Stumbling Into Spring

Thank God May is over. We have done more today than most of May. Lots going on now that decent weather has arrived, call it crazy, but we are making improvements to the course everyday.
Areas are drying out, soil temperatures are increasing and most areas of turf have broken dormancy.
We are just getting around to mowing everything on the course and most areas are recovering well. The irrigation system has been fully pressurized and will certainly be a boost for turf conditions.
Plenty of projects going on outside of the basic day to day maintenance: re-surfacing of 3 cart path, new net installation at 5 tee, 7 tee re-build, Vail Valley Drive water mainline (water district), new bridges on 11 & 17. The only project completed is the lightning shelter near 11 green. There is some landscaping to complete in that area, which we plan to get to once the bridges are complete.

Today through Friday, we will be preparing the cart path tie-ins on 17. We are taking the opportunity to correct a few issues. By replacing all of the path from the bridge back to the tee we will be able to lower the path slightly, improve drainage aesthetics and turf conditions. Our asphalt contractor began this afternoon removing the old path. I found 6 plus inches of asphalt with some road base underneath. The old path was overlaid once and created some drainage issues on the sides of the paths. You can see how the path has failed over time with the large crack through the middle of the path.
Finally we had overnight temperatures in the low 40's last night which is rare for these parts in early June. Cloud cover tonight will lead to another warm night in the valley which will certainly help with turf conditions, yet speed up melting up in the hills. Only in Vail can you say 40 degree overnight temps are warm!

Pouring Concrete

As I mentioned in the previous post, today was a productive day. Concrete was finally poured onto the new bridges on #11 and #17.

It will take a few days for the concrete to cure and be ready to access. This week we will be organizing cart path work to be completed to tie in the new bridges to the existing cart paths.

Before the end of the day, the concrete crew was putting on the finishing touches.

Bridge and Gas Line Update

The seventeenth bridge is coming along nicely and will be complete and ready for winter foot traffic for the weekend. You can see here, metal plates are being installed to keep the wood railings into place.

Excel energy started digging yesterday to install their new gas line. The goal is to replace the old line with the new line in the exact location.

The 4 inch line was fused onto the pipe from the bridge and about the first 50 feet was dug and installed yesterday. The trench was back filled by the end of the day so it would not freeze.

Thaw blankets have been installed for another 125 feet and the ground will be ready on Friday to continue the installation on the access road between 11 & 16 greens.

By the weekend, the 17th bridge will be safely accessible for all users. After the work on Friday is complete, the installation process will not pick up again until after the holidays. Which is fine with us, because the nordic activities are the busiest and there will be no interruptions through the season.

The Final Touches on 11 Bridge

Today was the fun part. Plowing snow onto a perfectly good bridge. Mother Nature helped a bit, but we have spent the last few days moving snow with the front end loader from another site to the bridge. Due to the size of the bridge, we needed a lot of snow. The bridge is 15 feet wide and spans 44 feet in length.
Justin and Tony spent part of the morning getting the bridge into shape for skiers. By the end of the weekend it will be officially open.
Until the 17th bridge is operational, the 11th bridge will be used for skiers and foot traffic. Please obey signs. Keep it here for the completion of 17 bridge. Thanks to all of you for your patience and understanding.

Railings

The design here is similar to the bridge detail on holes 14 & 15. A lighter and fresher color wood that will be changed on the aforementioned bridges to match our new established style in the future.

Today the guys are making quick work of the railings and hope to be completed by Wednesday. Transitioning the bridges will be the final step to allow the snowcat, snowmobile and skiers to access the bridge smoothly. We are focusing on protecting the rails and locating snow to bring to the bridge for skiing.

Almost There...

The end is in sight. Yesterday by 10.30am both frames of 11 & 17 bridge were in place and they fit like a glove. To the left is the 17th being lowered into position. For video of the process, visit the video bar to the right of the page.

The 17th bridge has one slight addition, a domestic gas line, as you can see it hanging from the frame. Earlier in this project, the gas company had a problem with one of their valves on this line and it caused a small explosion. This is a supplemental line and since we are nearing the peak season for natural gas demand, XCel will begin the process of replacing that line on Tuesday. Not the greatest news with the weather, present snow and the fact we need to keep track of our new irrigation system. However, it is better than piling this on the spring.

I will have more information later this week with details of the new gas line installation. Yes, it will have some effect on our operations, however since we have spent time and money on this new bridge I feel more comfortable knowing everything with the gas line will be corrected to prevent another explosion.

As for the bridges, they are not operational yet. The railings and deck need to be secured before we allow use of the bridges. The first step is being done right now, as the metal floor is being welded onto the frame. Next, the railings will be installed and a temporary deck for the winter will be placed. Ultimately, a concrete deck will be poured as the permanent deck, but we have decided against pouring concrete this time of year. The concrete will be poured in April when the nordic season is over and nighttime temperatures are typically higher than December.

Our plan is to have the bridges operational by December 13th. Keep checking the blog for the latest details.

Moving Bridges

From the moment I first laid eyes on the bridges on the golf course I knew that these aging structures needed to be replaced. Unfortunately they fell down the priority list behind a new irrigation system and some failing retaining walls. However, today is the day we begin with the final steps of the new large bridges on the 11th and 17h holes.

Pictured here are the bottom of the rails that have already been installed. Due to the schedule of the crane company, today will be when they are placed onto the abutments. Over the next week the railings and transitions to the bridge will be finalized. They will be available for the nordic community on December 13th.

The railings have been stained and prepared for all weather conditions. You will notice how nicely they match the wood detail of the pumphouse and the new weather shelter.

Bridge Update

We're still going with the bridges and taking advantage of recent clear days in Vail. We were slowed by a few storms over the past few weeks. The snow is now here to stay, but quite a bit has melted over the last week.
The contractor has stayed busy with finalizing the abutments. The final steps are in sight now, with only the deck frames and the railings remain.
We have about 7-8 inches of snow on the ground, which is actually melting quickly. We have been able to keep access roads cleared and the workers are still productive. The goal is to have the bridges accessible by December 13th.
The nordic community is thrilled to have snow to ski on right now. Most of the track is accessible, however there are some thin spots. Over my five years here in Vail, this is the earliest we have seen snow for the winter. The bridges will be ready to go for the "meat" of the ski season.
Final touches will be completed in the spring which include tying the bridges into the cart paths. There will be some new sod to enhance areas near the bridge. The creek banks will be overseeded with native grasses and willow bushes to stabilize and enhance the creek bank.

Project Month

We had four projects begin at the golf course over the past two weeks. The 7th tee box is the big one, followed by three Gore Creek projects. On the creek we have two 44 ft bridges being replaced and a drop structure in the creek adjacent to the irrigation diversion.
Pictured here is the excavator repairing the rock formation that was wasted from the high flows in the spring time.
The top of the structure was formed with concrete and boulders. Due to the stress of the high flow, the concrete fell apart and the structure became a significant erosion problem and a recreational hazard. The downside of the structure had a large hole and the creek was undercutting the structure. If this was left alone, a sink hole would eventually form before the structure and become a serious threat to any recreational activity in the creek. This project has been corrected with approximately 100 tons of boulders placed properly with out concrete. The boulders have been placed to increase the strength of the structure and improve flow through this stretch of the creek.

Bridge Details

The lines underneath the current bridges all relate to the old irrigation system that is now inactive. They will be removed with the bridges. The new irrigation has been bored underneath the creek. The 17th bridge has a domestic gas line underneath. Before demolition of that bridge a temporary gas line will be installed. Then a new line will then be replaced within the new bridge.

Longevity and safety are the key issues with these bridges. They are being built to withstand 12 month operations for the property which include daily traffic from golf carts to tractors to snowcats. The inside width is 15 feet which leaves ample room for the snowcat and two way traffic for skiers and golfers. Railings will also be installed to prevent walkers, skiers or riders from having an accident or going over the side (We have seen enough of that over the years).

The abutments and foundation are the most critical aspect of the bridges. They are engineered to withstand just about any amount of volume coming down the Gore Creek. They will include wing walls to prevent scouring and further erosion.

Finally, with regard to aesthetics, they will match the other bridges that cross Gore Creek on the golf course for a uniform look.

The Reason

Here is a snapshot of why it is time to close down a few holes of golf this October to correct some structural problems.

Fall Work

This is a rendering of what is to come for the future of Vail Golf Club and Nordic bridges. Beginning in early October two new bridges will be installed, one on the 11th hole and the second one on the 17th hole. The new bridges will mirror the bridges located on the 14th & 15th holes.

These aging structures are in dire need of improvement. The railings will be 42" in height and will provide year round safety for all users. The clearance width will be 11 feet for all equipment to pass including a snow cat for winter grooming. New abutments will be installed and creek restoration will take place in those areas. The work is tentatively scheduled to begin October 4th and could be closed from 2-4 weeks. During this work, holes 11-17 will be closed.

The Vail Golf Club will also update the 7th tee box and correct safety issues with the retaining walls in that location. This project will interfere the most with golf. Tentatively scheduled to begin on September 27th, this project will close holes 3-7 for the remainder of the season.

There will be a variety of options for golf through October. After October 5th we will have 6 holes open for play each and every day until the snow falls. Pay attention to this blog for what is available for play. If you are a pass or punch card holder, be sure to get out here before the end of the season. Your pass will not be extended into 2011.