Lucky Peak Gets a “Fence-Lift”: Volunteers Unite to Raise the Rails!

By Heidi Ware Carlisle, IBO Education and Outreach Director

Volunteers Worked to Replace Railings at IBO’s Lucky Peak Station

This summer we sent out a request to our volunteer email list for much-needed help rebuilding some railings at our Lucky Peak camp. If you’ve been an IBO fan for a while, you might remember our huge camp upgrade in 2010, when we added the large visitor camping area, a yurt, and three wall tents. After more than ten years and winters under heavy snowfall, the camp’s railings had definitely seen better days.

They were falling apart left and right!

three young men sit together on a fence railing. In the background a woman swings a wiffle ball bat while others stand in pitcher's position and first base — Some of the “wear and tear” on the old railings wasn’t from the weather (haha!). Lucky Peak technicians in 2012 used the railings as bleachers during wiffle ball tournaments. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle

Within hours of sending out the call for volunteers, two different folks replied saying they would sign up for the job. Oops! But it was a good problem to have! I replied telling them about the conundrum and offered that they could do rock-paper-scissors to see who would take on the project. Luckily, by pure coincidence, it turned out that our two enthusiastic responders Liz Cody and Scott Urban already knew each other!

They worked it out and decided to team up on the project!

scott and liz stand next to partially built railings. a toolbox, post hole digger, work gloves, and thermos are scattered around the work area — Volunteers Scott Urban (L) and Liz Cody (R) spend a summer day working on the new railings at Lucky Peak. Photo Credit: Liz and Clyde Cody

Hard work, and a Job Well Done

Over the course of the fall season, you’d often find Liz and Clyde Cody with Scott up at the peak hard at work. They used fallen branches from the forest surrounding camp to handcraft custom railings. And boy, did they do a fantastic job!

the new railings are partially finished but still missing some croassbars. a pile of logs sits nearby and the edge of the green songbird banding yurt is partly visible — Liz, Clyde, and Scott worked on the railings throughout our fall season. Photo Credit: Liz and Clyde Cody

We so appreciate their dedication to these efforts. This project was too big for any of us to take on during our busy fall season (and pretty far beyond most of our carpentry skill levels!) so we were grateful for their hard work.

a view of Lucky Peak's main camping pad, with the large kitchen wall tent in the background. Around the edge of the camping area are freshly built railings made from douglas fir logs — Construction on the railings nears completion. Photo Credit: Liz and Clyde Cody

We’re sure these railings will stand the test of time, and enhance the visitor experience at our research station.

Be sure to admire them when you visit us at Lucky Peak next year!

Clyde stands next to a railing built from raw douglas fir logs. in the background is Lucky Peak's main camp with douglas fir trees and bitter cherry shrubs. most of the shrubs are leafless in the late fall weather — Clyde Cody puts the finishing touches on the railings near the Lucky Peak yurt. Photo Credit: Liz and Clyde Cody

We’re currently looking for volunteers who can help with Lucky Peak setup and takedown each fall. Ideally we’d love to have a few folks who could “learn the ropes” and help lead these efforts in future years. If that sounds like you, add your name to our volunteer email list and let us know.

Thank You Liz, Clyde, and Scott!

This article is part of our 2023 end of the year newsletter! View the full newsletter here, or click “older posts” below to read the next article.

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