Building of the Great Wall

What took centuries to complete in China but only five days in McCall??? Now of course, the Great McCall Wall had the assistance of modern tools being used in ways their manufacturers’ never would have imagined. So here is the tale of how the Wonder of China made an appearance at Hearthstone in McCall, Idaho.

Late last summer, it was announced that the theme for the 42nd Annual McCall Winter Carnival would be Wonders of the World. This much anticipated announcement jump started the creative minds of Hearthstone’s father and son snow sculpting team, Larry and Asa Nims. It wasn’t long before The Great Wall of China was visualized in the back yards of several Hearthstone homes; clay models followed drawings as the autumn approached. By the time New Years’ Day had passed, Larry and Asa had their team of slushers and sculptors assembled; many, who are repeat Hearthstone sculptors from Carnival’s passed.

The first ingredient to every sculpture is snow. Mother Nature was not providing the quantity that had been hoped for or was evident a year ago. Thanks goodness, Curtis Nall, Hearthstones’ maintenance guru also owns AND knows how to operate a front loader. Operation Snow soon commenced with Curt, and his faithful dog, Spanky, spending 10 hours moving the needed snow (and it has to be clean snow) to the desired location. For those of you who may have once seen the large Hearthstone Entrance sign…. Curt buried it.

Next, arrive the team and their tools. Hailing from Harpster, Kooskia, Kamiah, Clearwater, Grangeville and Moscow to the north, and a few from Boise and even three from McCall, the total of 15 began to arrive on Monday with a lofty goal of completing The Wall before the Judges arrive at 8 am on Friday, yes, the same week. So what do you use to build the Great Wall in McCall?? How about moving snow with a hay bale conveyor, or mixing slush with a mortar mixer. I think Jimmy Buffett could learn a new technique for his margaritas from our slushmakers. A small snowblower accompanied by a garden hose on the spray setting, can make an expert flocker out of anyone, and that is how the inside of the tower was covered. A circular saw and a crosscut saw are just a few of the other tools of this trade. Prior to their arrival, the rebar frames for the three Chinese guards were wired together and then covered with white athletic tape. No wood can be used to support the sculptures although rebar and chicken wire can help as long as they are not visible.

The early stages were moving snow and slush, and we watched as The Wall took shape. All day on Thursday, eight year old, Hannah Gersema aided Liz Clark as they worked tirelessly on the Chinese Guards. Hannah’s parents, George and Mary, thought she would last an hour out in the cold; the passion for the project was contagious and Hannah joined in for the day in spite of the temperatures. The Gersema’s have been Hearthstone owners for a couple of years, and I think they will be back for the Carnival next year if Hannah has a say.

In total, the sculpture is about 200 feet long, 25 feet tall, took 300 man and woman hours to complete, and it won Second Prize. From the Model Home, I have a wonderful view of our Great Wall, and I would guess that no less than 250 children have enjoyed scaling The Wall all for a photo at the top of their own Guard Tower. Come by and see it, it may melt by July….

Verna Vanis