Video by Dave Everett
Trails boss Dave Everett was headed out to do some work on the Romero Trail on Tuesday morning when he came across a big commotion on Camino Cielo. “I stopped and watched a giant helicopter fly in and carry an excavator and materials down into the canyon,” he said. “A really well-orchestrated process by what seems to be a really experienced team, quite something to watch.”
The double-bladed Chinook was moving equipment — including a 14-ton “walking” excavator — down into San Ysidro Canyon, part of the work by the Project for Resilient Communities to clear debris from behind one of the ring nets across San Ysidro Creek. As the helicopter slowly pulled the cables upward, it found the excavator to be so heavy that the crew had to remove the bucket before the Chinook could fly it down the canyon.
Everett, who often volunteers his time to construct and reconstruct Santa Barbara’s hiking trails, shot video of the operation, during which the digger dangled beneath the helicopter like a gigantic marionette. The excavator is lifted at the 22:30 minute mark above.
