by Barbara Dixson
The Fall Candlelight Hike Festival is just around the corner, this Friday, November 1 from 6-9 p.m. Most falls, several thousand visitors walk the trails by torchlight and jack-o’-lantern glow. To make these visitors welcome, our fabulous volunteer crew–the Tuesday crew–has been working diligently to put everything in good order.
Above: Karl Wolf and Pat Sinnott team up to disentangle the tree Karl is cutting in the image below.
Pat Sinnott as truck driver. Once the dead and hazardous trees come down, they’re cut up, loaded up, and driven to the woodpile in the Visitor Center parking lot.
Gary Speckmann, Friends vice president and a regular on the Tuesday crew, explains that the jack pines growing all around Lake Joanis have a short life span, requiring annual assessment to cull the dangerous ones.
On Tuesdays when the crew cuts the dead trees, the firewood is available (donations requested) in the Visitor Center parking lot.
Mike Orella is putting together trim to protect the exterior corners of the building.
Tom Mihm and Mike Orella consult. One of the great pleasures of visiting with the Tuesday crew is to experience their friendly team work and affectionate humor.
Karl Wolf wears full protective gear to take down this dead tree.
Eric Lacey contemplates the best approach to take out this hazardous tree.
Meanwhile, back beside the Visitor Center, other members of the crew are putting finishing touches on the new garage. Friends put up half the money for the new building, and our volunteers have put in many hours. Here, Bill Fisher balances on a tall ladder to put paint on the high south end.
Mike contemplates the fit of the structure, decides further steps are needed.