Topic: East Lake Toilet Install, Oct 26, 2013

[BigMike]

East Lake Toilet Install, Dusy/Ershim
Marlin just got back from the Dusy/Ershim trail where he helped Four Wheel Drive club of Fresno install a toilet at East Lake. East Lake is the 3rd of 6 natural High Sierra lakes along the 30+ mile trail, located just before the halfway point of the trail. Over the last two years the club has been busy building and installing toilets along the trail thanks in part to a $5,000 BFG trail grant. This has been loooong over due for the East Lake campground and we hope you'll find it rather useful on your next visit to our beautiful Dusy/Ershim trail!
(86 images)

Check out how loaded down the Crawler Truck was! And this is a (bobbed) long bed!	Check out how loaded down the Crawler Truck was! And this is a (bobbed) long bed!	Gas prices at Shaver Lake have dropped quite a bit!	Reached Courtright Reservoir
Got up early Friday morning, getting all the parts of the toilet loaded up	Loading up Friday morning. Marlin carried three pieces: the main floor, a wall, and a roof piece! The trailer alone weighs 900 pounds - this was a heavy load!!	Loading up Friday morning. Marlin carried three pieces: the main floor, a wall, and a roof piece! The trailer alone weighs 900 pounds - this was a heavy load!!	Loading up Friday morning. Marlin carried three pieces: the main floor, a wall, and a roof piece! The trailer alone weighs 900 pounds - this was a heavy load!!
Loading up Friday morning. Marlin carried three pieces: the main floor, a wall, and a roof piece! The trailer alone weighs 900 pounds - this was a heavy load!! Here is Marlin illustrating how exhausted the Crawler Truck is going to be ha ha	Loading up Friday morning. Marlin carried three pieces: the main floor, a wall, and a roof piece! The trailer alone weighs 900 pounds - this was a heavy load!!	Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers	Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers
Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers	Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers	Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers	Other rigs loading up parts of the toilet onto their trailers

[BigMike [OP]]

Daylight finally hit as the group passed through Voyager Campground	Stopping to regroup near the north-east end of Courtright.	Stopping to regroup near the north-east end of Courtright.	Stopping to regroup near the north-east end of Courtright.
		Snow atop Thompson Hill. Marlin said Thompson Hill was really difficult this time of year, and having the trailer made it that much harder. It has been a long time since the Crawler Truck has had to work so hard.	Here is the toilet we installed at Thompson Lake just over a year ago, October 20, 2013. It looked like it's been holding up just fine
The group got to East Lake Friday afternoon and made camp. Here we are waking up Saturday morning.	The group got to East Lake Friday afternoon and made camp. Here we are waking up Saturday morning.	The group got to East Lake Friday afternoon and made camp. Here we are waking up Saturday morning.	The group got to East Lake Friday afternoon and made camp. Here we are waking up Saturday morning.
The group got to East Lake Friday afternoon and made camp. Here we are waking up Saturday morning. Ed had gone up earlier in the week and had the hole 100% ready to go. HUGE THANKS Ed!	The floor is down, now the fun begins!	Cutting the main hole. The Sona tube and vent have been installed beneath the floor, and dirt filled in around the tube.	Robert gets to take the first set on the new throne

[BigMike [OP]]

First wall going up!
Marlin cut a round hole this time! ha ha ha			The Crawler Truck was on site providing AC electricity for a few power tools.
Hello Marlin!	Walls are done!	Walls are done! Nice bunny ears Bob!! Ha Ha	Jerry works the come-along in preparation for the roof pieces.
	Roof pieces are going up!	Roof pieces going up!	Roof pieces are going up!

[BigMike [OP]]

Roof pieces are going up!	Roof pieces are going up!
Lower side vent install	Lower side vent install	Lower side vent install	Lower side vent install
Lower side vent install	Lower side vent install	Lower side vent install, done!	Roof just about done!
All done! NICE WORK TEAM!	All done! NICE WORK TEAM!	All done! NICE WORK TEAM!	All done! NICE WORK TEAM! On this toilet we installed new front support beams to help with snow weight bearing. This was not part of the original design and is why it looks a bit off. We have seen a roof crack above the entrance so these new beams are being planned to be incorporated in new future toilets

[BigMike [OP]]

Constructed and Maintained by the Four Wheel Drive Club of Fresno -- America's second oldest 4WD club!	Ready for use!	Ready for use!	Ready for use!
The fish were really biting at East Lake, even this late in the season!	Check out the AWESOME table Ed built while he was up there waiting for the group. WOW!	Check out the AWESOME table Ed built while he was up there waiting for the group. WOW!	Check out the AWESOME table Ed built while he was up there waiting for the group. WOW!
Check out the AWESOME table Ed built while he was up there waiting for the group. WOW!	Nothing is as awesome after a hard day's work as sitting around the warm camp fire with friends! Fire restrictions in our forest were lifted earlier this week.	Dinner!	Marlin said the freshly caught fish were EXCELLENT!
Here we are Sunday morning. These two remaining beams are going to be installed to the lower level Thompson Lake toilet.	Everyone is ready to head back out! Hanging out one final moment before hitting the trail-	Everyone is ready to head back out! Hanging out one final moment before hitting the trail-	Everyone is ready to head back out! Hanging out one final moment before hitting the trail-

[BigMike [OP]]

Everyone is ready to head back out! Hanging out one final moment before hitting the trail-	These high sierra meadows (closer to 10,000 feet elevation) are bring green early in the season. It's common to find deer and cattle roaming.	Check out the ice!	Adding the new support beams to the lower toilet at Thompson Lake
Adding the new support beams to the lower toilet at Thompson Lake	Thank you to everyone for a great, successful trip! Looking forward to wheeling the Dusy with the new toilet next season, August 2014! -Marlin Crawler

[toyyota]

Nice job men!!!I can't wait to give a deposit...

[BigMike [OP]]

Ha ha ha a "deposit"

[Wainiha]

It's just a pit, no tank?  French drain style. 

I don't suppose you have cesspool pump truck w/ 4x and a crawl box.

What a great excuse to go wheeling.  Community Service.

[mountainguyed67]

I went in a couple days early and dug the hole(jackhammer is in the wooden box).




There was a mess of roots.




Ran into rocks and had to scoot the hole over.






























Installing roofing.

[BigMike [OP]]

Great pics Ed! I couldn't believe how you had already prepared the hole before everyone got up there! Impressive

[Cheesemaker]

Has anyone thought about contacting offroad magazines about what it takes to put and maintain the toilets on the trails?   Just something I thought about when I was looking in the newest issue of Toyota4WDOwner today.   Maybe it will show what it means to be part of a 4x4 group/club, and some of their responsibilities.  And what they go through to help keep the trails maintained and open for the rest of us to enjoy throughout the year.

I know that Rick Pewe from Peterson's name drops MarlinCrawler quite a bit.  And Toyota4WDOwner and Crawl always seem short on articles like this. 

[mountainguyed67]

I submitted something for last years Thompson project, it went here(page 8-9). I suppose we could do another one and submit it to more magazines.
http://content.yudu.com/Library/A20c41/UFWDAVoiceDecember20/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fus-mg6.mail.yahoo.com%2Fneo%2Flaunch