The Work Begins
The Beginning of the Adventure
As soon as the sale was closed and the county handed over the keys to the main gate, we jumped right into action! Our goals for the first weekend were to start surveying the property in detail and to secure as much as possible. Time was not on our side and the first snows were likely less than a month away, so we needed to get as much done as quickly as we could.
Security
Ever since the property had been abandoned, trespassers had become a huge concern. And who can blame them, it really is an awesome location to explore! But vandals had destroyed so much of the property already, including smashing out every single glass window. Doors had been kicked in, drywall smashed and ripped to pieces, and even toilets and sinks had been smashed on the roadways creating hazards for vehicles. And that's not even to mention all of the other hazards around the base for both workers and trespassers alike. There were buildings with floors and roofs that had collapsed, open manhole covers, and various pipes and posts hidden in the weeds. We needed to get this under control before we could even hope to begin any serious repair work, otherwise we risked it all being destroyed again. Our first step was to fence off all of the known entrance points to the property and add dozens of new "No Trespassing" signs all along the borders. Banners with our contact information and details of our work were also strung up at several entrance points. We also installed numerous security cameras around the property. We want the property to be open to the public again soon, but we need the trespassing to stop so we can get to that point.
Documentation
With all of the work ahead of us, we knew we would need a lot more detailed information than just what was included with the sale. We needed to know exactly what condition all of the 76+ buildings were in, what repairs were needed, what condition the infrastructure was in, and what our realistic goals could be for the first year. So while one team was hanging signs and installing fences, another set about documenting everything. We started mapping out buildings, photographing damage, measuring window frames, inspecting storm drains, GPS mapping the property lines and roadways, and poking around every square inch of the property.
