Danger Zone

Well here it is, end of work week. And by work week I don't mean "Oh, it's our normal 5-day work week" I mean "Holy crap, there's nearly 300 people here to do stuff. Why does that guy have a welding torch? And you want me to do what?"
I'm the ropes intern for the summer (yee haw) and the Tower and Swing interns, David and John, joined me in doing all of our summer prep, so for the past four days we've been up to our ears in ropes and high element management, along with one trusty summer staff alum and Matt Knauer, the only one who actually knew what he was doing. Day two of work week had us cutting down a nearly 300 foot zipline at the ropes course and replacing it, along with the 12' x 12' net it runs through. Sounds fairly simple. Ha. After we had it set up we made David be the first to ride on the new cable. He was a little nervous, for good reason. It's over 50' high at the jump off.
Day three found us at our giant swing, replacing two of the four drop cables that hold the swing in place. This requires someone to lobster claw up a side tree to the two top cables (height: 60') then place their lobster claws and a rappel rope onto the top cable and pull themselves out to the connecting point of the drop cable (leading to the swing) where they undo the drop cable from the top cable, then rappel back down to earth. Only to go back up to put in the new cable..and this had to be done on both sides. We got it done cleanly and correctly the first time, with the injuries being the minor ones that come from having a job dealing with 3/4" galvanized aircraft cable. Sure. We also had to put in a safety net around the swing platform (nicknamed "The Beth Net" in honor of our dear Beth Williams) which required drilling holes completely through trees about 20 feet up while standing on a shaky, janky ass aluminium house ladder. We did end up putting in staples because the ladder was so bad, and we had to get even higher up in the tree. So then we were standing on a janky ass ladder, pounding giant staples into trees with a sledgehammer. The Beth Net took almost a whole day in and of itself, but we finished it this morning and laid in it to make sure it was safe. It is, and its kind of comfortable. Here's to you, Beth Net. Then back to the ropes course to move the net at the zipline up one foot, which took, oh, two hours (also required drilling holes completely through trees. The bit is two and a half feet long).
All week Igot to use terms like, "Let's swedge it," Which is a pair of pliers that, when opened fully, the legs are five feet apart and the mouth opens maybe an inch. It's a TIIIIIIGHT pinch but it creates this ridiculously safe cable closure. I also used cable cutters, which look like hedge trimmers on 'roids. I could put the cable in them and throw my whole body on them as hard as I could and the cable would just say, "Oww." If I wanted to cut a cable it'd take me a good four tries and by then it looked like I'd gummed it to death. Oh well. I have new respect for 3/4" GAC and electrical tape.
I think there is dirt permanently etched into the creases on my palms. I washed 'em I swear.