We started by hacking and clearing a path from the edge of the wood beside the track to the clearing underneath Rai (the electric pylon). Didn't take too long and we were soon nursing an infant fire with our new kettle on the go.
Next came the creation of our first set of steps - to get from our "camp" area, up the muddy bank into what we have started calling the south valley (it's really only another dip in the bumpy clearing, but it is further south and has the stream running through it). It was obvious the deer use the bank in the same place as there was a ton of prints and slot marks where they have been scrambling up the side - I hope our new steps haven't made life harder for them. Whilst clearing the Rhodies from the bank we also uncovered a number of mouse or vole holes and even saw one of the wood mice scuttling between the undergrowth a few times whilst we were having our brew. He didn't seem to mind us being there at all and tomorrow we will be building a wood wall in front which will give him back some of his protective cover as well as giving us a bay shaped campfire seating area (if the plan works anyway!).The boss made good use of his chopper to take down an almost dead, storm-damaged silver birch which was resting dangerously on a nearby healthy tree and so it had to come down. Some of the wood was then used to create a 4' square "bunker" for our old tools so we don't have to keep carrying them in and out of the wood. Not very secure, but we figure if people want to go to the effort of finding, uncovering, removing and carrying a bunch of old garden tools out the steep banks to steal them, then they clearly need them more than we do.
Can't wait until tomorrow, when we put in the second set of steps from the top of the clearing down the opposite bank into camp. It's a windy path and steeper, but we have worked out how to make them now so should be a breeze. I can't wait.
