Ole and I arrived a little before 7 a.m. at Ice House Resort for breakfast, and to meet up with the many other volunteers, and Del Albright. The plan was to move an old building, that was built in the 50’s, from one location to another location. The new location, which is closer to the spillway at Loon Lake. This building is to become an Information booth for people entering the Rubicon at Loon Lake. The new foundation had previously been formed, and ready for the building to be placed on it. Well, from where the building was located, to where they planned to move it, well I didn’t think it could be done, without having to take the building apart, or having the building fall apart.
Dana Holland, and a friend of his, Jimmy (didn’t get his last name), showed up a little late, with Dana’s big-rig tow truck, and a special kind of flatbed trailer with some interesting features, (like the axles moved in several positions, and the trailer was able to tilt in order to make loading easier). You really had to see this trailer to believe it. OK back to the report.
With the tow truck, Dana pulled the tractor/flatbed trailer over the granite slab and closer to the building to be removed. Getting the truck and trailer near the building was no small task. Lots of hardwood had to be placed under the tires to get the tow truck and trailer into position. The building had previously been reinforced in preparation of the move. After several hours the tow truck was in position to pick the building up. The building was picked up from it’s foundation, and maneuvered onto the flatbed trailer. Again, lots, and lots of moving hardwood under the tires of the tow truck, with the weight of the building hanging off the truck’s boom. The building was placed on the trail. At that point Dana pulled in front of the tractor/trailer as it could not move, it places, under it’s own power.
As the tractor/trailer got closer to the granite slab, which is very off-camber, the many volunteers were placed side by side, using their winches to keep the building from falling off the trailer, as the truck moved, and was pulled over the granite slab. Three winches at a time were connected to the building. Inch by inch the tractor/trailer moved over the slab, and closer to the new foundation. Once the tractor/trailer was near the foundation, Dana Holland used the tow truck’s boom to pick the building off the trailer.
While the building was in the air, several volunteers helped push the building in place. The building was placed on its new foundation in one piece, with very little damage from the move.
If I hadn’t been there, I probably would not have believed it. Several times during this long day, I had my doubts. Dana and Jimmy, well they must have nerves of steel to maneuver their very large trucks and that trailer over the granite slab. What a day.