went, "Uh . . . I don't think we needed to wake up this early." But when the sun finally rose, it was definitely worth it. I think I'm hitting the sack early tonight though!

That's really all I can think of right now. I'm sure I'll remember what else I meant to say as I soon as I leave. Hopefully I'll update again soon. Take care!