Tom Lake Cabin

Tom Lake Cabin
Cabin at Tom Lake

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Not Much Progress




Images: Top: Tom and Chuck at Wolverine Lodge with Tom's big breakfast. Can you tell he was tired of MRE's after 4 days?

Second Image: Snow storm in late April. We were wrapping up when a squall hit.

Bottom Image: From the inside of the top floor looking out through what will be the access to the roof area of the first floor bath and Arctic entry areas.


Tom, Chuck A and I went back in to the cabin by 4 wheeler. We went in late July. After a trip across Lake Louise on a houseboat with our wheelers aboard, we landed at Cameron Cove. It took a bit of doing but we arrived at the cabin and set up camp.

The wind was a bit brisk and the ladders a bit short. We put up a ridge board and started on the rafters. It was a bit shaky on top of the ladders and we just could not get everything plumb and square. After fighting the weather, lack of long enough ladders and seeing we were probably going to sustain major injuries if we proceeded further, We called a halt to the roof. It was a mutual decision, Tom and Chuck were as worried as I was.

With a couple days left and no roof going up we turned to squaring away the inside and outside of the cabin and grounds. We inventoried the tools and lumber, re-stacked and squared away all the OSB, lumber, tools and equipment under the structure and Chuck A filled in the gaps in the OSB sheathing between the first and second floors.

We also cleaned up the many old stumps left over from when I cleared the site off. Tom did a lot of chainsaw work. We cut down some brush and small trees on the East side of the cabin and rerouted the snow machine trail so it is wider and easier to go round the cabin with the freight sled.

I got the tools inside inventoried and re-stacked the lumber there too.

Next trip up will be in November. Only about 6 weeks or so away. The leaves are falling quickly here now, it's October 4. I have to tune up the snow machines and get them ready. I found the rest of my 8" stove pipe for the wood stove on Craig's List. A lady sold me $500 worth of pipe for $30. That was a good day.

When we get up in November the roof will be first priority. Getting the propane direct vent furnace installed is right up there on the list, then installing the wood stove and installing the front and back door. Once the place is dried-in I can get to wiring, insulating, installing windows, building stairs and all the other fun stuff. At least it will be fun with heat in the place and a dry warm bunk.

The single story 16 x 8' deep front will get rafters built for it's roof. I need the room under the roof for water barrel storage and for the pump and water filters too. the access hole we framed in the north wall will let me get above the bathroom and arctic entry to change filters or work on plumbing. If I put commercial trusses up there I don't think I would have room for storage. The rest of the rafters we cut for the second story will be used for a 16 wide by 12 deep storage building / workshop.