Yesterday, the team psyche was very, very high. We were well positioned to lay down some panels. This was on the heels of a very challenging and pretty hazardous week of scaling rock, drilling anchor holes, and prepping the site.
We managed to get 8 of the approximately 40'ish panels draped on the talus field. Everyone did a phenomenal job to help each other be safe and get the work done. The spotters were performing sentry duty for the crew on the slopes with their eagle eyes, unwavering attention to the mass of rock above the us, and quick deployment of the air horns. When you have a 400 foot cliff above you, a blast of an air horn gives you those precious extra seconds to do the 'Barry Sanders' and dance around the volleys of rock. Most of the stuff came down between 0930 and 1100. That is very typical of what we have been experiencing. It is one thing to cross under a hazard like the Ruby Walls. It is an entirely different sort of thing to park yourself for hours on end on an anchored rope in that kind of environment. We all felt the sense of relief to extend our anchored ropes downslope for the next row of mats and get away from the base of the wall. You do feel hunted.
The pilot and helo crew did a fantastic job of laying those nets in where they needed to be one after another. Projects like this one require a high degree of skill and professionalism to go well and we are fortunate to be operating alongside some very capable practitioners.
Today, if all goes well, we should really stitch up that face with panels. We have our systems well rehearsed and now we just need the winds to remain calm.
Enjoy the video compilation from the first several days of the project along with some recent images.
Remember, safety is no accident!
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| Carlin managing the panel tagline |
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| Surveying the scene |
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| First unfurled panel on the way |
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| Grady on point |
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| Kevin and Tim at base of the wall |
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| Technical flying by Phillip |
