"Winning felt very fake at first!" says Ambre Burrell, vice president of Rock-N-Road Construction out of Petersburg, Alaska. "Once we knew it wasn't a prank, we got very excited. Our guys treat every job like it's their personal home and the El Capitan Campground was no different."
Choosing a Winning System
Burrell relates that her company was awarded the project from the U.S. Forest Service to create three campsites with tables, upgrade the road system, install an outhouse, put up new signage, and build the covered pavilion. The oceanfront campground offers a scenic view of the El Capitan Passage and is located in the Tongass National Forest.
"I worked really closely with Andy Guiterrez with Rocky Mountain Snow Guards' Estimating Team and he was amazing," says Burrell. "He helped with the snow retention system's design and footage we needed and was quick to respond to any questions or concerns we had.
"We ended up installing S-5!® X-Gard™ 2.0 with N clamps and X-Clip IIs on the 26-gauge steel roof. Our Alaska winters can be pretty harsh, so making sure we have quality products is really important to us."
Need for Snow Retention
According to Austin Thomas with the USDA Forest Service, the campground on Prince of Whales Island is open all year round, with annual snow accumulation of three to five feet. The snow, which tends to be extremely heavy, shuts down the road, and during wintertime the campsite is only accessible by boat.
"This area was originally a logging camp in the early '70s," says Thomas, landscape architect for the USDA out of the Sitka Ranger District in Alaska. After the late '90s, a trail was constructed to the El Cap cave, the largest known cave in Alaska. Recreation use in the area increased the need for the U.S. Forest Service to improve this space and provide amenities for people.
"The high quality of work supplied by Rock-N-Road Construction, along with their technical skills and the right equipment, made them a perfect fit for this job," says Thomas. "They demonstrated a willingness to work with us throughout the construction process, and their team completed the work ahead of schedule."
With both the El Capitan campground project and the contest win behind them, Burrell has a solid vision for moving forward. "This was our first job for the U.S. Forest Service, and they loved the Rocky Mountain Snow Guards' products," says Burrell. "We're now working a lot of jobs with them, so I'd assume we are going to be using Rocky Mountain Snow Guards for years to come!"
