Cleaning It Up

Rachel's photo

Joy's photo

What kind of person does this, throwing diapers and ironing boards and all kinds of assorted gross things out into the forest? And what kind of person gives up their Sunday to head out to the Cabin Creek snow-park and pick up all that crap, making one small corner of this messy world a nicer place? I know the answer to the second question: KSC stalwarts! Here are some reports and photos from the clean-up day:

Suzanne:

Was it May 18th or January 18th?? Despite snow, sleet, rain and mud, Kongsbergers showed up en masse for the annual spring interchange/parking lot/stadium clean-up. Neither dirty diapers nor rusty chains nor tiny bits of goo packets, (nor mattresses!!) escaped the eyes and hands of the picker-uppers. A recycling brigade rescued glass bottles and aluminum cans from the general trash bags. A group of he-men (I didn’t notice any she-women among them this time [ed. note: Don points out that Esther was hucking with the best of them!]) took care of logs on the Road and on Amabilis. I am so full of admiration for members of this club, who, when called to a work party, come to get ’s..t' done!! We are the party of ‘do’ ah, rah, sis coom bah!

Chris:

Katharine, Jacqui, and I rescued THREE large garbage bags full of aluminum, glass, and plastic bottles for recycling, about 20% in volume of what was collected altogether today. We also delivered a long heavy metal unknown "device," an ironing board, and several other smaller metal pieces. The recycling FILLED the back seat and cargo area of our Volvo station wagon.

Rachel's photo

Joy:

People headed out in a misty rain to rescue the wildflowers from the awful loads of trash that people dump on them. It's a great wildflower year up there! The Miner girls clambered deep into the ravines to capture at least 10 diapers, among the usual cans and bottles.

We've decided to be more candid and rename this event The I-90 Exit 63 Not a Rest Stop People Trash Pick Up because it is NOT the skiers and snowshoers who are dropping this stuff off. Clearly. After the trash pickup, which comprised both exits, the lower and upper parking lots, and most important, the westbound 63 exit, the KSCers who showed up started looking for more things to do and they found lots!

Sorted and repaired race signs in the wax room attic (3 hours)
Put the identifying names on the old snowmobile (Arkley) and the cargo wagon (the Margot!)
Cleaned out oil containers and junk in and under the small shed (hours!!)
Cut more brush up on Amabilis
Fetched the scrap wood from the Forterra logging site, about 5 truckloads (with permission)
Cleaned out the snowmobile garage (snowmobiles are all summerized)
Tidying and cleaning around the cabin

It was a great work day all around!