Senior Ryan Alderfer and some friends have miraculously constructed a giant fort. Forty-five-foot tall towers, cabins, and rope bridges can all be seen at Alderfer’s grandfather’s property. The project has been in development for about six years, and the progress is unbelievably impressive.
“We started making stuff out of trees, and then we started to build platforms in the trees, and screw boards to the trees and make little decks and connect it with walkways, [and] rope bridges,” Alderfer said.
There’s so much logistical planning that goes into building structures like the towers and cabins Alderfer and friend Nat Robinson created. Specific and expensive tools and materials are needed to properly craft a foundation strong enough to hold a person, let alone to make the amount of structures the boys have made over the years. Luckily, Alderfer’s neighbors and other community members have lent helping hands, providing sufficient materials to help the boys pursue their hobby.
“Most of the stuff we build is made out of either stuff we get, or stuff people give us, or stuff we find. But tools, we buy them over the years…I work for Travis Bahr, he does construction, and I get a lot of construction scraps. He was putting concrete siding on his house, and there was just a huge stack of concrete siding that we used for the new cabin,” Alderfer said.
The fort holds more than just tools and materials. Alderfer and Robinson have built quite the hangout spot.
“[We go] probably like two or three times a week, maybe three or four with just me and Nat Robinson. We go out there, build stuff, hang out, [eat] snacks, watch YouTube videos. We swim in the pond, we fish, lots of campouts, and cookouts,” Alderfer said.
While the towers and cabins themselves are impressive, the view from atop the trees captures a lot more than the woods, creating a scenic image of the busy bustle of Rolla. The cedar trees Alderfer’s fort is built upon are on the shorter side of the woodland saplings in the area, allowing for a clear view across the branches.
“You can see above the trees. It’s awesome. Once you get above [the cedar trees], you can see out into a kind of valley. You can see through two different hills into town where the water tower is,” Alderfer said.
To be able to picture something cool and then gather the supplies to make it a reality is something that not everyone can do, especially not this successfully. The time Alderfer and Robinson have spent out in the woods has found some larger purpose in both of their lives beyond being just a pass-time.
“The design process is very useful to be familiar with in engineering. Being able to solve problems with real world solutions, and not just theoretical math. Working on a budget and being able to use what you have to meet your goal [has] definitely given me some valuable skills,” Alderfer said.