With Tav, Jake, Nick, Matt and Jonathon.
After digging last weekend, I was on surface duty today; Tav was doing the haul and shuttle; Jake, at the top of the slope, Matt at the bottom; Nick, on his return after a back injury caused by over enthusiastic use of the sledge hammer, took the first digging stint, later swapping places with Jonathon.
Seventy-eight loads were hauled out of the cave, mostly bags but some rocks too. I had to change the hauling rope three times, as each became too slippery to grip, even the knotted rope wasn’t easy to hold. The bags, filled with claggy sediment, weren’t much fun to empty either, difficult to grip and shake the contents out. Only one, though, refused to relinquish its contents, and that became incorporated into the wall, All the sediment was compacted behind the retaining wall. The weather was good, and the birds were singing, keeping the mind off an aching back. I have to agree with Tav, surface duty is one of the harder tasks, especially while it’s damp underground and the sediment so claggy.
Still, another good digging session and the refreshments were well earned.