BIGFORK...by Bear Dance: So THIS is what happens when the weather is nice!

JUST FOR FUN

JEWEL BASIN SNOW DEPTH (this is in the parking lot for the hiking area, and keep in mind -- these numbers represent the settled base, not total snowfall):

10/07.........2"
10/09.........5"
10/13.........8"
10/15........11"
10/25........17"
10/28........27"
10/31........34"
11/07........28"
11/14........31"
11/21........30"
11/25........36"
11/28........42"
12/07........28"
12/15........45"
12/21........61"
12/30.......54"
1/4............75"
1/5............83"
1/6............93"
1/12..........82"
1/19..........85"
1/31..........81"
2/06.........91"
2/13.........98"
2/23.........93"
3/10........104"
3/23........107"
4/01........112"
4/10........114"
4/15........129"
4/28........101"
4/29........138"
5/04........148"
5/05........158"
5/12........139"
5/20.......108"
5/21........112"
5/26........108"
NOTE: You'll notice the snow levels dropping -- normal for this time of year -- but they're actually dropping at a much slower rate than normal. This is due to cooler temps each night, which allows the snow to either re-freeze or solidify, thus slowing down the melting process. Many of the locals have commented on how late in the season the snow seems to be staying on the mountains, and this bodes well for preventing a fire season this summer. We'll still be dependent on a few well-timed rain showers as summer progresses, but we're off to a pretty good start!

Monday, May 17, 2010

So THIS is what happens when the weather is nice!

After dodging our way through the fleeting good-weather-moments over the past six weeks, we now see what we can accomplish with a solid week of good weather. We began the week just barely getting started with our concrete company (Concreations) and a tremendously challenging driveway project ahead of us. We finished the week with all our forms in place, most of the rebar set, most of the insulating blanket, and a large chunk of the radiant tubing installed. It's been a fantastic week -- here are a few pictures....

Once the forms were in place, we had to go back and touch-up our grades and compacting -- everything had simply been estimates up to that point.

After the final grading was finished, we brought in a truck to place materials via conveyor for the landscapers (Natural Designs Landscaping). This pre-placement will save money in labor costs when the driveways are finished and the final landscaping begins.

We were also able to finish our "Glacier Park Walls" for the west upper driveway. Since the driving surface is elevated, we needed some sort of safety rail suitable to protect vehicles.

We were able to install this cistern as a catch basin and "clean-out" for our stormwater runoff system. The watershed from upper driveways and roof surfaces will enter a recessed drain in the concrete, then flow into this cistern. If there is overflow, it will enter two pipes (one is shown), then feed into our retention ponds, where it will then perk into the ground. If there is yet more overflow, it will enter more underground pipes and feed into the huge french drain under our center landscaping island. No chance the stormwater will make it straight to Bigfork Bay with the plan we have in place!

Here's a glimpse of our progress at week's end. The red lines are tubes for the radiant heat system, and the light blue you see underneath is the insulating blanket. This will help retain the heat in the concrete slab to make the system more efficient, keeping the earth from sucking the heat down into it.

As of today's posting, the crew from Touris Plumbing had laid the same amount of tubing again, and the plan now is to begin pouring concrete on Wednesday! Once that begins, the pace really picks up.

Of course, weather permitting.......