Waubonsie State Park and Biodiesel

The Trail Crew spent the majority of the year's remainder at Waubonsie State Park, a park nestled in the Loess Hills of southwestern Iowa, near the town of Hamburg. The Loess Hills are a very unique landform, found only in parts of Iowa, Missouri, and China. The fine particles of the soil allow for the formation of narrow ridge tops and step-like terraces, and can also support vertical cuts into the hills without erosion. These features combine form a very unique visual aesthetic, and make Waubonsie a one of a kind park for outdoor enthusiasts (and outdoor work crews).



A beautiful view from Sunset Ridge at Waubonsie State park

Trail Crew's work at Waubonsie consisted primarily of refurbishing tent pads that had aged into disrepair. These wooden platforms provide a level and elevated location for people to comfortably pitch their tents. Our job was to jack the platforms up, remove the old supports, and then install new ones. Meanwhile, we also constructed and painted numerous wooden balusters to support a newer and more secure railing. As Trail Crew always attempts to use "green" methods whenever possible (and save taxpayer dollars), much of the wood used during this project was salvaged and recycled from structures that had been torn down.







The tent pad seen above, as well as several others in the park, needed replacement supports and stairs. Seen above, Delilah, JB, and Ceith salvage wood from other structures and cut it into the needed components. Meanwhile, Adam and I cut off the overlapped edge of the pad.

The installation of these balusters was delayed by a winter storm, which prevented us from reaching Waubonsie during the second week of December. We returned to the (newly snow covered) park during the third week to finish the work that we began, namely cutting and attaching the railings, and then securing the balusters. We also assisted with some upkeep around the park, including vehicle maintenance, plumbing, and the application of salt to the roads.




Our return to Waubonsie was greeted with a great deal of snow and colder temperatures. Though this made our work more difficult, it certainly added to the aesthetic appeal of the park. A friendly poker game helps us relax after a hard day's work (here I show off my winning hand: a 4 of a kind on the flop, a 1 in 4,164 chance).

With two tent pads completed, and a third ready to be refurbished, we decided at the end of the week that we had reached a good stopping point. Steadily dropping temperatures and freezing rain began to complicate our work and tools, and other projects required attention. However, we plan to return to Waubonsie after winter ends, to finish what we started and to help them with further projects on their wish list.

Our final (partial) work week in December was spent at the Big Creek shop, where we learned about our biodiesel project and the various processes and steps that are involved in the production of biodiesel. This gave us time to leisurely transition into our week off for the holidays.

For our first project in the new year we will be renovating a newly acquired house, along with the accompanying property, near Green Valley State Park in southern Iowa.