Phase 1 of transforming the old silage pit into a restored winter sledding hill for kids is now complete. As a prelude to the Saturday 9 am work party, John and I headed out for a quick check and cleanup. Two hours later we had cleared and prepared the entire pit area for the full work party. You can now clearly see the pit, the slopes, and its full size. I even used John as a comparison in the photos.
The pit turned out to be a lot better than expected. There was only some brush and a few dead trees to remove. What we found out was that the pit has about a ten-foot drop to the base, which makes a perfect natural slide. There are no big rocks or obstacles once the final cleanup is done on Saturday. The area between the pit and the stone wall has some old junk, but now that the brush is gone we can easily see it and drag it out.
Here is the part parents will like. You can see the entire sledding hill from the parking lot. If the kids want to sled and you want to warm up, you can do that without losing sight of them. It is also useful if one kid needs a break while the others keep going.
While John and I were working, three sets of dog walkers came by. They loved how open and clean the area looks, and the dogs gave it three barks and a wag. The stone wall was reflecting the early morning sun and the whole place had a magical look.
I am fully expecting to see photographers in the spring. Red Wing now has new fences, so photographers looking for the old New England backgrounds will find Koulas more appealing. The dry stone walls, the standing rocks, Big Red, and the Stone Throne rock will be great photo spots. The area is finally beginning to look like the vision of the Koulas Task Force and the input from hundreds of residents.
Go check it out and get those sleds ready. I almost forgot to mention that the second sledding hill is on the other side of Big Red. Families with younger kids can use the pit side while older kids can use the other side, and parents can watch both from the common top area. I think it will be very popular this winter.