Greetings from Montgomery Creek home for Mark and 600 other people!

 

Montgomery Creek is a beautiful area in nothern California northeast of Redding.  Mark has lived here for almost 2 years and bought a piece of property in April. We were going to camp at his place but plans had to be changed.   The road is fine, just a a few branches need to be trimmed, but the turn into the dirt drive needs to be widened and leveled.  We have stayed in a state park and also in private campgounds.



Route 299 about a mile from the road to his place.

There are other houses along this private road and everyone has to pay a yearly fee for road maintainance.

He had sent us this picture back in April when buying was still a dream!

No one has ever lived on the land so there is much work to be done. Mark has completed so many projects already.  He is a hardworker! While Chris was here we spend two days helping him. We have cleared a path to the creek which included cutting down 20 small trees and cleared an area that was a 25 foot circle filled with blackberry bushes and a partially dead willow tree. Phil and I continued to help after Chris flew home.

 

Mark and a friend built this cabin in 4 days.  The inside is still unfinished but it does provide shelter for him.

 

Mark had moved this stones to built the dam so the creek would be deeper for a swimming/bathing area.  Chris helped him trim the dead branches and add a few rocks to the wall.  The water is refreshing after a hot day but very cold!

 

Path through the woods to the creek is almost done.  Phil & I will help clear the path to the cabin.

 

The big bushy area on the right side took 2 days to clear.

 

Now the pine tree, front right, has room to grow and Mark has three piles to burn this fall after the burn ban is lifted.

 

Chris digging up and dragging out black berry bushes.  

A friend gave him three farrow pigs and they live in this pen on wheels, called a tractor pen which Mark built.  Once they clear an area he hooks up the tractor and drags the pen to the next spot.  The pigs will be butchered before winter.



Pigs are doing a good job!

Needless to say we have enjoyed our time here helping Mark and we are not done yet! We will not be going to Yesomite National Park due to the forest fire so that means we will be visiting that park and Sequoia National Park next year.   We will be here until September 9th when we start the drive home.