Yeah, Clif, that photo is what it felt like as we were raking the last load of gravel.
Thanks for all of the supportive comments, here and elsewhere.
Big thanks to Isaac McShane, Roger Van Damme, Tim Yates, Carol Yates, Paul Shallabarger and Kathryn Tomilleo for spreading tons (233.19 tons, in fact) on the new overflow parking lot for Muir.
And thanks also to climbers Chris and Lauren, whom I shanghaied as they were returning to their car, tired from a full day of climbing, the following weekend. Who would have thought, when they graciously asked if we wanted some help, that we just happened to have extra rakes and gloves in the barn? There is still some raking and finish work on the original parking lot, but they helped Rick and me get a lot of the additional 103 ton of stone spread before total darkness.
The Access Fund and American Alpine Club via grants, and Friends of Muir Valley with donations from the climbing community, are helping with the costs of expanding and improving parking at Muir Valley. This expansion was much needed; climbing at Muir exceeded 30,000 visitors during 2011.
Thank you for your kind comments to Brentucky, jamlawyer, and DrRockso and to all of the other people who contacted us. Thanks should also go to The Access Fund and American Alpine Club. Part of the expenses of this project was funded by grants from these organizations. Also I overlooked mentioning Geoff Graham when I listed the Friends of Muir Valley volunteers who helped. Sorry about that. Geoff came the farthest distance (Pennsylvania) to help.
Rick was a little premature in saying the parking lot project was complete. I think he was eager to be finished. We still have some finish work of forming staples out of steel rod to secure the marking chains,installing signs and laying out and marking the remainder of the parking spaces to do, but the heavy work of spreading crushed stone and installing railroad ties is finished.
