Touchstone Blog Archive
Friday, October 1, 2010
New Pool at Diablo Rock Gym
Diablo Rock Gym in Concord now has access to a heated indoor pool. Partnering with Aquatech, one of the premier swim schools in the bay area, Diablo will have full time access to the lap pool with classes coming soon.
You can also visit Aquatech during office hours to check in, register for programs, ask questions, change schedules or find out specifics for events and clinics.
Russell Olsen, the Touchstone Director of Facility Operations, spent the summer supervising the building the pool.
Originally the pool was used for scuba diving lessons and it was 15 feet deep in the middle and four feet on the side. He filled the pool in so it is now a 4 foot deep lap pool. The task involved a lot of research on pools, chemicals, and concrete.
Come check out the new pool and do some laps!
Diablo Rock Gym in Concord now has access to a heated indoor pool. Partnering with Aquatech, one of the premier swim schools in the bay area, Diablo will have full time access to the lap pool with classes coming soon.
You can also visit Aquatech during office hours to check in, register for programs, ask questions, change schedules or find out specifics for events and clinics.
Russell Olsen, the Touchstone Director of Facility Operations, spent the summer supervising the building the pool.
Originally the pool was used for scuba diving lessons and it was 15 feet deep in the middle and four feet on the side. He filled the pool in so it is now a 4 foot deep lap pool. The task involved a lot of research on pools, chemicals, and concrete.
Come check out the new pool and do some laps!
Labels: Aquatech, Diablo Rock Gym, Russell Olsen
¶ Friday, October 01, 2010 0 Comments
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Russell Olsen: Touchstone Pooh-Bah
Russel Olsen, has been working for Touchstone for the past ten years, beginning as a sub contractor when they began building Sacramento Pipeworks. After helping to remodel Mission Cliffs, Russel joined Touchstone at the Director of Facility Operations.
Russell, along with his wife of three years Michelle and his nine month old daughter Morgan, spends as much time as he can outside, hiking and sea kayaking. He guides sea kayaking tours once a month.
Russell painting the stencils on the stack at the Oakland Gym.
He's currently finishing up the pool project in Concord. Originally the pool was used for scuba diving lessons and it was 15 feet deep in the middle and four feet on the side. He filled the pool in so it is now a 4 foot deep lap pool. The task involved a lot of research on pools, chemicals, and concrete.
Russell with his daughter
One of reason why he works for Touchstone is, "I get to do a lot of various things, and work with a lot of different people." He's done all the construction from demolishing the old San Jose gym to helping with the upcoming expansion of the Mission Cliffs bouldering area and building the new gym in Fresno.
Russell, along with his wife of three years Michelle and his nine month old daughter Morgan, spends as much time as he can outside, hiking and sea kayaking. He guides sea kayaking tours once a month.
Russell painting the stencils on the stack at the Oakland Gym.
He's currently finishing up the pool project in Concord. Originally the pool was used for scuba diving lessons and it was 15 feet deep in the middle and four feet on the side. He filled the pool in so it is now a 4 foot deep lap pool. The task involved a lot of research on pools, chemicals, and concrete.
Russell with his daughter
One of reason why he works for Touchstone is, "I get to do a lot of various things, and work with a lot of different people." He's done all the construction from demolishing the old San Jose gym to helping with the upcoming expansion of the Mission Cliffs bouldering area and building the new gym in Fresno.
Labels: Facility Operations, Russell Olsen, Sacramento Pipeworks
¶ Wednesday, September 22, 2010 0 Comments
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Great Western Pacific Works Bigwall Facelift
This past week Great Western Power Company's 150' smokestack was enhanced. With the consultation of Oakland's Ray Peretti and graphics designed by San Francisco's Mark Getty, Touchstone only needed someone to scale the mighty steel encased concrete monolith.
Touchstone Facilities pooh-bah Russell Olsen was up to the task, with the help of assistant Eric Schmidt. Something this silly needed the attention of someone with big wall experience - Mark Melvin rigged the ropes and pasted most of the stencils. Says Mark, "the pencil thin nature of that thing makes it scarier than all but the hardest big walls I've been on," although he admits the ladder up the side, backed up with a auto belay isn't something you get often on El Capitan.
Check out Russell's awesome work next time you visit! Tell us what you think.
Touchstone Facilities pooh-bah Russell Olsen was up to the task, with the help of assistant Eric Schmidt. Something this silly needed the attention of someone with big wall experience - Mark Melvin rigged the ropes and pasted most of the stencils. Says Mark, "the pencil thin nature of that thing makes it scarier than all but the hardest big walls I've been on," although he admits the ladder up the side, backed up with a auto belay isn't something you get often on El Capitan.
Check out Russell's awesome work next time you visit! Tell us what you think.
Labels: Big Wall, Great Western Power Co., Mark Melvin, Russell Olsen
¶ Thursday, July 16, 2009 2 Comments
