Hand Digging a Well: Success

I managed to dig with a 25 foot auger! It was crazy intense. I had to use the big Tamarack tree - luckily close enough - just right to angle the auger so I didn't have to lower and raise it up each time I pulled up an auger bucket of clay. Started out hard dry clay like cement. Then got into moist and some wet clay. The 2nd morning the first dig I saw water at 17 1/2 feet. Just a bit of water glistening in the sun. So I knew it had accumulated a bit over night. So then I dug down from that 17 1/2 feet. I saw water a bit again around 20 feet - along with rocks for the first time. Kept digging. Stopped at 24 feet down. Mainly moist clay.

So I get real skeptical. I thought I could get another extension for the auger to 30 feet but didn't think I could really handle that. Then lowered a big ceramic mug I had tied up with kite string - so the string hug off the center of the mug. Then at 6 am I heard some rain drops so quick went to check the well before it started raining. Not only was the mug full of water but the string was wet for about 4 feet. I had looked up the  Well index - and the lowest "static water" level was 20 feet for my area. But that was a long time ago. I was starting to wonder if I had wasted all of time and work. Your work gloves were all blue from the auger being painted blue. So then my main concern was the rain causing the well to get filled in with clay. So I bought pea gravel - and first I lowered that corrugated flex-drive with slits and the sock. Then I put down 4 bags of .5 cubic feet pea gravel. Anyway to cut to the chase - I had a crazy time with the couplings and this big spool wheel I picked up free - as the "stand" for the pitcher pump. The galvanized steel is only 20 feet but too heavy with the heavy pump on top. I had to add the pump part of the pipe later. So I got down about 19 1/2 with the steel drain pipe and could hear the air being sucked up.

 So I'll get another pipe to extend it. But to hold up the pipe - since the coupler doesn't fit through the spool wheel as the stand - so I have to take the pitcher pump off and tie off the drain pipe so it doesn't fall down the hole. Yes you really do need two pipe wrenches to loosen and tighten those pipes. haha. I tried just with one pipe wrench - and a vice gripe. No - it slips. ALMOST dropped one of the pipe wrenches down the hole with the whole pipe dropped down into the pea gravel - with the big spool coming down onto my hand. But even if the whole pump thing doesn't work - even if I have to dig out the pea gravel I put down, since maybe it's filling in the water too much - I know there is water down there. That's all that really matters. I don't need a pump - that's fancy civilization stuff. But I'll try get the pump going anyway. Yeah I worked every muscle - also used the hole clay now wet in the rain - now perfectly wet - to work to fill in the wood stove in the tepee.