Surprise !

It started last night and is still going on this morning. Yep.......making snow! According to the forecast temps won't allow much more snowmaking the next few days but it is a start.

You can see our additional chairlift in the background of photo 2
At Seven Oaks we start each season with a single snowflake and end with a thousand memories!

Keep it White!

It keeps coming together

Quick note - Power room was set in place on top of the gantry today and the counterweight was moved into position. Then the day was filled with lots of other small components being bolted into place. More news tomorrow.....

Another Chairlift Update

Progress continues........

Monday November 17 - towers 4, 5, and 6 were set in place......see pics

Tuesday November 18 - the holes were dug for the top bull wheel tower and strut

Wednesday November 19 - 30 yards of concrete were poured around the top bull wheel tower and strut..........30 YARDS - thats four concrete truck loads --- BIG....and the last of the concrete pouring for this project!

Tomorrow we plan to set the motor room on top of the gantry and then start setting the last three towers. Stay tuned...

A couple quick notes

• the summer canoe, kayak and tube floats are finished for the year. Paintball continues.
• this friday night is our November Friday after Five - with wine tasting, cheese sampling and live music
• last week and thru the weekend, all the tower bases were set in place and concrete poured, just like tower one; another huge block of concrete was poured on Saturday for the corner opposite the counterweight, the top bull wheel new bearings and main shaft were re-installed, tower one was made ready to stand in place......and more.
• looks like this week tower one will be set in place and bolted; the power room will be lifted on top of the gantry and the counterweight, all 30,000+ pounds of it, will be set in place as well. We'll try to get some new pics this Saturday.
• staff is getting everything ready for the winter season this week as well. All the new signs for the lifts and park were ordered to be consistent with the new standard.
• several events taking place at the lodge this week and weekend also.
• See you friday night!

Work continues

It has been nice to have the rain and wind out of the daily variables for the past couple of days and the forecast I saw has clear skies for the next six or seven days. Great!

Work has continued on the chairlift installation every day this week. A lot of the work done isn't worthy of pictures, ie replacing bearings, new bolts and nuts, new sheave liners, etc.

But yesterday we received the first two tower bases and got tower base number one installed. Here are some photos of yesterdays process. The process consists of digging a hole 4 ft X 6 ft X 8 ft deep; then lowering the 18" diameter steel tube tower base in the hole; line it up per the blueprints

then fill the hole with lots of concrete

and finish with a confirmation of all the angles and dimensions......then put a finish on the concrete.

This process between today (thursday) and tomorrow will be repeated five more times for the five remaining tower bases.

Looks like the week of November 10 we will be setting the towers, installing the top bull wheel and placing the drive house on top of the gantry...........keepin on! Talked to the firm in Missouri that will come on site to splice the steel cable and he is ready when we are......it's all coming together.

Be sure to read the post earlier today

Here are three pics from today's concrete project. Another 13 yards of concrete being poured around the legs of the bottom terminal to lock it into position. Keep checking back for more updates.

Probably won't be more pics til this weekend as we prepare to set the tower bases. They go into EIGHT feet of concrete. The first of the eight foot holes has been dug.

ps. Dee, Ken and Carol have officially relocated to the new offices.

dig a hole and fill it up

Work in earnest began on the chairlift installation Tuesday, October 21 and continues......even tho it was kinda rainy a couple of those days. When it rained, the crew just moved inside and got things done that had to be anyway......such as replacing bearings, building concrete rebar cages, etc.


First the base terminal was layed out on the ground with pins so we knew exact locations and elevations.


Then the first four holes were dug, rebar positioned in place and concrete footings poured Tuesday.


Two more footing holes were dug on Saturday and poured.
About two yards of concrete per hole.......just for the footings.......more concrete will finish the formed holes Monday!




On Sunday, with the aid of a large crane, the framework was hoisted into position. First the forty foot long side rails with 8 inch I beam legs.

Then the front support.........followed by the rear support.

The balance of Sunday was spent on securing the framework in a perfect level, plumb, perpendicular and aligned position. Variances in excess of 1/8" was too much!


It is on this frame that the drive motor, etc will reside upon. The gantry house will be hoisted in place later.

Then the forms are built around each leg and today more concrete is poured........no, a LOT more concrete is poured.... which secures the frame in place....as far as I am concerned, forever.


It was a GREAT weekend, in spite of the wind....WOW....and the falling temps on Sunday. A lot of progress was made in six days. And while all this was going on with the lift, the NSPS had a two day refresher in the lodge, plus a group had a birthday party on Saturday, Paintball was in action Saturday and the furnace for the lodge addition was installed, more electrical work was completed and two truck loads of gravel were brought to the parking lot. Whew!


And look who Ken had come help out .........Cool !!!