Sandbar Work Party this Saturday June 23rd @ 9:00 AM

shredjim · Since 07 Jun 2006 188 Posts Stoked

To the Columbia Gorge Kiteboarding Community - in an effort to finish the job and remove the dreaded log piles we at CGKA are in the process of getting the next work party organized. The plan in formation is to pick up the log pieces with a Mini Track hoe and put them in 4X4 pickup trucks. We will make a big pile close to the parking lot with the wet wood to be burned when it drys, but use some of the dryer stuff for another bonfire party! We can get the water dropped again by the Corps of Engineers, and we are in the process of getting the necessary permits and approvals for the track hoe, 4X4's, bonfire, etc.

We couldn't make it happen for June 9th or 16th. The Corps of Engineers says too much run off with hot weather last week and rain in the forecast. But as I posted below, we have a mini track hoe on order, Mel to drive it, and we are waiting for Tidewater Barge company to get back to me to see if they will provide a barge to take the wood away via water, instead of hauling it back towards the parking lot. We can have another bonfire party after we are done on the 23rd.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

Mark · Fri Jun 01, 07 3:43 pm

Happy to help... the 16th works better for me.
Mark

mmac · Since 15 May 2005 93 Posts SC

Don't mind helping but why isn't the Port of Hood River involved in the clean up? Since they control and profit from access to the spit/river why don't they hire someone with the machinery to get the job done? Just curious.

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

HEY everybody just calm down, and leave the port alone. They are doing the best they can. They dont have 200 volunteers willing to help cleanup the sand bar like we do. Also, they are the ones letting & helping us get the permits and do the cleanups. And anyway, we get to have a party afterwards, that's why we do it. It's not like they get the credit for cleaning the sandbar, everybody knows it is the kiting community who put in all the hard work to make our sandbar the way it is. It felt sooooo great to see everybody down there on may 6th working their butts off. It was a lot of work, but it brought the whole community together for the greater good of all. I felt like it really built a sense of community amongst all the kiters and brought us all together. oh yea, and that whole safety thing thats the main reason we did it Wink

cause we care about people learning how to kite and we dont want another incident like the one on memorial day weekend. Not to mention WE have the biggest and most beautiful beach in the entire Gorge Exclamation

June 9th

the sooner we get those log piles moved the better. We could easily rally enough people to do it june 9th. Mi Padre wont be around either weekend to help out, sooo, yea the sooner the better.

Garret · Since 07 Sep 2006 254 Posts Portland Obsessed

I agree with magicmaker- we use the area so we should keep it safe for all. And this buys us "credit" down the road. I can be there either weekend and get my truck stuck again, so might as well make it the 9th. I don't have a pick up but can help drag or load. I think the sooner the better.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

What about making another attempt to burn June 9th and then dragging all the wood leftovers June 16th? Remember it took all day with 200 folks and 12+ 4x4's to make the piles we got. Part of the reason the piles are where they are is because there was some massive 6x6x6 root balls and logs that didn't look like they'd move easy.

Plus the stuff has been drying for a few weeks now, it will probably burn better. Whatever is left over we drag away on the 16th...

Just an idea... thanks CGKA for organizing this!

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

no i agree that it's way cool we do it ourselves. so much more satisfaction to know it was motivated by a kite klan interested in each others needs rather than a bureaucratic governmental agency seeking profits.

lost my cool there for a minute but i'm in the game.

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

OK, so we need a volunteer to bring a big flat bed pickup with 4WD that we can load the log piles on to? any takers?

boredbrain · Since 16 Feb 2006 352 Posts Hood River Obsessed

Watching dirty jobs with son we saw a cool tool.

Stump Grinder, turned it into saw dust, kinda like a ditch witch but for stumps.

What we spent on diesel, we could of probably rented one of them. seemed like small work with large results.

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

you'd have to get all the big nasty rocks out of hte root systems before you could feet it threw the stump grinder, not the most easy task.

and then we wouldn't have logs for another bonfire.

i agree tho, if we had had a little more organization on how money was getting spent instead of everybody just running off half mad to get fuel for the fire things probably could have gotten done a little more cost effectively. oh well, we did our best, and we'll soon finish the job we started.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

is this going to happen this saturday? i can't make it the next weekend.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

I would think the Corps of E. would want to help get those piles on the verge of floating away into a spill gate.

Some more fire/ party and then a stump grinder for the leftovers sounds like a great idea. ATalk to a rental place maybe for some good publicity they would donate to the cause or offer a percentage off rental.

put up a sign in town for free fire wood. Laughing

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

won't make this one.. picking up my new rv in boise and driving it back sunday. thanks everyone for participating.

Pepi · Tue Jun 05, 07 11:51 pm

Gotta work at the shop all day, but will come down after closing time with our crew and the Blender to show our thanks to all the volunteers.

I'll make sure to bring more tequila this time, you guys smoked through all those margaritas we made last time.

Pepi