What did you do today?

[oliver2-44 9,658]

Had a busy day, but somebody had to do it. 

 

The history of Blue Water Cut is that it was dredged my a Houston business man to provide float plane access to a fishing drinking camp for John Wayne. It was his escape from the public. Now the “Cut” is an RV park near Surfside Beach. 

Edited September 21, 2023 by oliver2-44

[19richie66 17,497]

@oliver2-44 it must have been horrifying. 

[Handy Don 12,103]

Actually did this yesterday, but I was too tired to get on and post!

Loaded, hauled, and spread about 2,000+ lbs of wood chips on the side of the “water tower” hill. We thinned out the woodlot two years ago and weeds had started in the newly sunlit areas. The hill is pretty steep and covered in soft soil with a lot of exposed roots from the nearby trees.

 

This is what the 854 with the 6-speed LSD did as it spun both rear tires on its way up on the first two test runs (it did keep its head down helped by the newly added front weight). I could see that pulling a cart with 200 lbs of chips was not gonna be successful

 

So I put on the chains that I picked up at the Big Show and that was the ticket. No spinning.

 

I used 3L and later 1H and the K181 just calmly went up and down with no drama at all. Someone once posted that their tractor had slipped out of gear on a descent and I didn’t need that kind of excitement so going down I used one hand to hold both shifters in gear just to be sure!

I left the mower deck on for its additional weight--lowered here as an extra “parking brake” on the slope.

 

All in all, a successful day. Plus I now know that when the masons come to re-point the tower that I have a way to safely move materials up there. The base of the tower is about 35’ above the bottom of the hill--the tractor is sitting ~5’ below the base.

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Handy Don

[Ed Kennell 37,985]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

masons come to re-point the tower

Don,what's the history on the tower?

[ebinmaine 67,179]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Someone once posted that their tractor had slipped out of gear on a descent and I didn’t need that kind of excitement so going down I used one hand to hold both shifters in gear just to be sure

Most certainly better safe than sorry.  

 

I've never had one slip from First gear but third can be questionable if the tension is off n' on.  

[Handy Don 12,103]

1 minute ago, Ed Kennell said:

Don,what's the history on the tower?

Our home is on a piece of what was formerly the 10+ acre estate of the chief engineer of the New Croton Dam.

The tower was built in the late 1800’s before our village had a water system. It was supplied from a hand-dug well (still functional under a manhole in our back yard) via a nearby underground pump room (in ruins when we bought the property and filled in for safety). The water from the tower supplied the buildings and grounds of the estate--the main house (destroyed by fire in 1976; replaced by a simple ranch house), the carriage house (now a residence), the tool house/ice house (also now a residence), an orchard (now three McMansions and a detention pond), a “woodland” (which later had a spring-fed swimming pool and is now a three-unit townhouse), and an extensive formal garden (where we live!) including a fountain (which we saved by having a crooked driveway). 

In the mid-1900’s, the village water system reached our street. The main house and outbuildings were connected and the tower went out of use. The formal garden and orchard were left to nature and deteriorated quickly, I’m told. 

The side of the hill with the tractor tracks is our private sledding hill--a “terrifyingly exciting” (according to one sledder) start with a long gradual runout ending at the level front lawn!

The fountain with one McMansion in the background.

 

The years are starting to show on the tower which is a brick structure faced with stone. Its roof has collapsed and where the pointing has eroded, the stone face has started to come off. My wife and I are considering how much to invest in repairs since its only purpose today is as a historical reminder and “hill art”.

[Ed Kennell 37,985]

Thank you Don.    I was totally wrong thinking it was probably a gun tower defending the Hudson.     It was the square corners that threw me off.  Most water towers are round.

I really enjoyed the Croton Dam read.     

[ebinmaine 67,179]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

historical

Any help available from local or state agencies?

 

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

fountain (which we saved by having a crooked driveway).

 

I'd be willing to bet you told me that already but my memory is as long as my pinky fingernail. 

 

Very cool.  

 

 

[EB-80/8inPA 1,618]

6 hours ago, Handy Don said:

I didn’t need that kind of excitement so going down I used one hand to hold both shifters in gear just to be sure!

Yes!  I know that routine well.  Been on a few white knuckle rides down the high hill.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,618]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

I'd be willing to bet you told me that already but my memory is as long as my pinky fingernail.

IKR?  Note to self:  Don’t get old.  Wait a while, scratch that…

[Handy Don 12,103]

14 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Any help available from local or state agencies?

 

That’s an interesting idea. I know who to ask in our local historical society.

[8ntruck 6,973]

Was planning to try out the sail boat we bought last month yesterday.  Was a nice breeze when I took the dog out for our morning boarder patrol.  However, by the time we finished the day's errands, the breeze had died, leaving the lake mirror flat.

 

Took the pontoon out instead.  Must have been a fly hatch, as there were fish hits visible all over the lake.

[Pullstart 62,732]

It’s been a while since I’ve been on my roof.  I used my Milwaukee metal cutting saw to cut in the ridge vent, am trimming the gables, then ridge vent!  Woo hoo!

 

Slamming the water today, buddy!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,732]

Whew!  Great news the 40x80 is done!  Worse news, I still have my 48x54 to do!  Better news, the longest panels are 19’ now, compared to 23’ 6” on the first one, and it’s 4’ closer to the ground   

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,465]

[ebinmaine 67,179]

Saturday we did a bigger hike than I've been able to tackle in several years. 

 

3 peaks in one loop. Sandwich NH. 

We started at the base of Double Head Mountain. 

Walked almost a mile up the State Highway 113 (small 2 lane back country road) to the trailhead for Mt Percival. 

Climbed Percival to the caves near the top. 

THAT was particularly interesting because I barely fit!!

Pics later....

 

We then went across the ridge to Mt Squam. 

Continued across the ridge to both peaks of Double Head. Then down to the car.  

 

There's a HUGE difference between "peak prominence" and "total elevation gain".  

 

The total gain includes ALL the elevation gain AND loss. 

That's a much more accurate number of energy expended. 

 

Our total yesterday was over 2,900 feet of climbing!!

 

Mileage around 8.11 I think.  

 

I'll post more pics later today or tomorrow.  

 

 

 

There's an unmarked trail that basically follows the left side of my finger. Our parking lot and hike beginning point is just about where the first knuckle is.  

We then went counter clockwise around the loop. 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,179]

More pics...

This morning's campfire. 

 

 

Cave entrance/exit depending on trail direction. 

 

 

 

 

Me standing inside the cave waiting to pass packs up through. 

 

 

This old trail marker has some years on it. 

 

Here's the standard marker nowadays.  

 

 

 

This cellar hole is among the deepest I've ever seen.  Around 6 feet in the far corner.  Pretty unusual around here.  

 

Alot of the stone walls were also taller than normal. 

We wondered why... 

 

 

 

Mountain top pond. Apparently there year round. 

Also unusual for the area.  

 

 

 

More various pics ....

 

 

[19richie66 17,497]

Beautiful scenery EB & BBT. A whole lot better than my surroundings today. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by 19richie66

[Handy Don 12,103]

Nice hike! Kudos for to you, but I don’t do small spaces so I’d have been standing outside giving encouragement. 

[EB-80/8inPA 1,618]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

This old trail marker has some years on it.

That stump’s seen better days, too.

[ebinmaine 67,179]

4 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Nice hike! Kudos for to you, but I don’t do small spaces so I’d have been standing outside giving encouragement. 

There's a way around that involves bouldering instead of caving. 

We've done both. 

[8ntruck 6,973]

While @ebinmaine was hiking up, down, and through his local mountains, I took the 1978 Dolphin Sr. sail boat we got about 6 weeks ago out on the lake for the first time.

 

Had a 10 mph breeze to work with.  Wind shadows on the east shore of the lake, wind out of the small end of the lake that did not match the wind direction in the main part of the lake.  Wind was a little gusty, too.

 

Got the boat up to a pretty good clip a couple of times.  Nowhere near the limit, though.  Didn't want to take a swim or figure out how to right the boat in the middle of the lake. 

[ebinmaine 67,179]

[davem1111 2,027]

So.... our diving/slide tower in the lake behind the house, that stood proudly for many years, has given up the ghost.  We did some repairs on it about 5-6 years ago, but recently it started tipping to the left - gradually at first, then over the last few days it went to about 30 degrees of tilt. We decided it would be best if I pulled it down, then I can try to cut it up and drag it out.  I used the winch on the front of my GT-1848, pulling on a cable that had been there for a few years for zip-lining from the tower to the shore.  It came down to about 75 degrees or so, then wouldn't budge any more. But when I went in the house, about 10 minutes later I heard some groaning, a crack or two, and she went the rest of the way down. A sad moment, but we knew it was coming.

 

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,465]

Good use of the !!!