I think we were all a bit surprised by the early snow we got today, November 3rd! Fortunately, our trail crew from Northwest Trails were not deterred. Today was the day to drive the steel pins into the diamond pier bases. Using a mechanical driver and sheer brute strength, the guys drove them deep into the solid ground.

What a worksite it was today. The snow sure changes the landscape. 

Rowan and Curran getting the last pin in the hole. There was some finessing to do to get it in next to a standing alder. Teamwork and persistence prevailed. 

Below, Rowan uses the strength of the machine to drive the pins deep. You can see the large 20# sledgehammer resting on the steel beam, ready to finish the job. 

Gerry Wilbour founded Northwest Trails and has assembled this capable crew. He captured Curran in action, driving the pins into the ground and shared it with us. Enjoy: 

Here’s what the small piece of equipment looks like as it rests on the ground. Standing next to the machinery is our inspector, Kurt Parker from MTC- Materials, Testing & Consulting.

Here’s Kurt, in the orange vest, overseeing the crew to ensure that they are correctly installing the pins in the diamond piers. Thanks Kurt and MTC for coming out and supporting our work. 

On the right, in the blue hoodie and red helmet, Dan points out the work that they have accomplished. 

For a closer look at what Kurt is inspecting and what the Northwest Trails crew has been working on all day. They will be cutting off the protruding ends of the posts next. 

A birds eye view of the diamond piers, showing how the four pipes are driven in at angles to achieve the best stability. 

Once the ends are sawed off, a cap is placed on the end to seal the deal! 

Thank you to the crew from Northwest Trails, Kurt from MTC and for braving the elements today and for all the work that has gone into this project. 

Shout out also to Josh Neyman with COB Parks & Recreation making sure this all goes according to (the evolving) plans. He also makes for a decent photographer! Below, he captured me doing a Happy Dance celebrating the next steps in our project.