Dawson Lake Progress : December 10, 2009 : First driveway goes in

Here are a few pics of the first driveway going in at Dawson Lake. This will be used to access the 1st home that architect Ole Sondresen has desiged and Bob Chamberland and his carpentry crew will build over the next few months.

Notice the white out condition in the first picture below, taken during one of the snow squalls that passed by with some 45mph winds this morning.

To build the driveway required building up the road with the excess dirt taken from a second drive that will be built just up the road. The dirt is then spread with the dozer and then compacted with the vibrating roller. The drive will then be stoned a little later on before construction begins.

- Richard Grist

Dawson Lake Progress : December 7, 2009 : Winter comes to Dawson Lake

The first week of December brought rain, ice, wind and snow to the Dawson Lake project but Bob Chamberland and crew continued to stay busy winding up the work around the dam. Read below for more information.

- Richard Grist

{above & below} The crew is putting the finishing touches on the top of the trash screen that the crew set in place on Sunday. The galvanized steel screen sits atop the standpipe that runs about 40' to the bottom of the dam. A portable acetylene torch was brought in to cut the necessary holes in the top.

{above} The crew was putting the last of 20 quad axle dump truck loads of rip rap limestone (650 tons) on the face of the dam. This has been a long and tedious process that covered the entire 800' length of the dam.

Dawson Lake Progress : Nov 6, 2009 : Dam all done!

Thursday was a banner day for Bob Chamberland and crew at Dawson Lake. The last of over 3000 loads of material was put in place and the dam was completed.

These pictures show the last load of material being laid down and compacted and also the standpipe and finished dam from different view points.

Congratulations Bob on an outstanding job!

- Richard Grist

Rick + Cindy Lazes

Richard Lazes and his wife Cindy, founders of Dawson Lake, have been working for twenty-five years on this project. During this period, Dawson Lake has developed a heartbeat, a rhythm and a purpose, truly becoming a labor of love. Their vision for the property has been evolving during this period and we hope that new residents at Dawson Lake will share their enthusiasm for this exciting lakefront community.

Dawson Lake Progress : Oct 14, 2009

All is going great with the progress at Dawson Lake, the back side of the dam is just about completed and the front is just week's away from completion. Fall coloration will peak this coming weekend and time for jackets, hats and hoods.

This week Bob and crew are getting some help from a high track D-8 Cat dozer with a ripper to put in the spillway for the dam. This machine weighs in around 100,000 lbs and has plenty of torque to get through the solid rock. Instead of drilling and shooting, the ripper on the back of the dozer breaks up the rock so it can be moved.

Up on top of the mountain, near the lodge site, Beckley Blasting has been put to work drilling and shooting a section of road through solid rock. This will be a nice piece of road upon completion. The steep ground does not leave much working room for the track drill. Notice the small white bags, they are filled with fertilizer and will be tamped into each hole with some diesel fuel along with a blasting cap and wire and then the blaster will holler "Fire in the Hole!!".

Tatco Trucking continues to deliver the sand for the key way being installed inside the dam. The key way is just about complete with just a few more loads to go.

The newest addition to the Dawson Lake project is a nice Komatsu dozer, spreading the dirt while water is applied to keep the moisture level in the required compaction range of 16-20%. Notice the stand pipe is just about level with the ground, there is about 30 feet of pipe not showing now. One more 8' section of pipe to be added before completion.

- Richard Grist