Kite beach improvement day 10/26

[rob umstead]

Hi Everyone;
Once again this fall we will have a volunteer BWB work day. Saturday October 26th at 9AM -1 ish. The state park Rangers will be helping us out as well with a tractor and a trailer.
We will continue to clear willows and either haul the debris away or, if the park can get the OK, creating a burn pile or two. I am hoping of the later because that will allow us to accomplish more.

Tasks...
1. opening up the left corner of the end of the path to the water. If we can get this area cleared out then we will have cleaner wind blowing into the launch area and have an easier time getting out.
2. removing more willows from the "island" to the right of the path. Getting this entire area cleared out may be more then we can get done in a day but we an continue to chip away and fan it back.
3. reclaiming shoreline on the lake side of the bushes the entire length of the kite area. The less willows on the water side, the sooner the area is user-friendly as the water levels drop and less under water snags at deep levels.

Please come down and help out for the morning and the good Karma should drive some afternoon winds for us.

Cutting tools, Gloves, pick axes are all helpful equipment to bring along and if anyone has a dump trailer that could be useful. Last year the limiting factor was the trailer and hauling to the dump. The more ways we have to haul the better. Does anyone has access to an industrial size chipper, that would be awesome too. The small ones from the renal center proved to be a waste of time.

[andrewcarey44]

This is awesome Rob! Thank you so much for organizing this. I love the plan. I will be there and will bring tools and a chainsaw. I am also willing to pitch in financially for larger equipment (i.e. a trailer, chipper etc).

[rob umstead]

Hey Everyone;
I wanted to bring this thread back to the top. Hope to see everyone at BWB for the work day next Saturday. Looks like the weather and wind may cooperate to reward us with a good session after the clean up.
Bring Gloves, cutting tools, tarps and energy. We are allowed to drag all the brush into piles to later be burned by the Fire Warden. This will allow us to get a lot more cut. Lets get the entire area to the right of the path cleared out and we will have a huge area to get out and back in , next spring.
Should be good riding afterwords. Hope to see everyone down there for a fun day.

[rob umstead]

Thanks to everyone who came down to help out. Everyone was rewarded with some of the strongest winds, and biggest swells of the season. There were about 30 of us, who accomplished more then in any other work day of years past. We removed the entire island to the right of the path and a good chunk of the left corner near the end of the path. Kiting at BWB will be very user friendly this spring, with plenty of room for people to come in and out.
Special thanks to Park Ranger Steve Bullock for all his assistance and support with this. His work with the tractor did wonders to eliminate the" pungy-sticks" and low pushes. He is a great proponent of the kite community and we are lucky to have him on our side.