August 27th 2012

I have dug out the entire area of the sand filter...it is really large! Ramp construction will start next.

August 26 2012

Good progress today. I managed to get to the north west corner and dug about 3 feet down. The digging was a little easier, at least at this shallow depth. The weather was truly exceptional today 70 degrees and a nice ocean breeze with clear skies.

August 25th 2012

More digging and piling today. Tomorrow should be the big day as I will be taking the undug part down a couple of feet at least and I will also start the ramp.

August 24 2012

I managed to get a few hours in today. I am digging the west side of the pit a little deeper so I can try and have a smooth flat bottom. I used the bulldozer as an anchor again...better safe than sorry. I'm putting the spoils from the pit into a pile about 30 yards away. Yet again I am pulling out some really large granite rocks that are splitting away from the bedrock along the iron veins that are in it.


One of my ornery workers:

The Anchor

August 18 2012

Back to digging and moving rock. The lowest point of the pit is now the right height (1330 ft) in comparison to my reference point which is at 1349ft. Now I just have to match up the rest of the pit floor to this floor height. This is going to be quite difficult considering the rock that is down there. I am almost at the halfway point so I will be piling the spoils  just a few yards away and using the bulldozer to move the dirt quickly. I'm also using the bulldozer to anchor the backhoe when I am digging so that there is no chance of me sliding into the pit. The strap I am using is rated at 40, 000 lbs vertical lift so it is more than adequate. Now I just need to start building the ramp down as I go along. The rock on the west side of the pit is distinctly calcified ( not sure if this is the correct geological term ) and white in colour with intrusions of marble......am I close to gold??  :)

 Anchoring the backhoe:

 View from the cab:

August 4 2012

Today I compacted some more fill and excavated the hole also. Take a look.

The rocks I am digging up are eroded bedrock rather than seperate boulders:

 Most of the rocks are 3ft diameter and larger as I get below the 10ft depth level. I think if I go much deeper I will need dynamite!

The sun broke through at about mid day:

 Lot's of work ahead for this:

August 3rd 2012

The excavating has started again, the hole is getting bigger! Once I am halfway done I will stockpile the dirt on the upper pad to give me enough backfill volume. The bedrock is different from east to west with the large granite rocks embedded in the shale on the west side.

Boulder!

Karin's view request.

 The marine layer wafts in.