Old Man Winter hasn’t stopped the Boy Scouts from getting the job done at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.
Even though we’re now into winter, the work continues according to Gary Hartley, the Director of Community and Government Relations for the Summit.
“The ground is not frozen so we’re able to do the finish work on it. I know the other day they were finishing up graveling on the road. And we’re also continuing work on the adventure bases,” says Hartley.
He explains one way to get around the weather while building a concrete structure.
“At one of the skateboard parks, they’ve put a big tent up, almost like a circus-type tent. They’re able to continue to work and sculpt those really artistic skateboard park areas right through the winter,” says Hartley.
He says they were luck to have mild fall weather and got some of the basics underway like flattening out land for camping areas to accommodate 40 scouts each. Now they’re working on all the utilities that are needed at each of those sites.
“With all the utilities we’re talking about 100-miles of electric, fiber, gas, water and sewer lines being installed on the site.”
As for their time line, Hartley says everything is on schedule.
“Every time I talk to our contractors they tell us we are on time and we will be ready,” explains Hartley.
They have a hard deadline to meet. The National Boy Scout Jamboree will held at the Summit this coming July. Hartley says some of the crews are working two, 10-hour shifts a day, six and seven days a week to make sure the work is complete.