Project reports are another way that CCC alumni can contribute to the story of the CCC blog. These are not quite the same thing as an official CCC media announcement. These will be actual former Corpsmembers going out to see what CCC crews are doing today. Project reports are a little more involved than a Corpsmember profile. Project reports are a blast for old Corpsmembers to write! If you would like to take a shot at writing a project report, contact me and we will develop a plan. I have a protocol for making contact with the appropriate center and making arrangements to visit the crew. This will help to make sure we maintain a good working relationship with the CCC.
Here is a project report on a multi-crew project that happened in 2016 at Lassen Volcanic National Park. The Lassen Park Foundation provided funds for the construction of an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant campground to be built inside the park. The NPS provided the technical knowledge and Redding Center provided a lot of the labor.
Lassen Volcanic National Park will soon have a new camping attraction, and the Redding CCC has gone a long way towards helping to make it happen.
Tomorrow, August 6, will be the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Volcano Adventure Camp at the old Crags Campground. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony is part of Lassen Park’s Centennial Celebration, commemorating 100 years of the National Park Service. The revamped Crags Campground will feature tent cabins, picnic pavilions, and shower facilities, all connected by Adults with Disabilities Act quality trails. Redding CCC crews have been spiking continuously at the campground for several weeks to build these trails, and to help finish the buildings at the facility. A crew would camp out here are the work site from Wednesday of one week until Wednesday of the following week, and then be replaced by another crew. Construction has been able to continue seven days a week for the last month.
To the right, you can see the tent cabin decks, and trails under construction. The tent cabin deck here is almost complete and only needs painting before it is ready for the tent canvas. The trails are marked out by locally obtained logs. The trails will be built up between these logs.
Here, NPS worker Mike Buck discusses with members of Terrance Johnson’s Crew 25 how to best lay out, square off, and secure the logs for the trail edge. Two years ago, Mike was a Corpsmember on this very CCC crew. This is Mike’s second season with NPS.
To ensure a perfect, custom fit, the logs are butted up against each other and then both logs are trimmed with one cut with a chain saw.
The logs can then be snugged up against each other and pinned to the ground, to make sure they stay in place.
To make the trails ADA compliant, several layers are needed. First, a layer of gravel is laid down in the trail path. Then the gravel is covered with a layer of dirt, which is tamped down with shovels as compact as possible.
Aric Anderson’s Crew 20 alternated weeks with Crew 25 to finish the project. Here, Corpsmembers prep a section of trail for final tamping.
A machine is used in the final stage for compacting the trail tread. This leaves a surface solid enough and smooth enough for anybody to use.
This is a finished trail leading to a tent cabin.
To ensure a gentle grade, even up to the tent cabin entrances, sometimes the trails need to be built up. A trail can consist of a couple of layers of logs, with rock fill to raise the tread level.
The tent cabin framing needed to be painted. The tent cabin foundations and flooring were built by Don Ajamian Construction. Keith, who works for Don Ajamian, loves working with Corpsmembers Keith says they are highly motivated and love to learn.
Here is a tent cabin floor, painted and ready for canvas.
NPS worker Gary Mott with Corpsmembers ensuring that the logs have been placed level before pinning into place.
This is a very special project for one Corpsmember in particular, Ian Dalziel. This will be Ian’s last spike as a Corpsmember from Redding. Next week Ian leaves for Australia as part of an exchange program with their version of the CCC, the Conservation Volunteers Australia.
When Ian finishes the exchange program in October, his time with the CCC will be completed. We’ll hear more from Ian next week.
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Volcano Adventure Camp will be Saturday, August 6, at 10:00 AM at the old Crags Campground facility. Come on out and see what your Redding Corpsmembers have built!
Three Years With the C's 