New Dining Hall Project

Now that summer camp is going strong, our staff and volunteers are shifting their energy to building the new dining hall. The hills have been moved to create a level parking surface and grass has been planted. Also, we are finishing the mechanical so that all the walls can be drywalled. 

Roger Camerer and Hez Miller work together to raise the beams into place at the new dining hall. Because of the beam's size, they had to be placed into position in pieces because of the weight and height off the ground. 

Stan Diers (photo) and others prepared the beams which will hang in the dining hall. The goal is: place the beams in the center dining area in the next couple of weeks. This is a difficult job because of the height and weight of the beams. Mark Grindahl will coordinate the project and many volunteers are needed.  

Each one of us has a different God-given skill and Dan Ogren (on the left), a volunteer from the Twin Cities, is using his previous contracting experience by providing consultation with the construction of the new Timber Ridge Dining Hall. He has recruited an interior design team and worked with our architects from Minneapolis. It is because of people like Dan and many others that are making this project such a success. 

Once you get your food from inside the spacious dining hall, you walk out one of the four sets of doors onto the deck which will be completed later. The scenic view from the deck extends for miles and it will be a wonderful location for conversations. If the weather is cold, then sit back next to one of the fireplaces and enjoy a warm cup of coffee. This building is becoming a reality and for decades it will serve as a main ministry center for Timber Ridge camp.

This past week the fire doors were installed in the main section of the dining hall. There are two large doors that extend the width of the building and hang from the ceilings. Installation of the doors took large lifts and significant welding. Volunteer electricians wired the doors and they were tested to meet building code standards.  

This past week Marty Walker, a partner with Trout, and others helped finish the cement floor in the basement of the dining hall. 90 yards was poured to a thickness of 4" and it took three days to complete. Thank you to Marty Walker and the guys from Berean who helped with this pour.

The crew is finishing the insulation on the vaulted ceilings so that the emergency fire doors can be installed next week. Also, a volunteer team will help prepare the in-floor heating system in the basement. The plan is to have the in-floor heating installed next week so that the lower floor, which is cement, can be poured. If you haven't seen this building, you should definitely see it first-hand. It will be a great place for ministry.

The dining hall has been enclosed for the winter which means our electricians and sound techs can pull the wiring in a warm building. The first layer of insulation has been sprayed and interior walls are being erected. Also, the cement floor in the kitchen has been poured. Mark and Al are busy building the stairs so that workers can access all three levels of the dining hall.

It has been a busy week at Timber Ridge. Our plumbers and volunteers are working on trenching in the pipes for the kitchen and our block layer, Doug Carlson, has been working on the side fireplace. Unfortunately, the weather has been cool and rainy which has delayed the installation of the roof. The roofers will return next week to complete the installation. 

The areas above the roofline on the fireplaces have the stone work completed.  We are now waiting for the windows and roof material to arrive. Our goal is to have the building enclosed before the snow flies. Also, many volunteers made it possible for the sidewalks to be poured this Saturday. The cement will be placed around the exterior of the building.

The trusses are up on the new dining hall and the sheeting is being applied. It is an amazing view from the top of the hill at Timber Ridge and we are pleased with the progress that is being made. 

Karen was surfing her home church’s web site and clicked the link to Trout Lake Camps. She noticed on our web site that we are in the process of constructing a new dining hall. Since she had several weeks off of work, she called Mark Grindahl, our Maintenance Director who coordinates volunteers, and volunteered over two weeks of her time. 

The great news about Karen is she is a “heavy equipment operator” and is helping us out in a major way. Her skills with heavy equipment help reduce the total cost of the project as well as speed up the construction timeline.

Thanks Karen for your hard work!

Volunteers and workers are building the main fire place which sits between the serving area and main dining area. The structure is massive (approximately 20' long and over 30' tall). It will take about 5 days to complete the structure and will be finished after the roof is constructed. Thanks for helping make this project possible. 

This week a 120-ton crane with a 167' beam is installing the prestressed concrete floor. The prestressed concrete floor is 8" thick and varies in length (up to 24' long). This portion of the project takes three days to complete and when it is complete the center fireplace structure will be erected. These are exciting days at Timber Ridge.

This past week the foundation was backfilled and we are preparing to pour the cement on the lower level. This work has been completed by numerous volunteers and some paid sub-contractors. Mark Grindahl is doing a great job managing the project as he works with our architects, state and county regulators, sub-contractors and the numerous volunteers who offer their time to Trout. 

It is wonderful to see the progress on the new dining hall and thanks for all your support financially and through volunteer help.

This week the concrete block walls are being put into place. Doug, Marty and others are helping lay the foundation. The project is well underway and it is exciting to see progress.

Kenny Elg and Mark Grindahl are marking out the location of the new dining hall at Timber Ridge. This building will seat 280 guests with over 10,060 square feet on the main floor. Over the next several weeks the dirt is going to be flying and the foundations will be poured. These are exciting days at Trout Lake Camps.