As readers of this blog know, Hurricane Irene (August 28, 2011) did quite a number on Biscuit Creek. It ran a new channel for 100 yards just prior to the place where it runs under the bridge by the Administration Office. It pulled in and destroyed Pigeon Lodge. It nearly took out the bridge that we've always used to walk and drive from the main part of camp across the stream to the area where Biscuit Lodge, Reflection Pond, and the Castle are situated. This morning, a gorgeous day, I took a few shots to give you a sense of what we've done to fix up the area here. First, above, we are looking southward and down Biscuit Creek toward the Nerversink; my back was to the bridge and Olympic Circle and what used to be the Biscuit Creek falls and Pigeon Lodge. You can see how we've had to landscape Biscuit Creek here; it took out a section of the ground on the right or west side of the photo, including a beautiful garden the office staff had built.
Next, above, we look north, from the bridge toward where the falls used to be - with Olympic Circle and Smith Lodge (off camera) to our left, where Pigeon Lodge used to be to our right. And you can see, in the background off to the right, the lodge we built - with financial support from many folks reading this blog - to replace Pigeon. The new home of the CITs: Leadership Lodge. You can see that it is designed to look like Biscuit and indeed to imitate the Forstmann style of both Biscuit and Pigeon Lodges.
Here, above, is another view of the same area. Now I'm standing behind the Ad Office/Welcome Center, looking a little to my right/eastward: there's the bridge, Olympic Circle to the left, Biscuit Lodge where it always ways, Pigeon Lodge and some trees gone, and, in the backtround, the new Leadership Lodge.
Now I pivot a little to my left and there is your classic morning view from the Ad Office in summer: the buses parked in front of Smith Lodge, Hayden behind them further away, the flagpole, Margetts Lodge (the old "rec hall") and, in the background, one of the peaks of Doubletop Mountain seen between Smith and Hayden. The grass had been getting brown but has greened up the last day or so after a soaking rain we got the other night.
