Over The Hills and Through The Woods

First let me say that I loved the times I spent with my grandparents as a young child. I have very fond memories! We watched The Price is Right( love it), played in the shed in the backyard, helped in the garden, and explored in the stream at the side of the property. These memories will stick with me forever and I would not change it for the world.

Lets fast forward to the present and talk about Luke and Meghan's Pawpaw and Grammy. The kids get to do all the "normal" grand childern stuff with them. Grammy makes the kids favorite foods and PawPaw takes the kids on tractor rides. Over the past two days they have taken a step towards the Grandparent Hall of Fame. After taking a drive to the Chambersburg pumptrack they said I think we should build our own pumptack on the property. WHAT!? You heard me right! So check out these pictures of the Wellsville Pumptrack built by Daddy, Luke, and most importantly PawPaw.

"You mean we have to build it". This is what the site looked like at the start.

Luke and I started to move some heavy rocks that would help support our berms! The Kabota is one of the tractors used in the build.

PawPaw would get to use the best toy of all! Special thanks to Mert for the use of his skidloader!

Once PawPaw got used to the loader he was moving dirt and I was shaping and tamping! Here we go!

Having a skidloader made the job go alot faster then I thought it would. This photo was taken a few hours after we started moving dirt and the lower half of the track is taking shape.

As we finished the lower portion a TEST PIOLET appeared out of no where! He was a pretty good rider! Notice he has changed out of his work clothes. He was in ride mode now.

Day one of work was in the books and we had 3/4 of the track done and all the rest of the dirt in place to finish in the morning. Pretty lucky kid in that photo!

Early on day two the track was in and the riding had begun. In the above picture Luke is going over a small table top jump/roller. Check out those turns!

Luke taking a short rest in the top section of the track! Yes, that is a burn pile in the middle! Yes, it is on fire! No, he did not ride into it!

Coming out of the biggest turn on the track Luke was practicing his jumping on the table top. Check out the face!! Charlie have you ever gotten that kind of air?

PawPaw thinking I hope he doesn't hit that tree!

Not many grandfathers are trying this! Check out that style, it just goes for miles!
The look on his face says it all! Luke was on cloud nine! Grammy and PawPaw words really cannot express how much it means to me that you would do this for the kids. Know that you have created a place were these kids will return to long after the track itself is gone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!