Trip Date: August 17, 2020
Find this SpotI knew this was going to be a great trip. Bob was coming to help build our first cabin, having been able to get the foundation and the beams in last trip up. This time, it was actually going to look like a cabin. Despite the warm temperatures in the mid-90’s, and the constant smell of smoke and limited visibility, we would definitely be able to do some work and make great progress.
Bob arrived a few minutes ahead of me and we both got to unloading. I was super excited to be back even thought the sky was a mucky beige gray and the smoke came and went. Kristen had left the tent up from last trip, so that part was pretty easy. I didn’t bring a massive load, so I was empty in no time and set about gazing at all we had accomplished last trip when the kids came up. It was quite a difference.
Bob heated up some pasta and we listened to some music for a bit and headed off to bed pretty early. No stars, no moon, no clovers. As with most fires, the cool temperatures and higher humidity of the night calms the fires down and therefore, release less smoke. In the morning however, when it warms up and air currents begin to move and the air gets drier, fire activity increases and the smoke generated increases. So it was all around us.
We had 47,000 acres burning in the Loyalton fire, 70,000 acres in the W-5 Cold Springs fire, 22,000 in the Gold Fire, 83,000 in the July Complex, 9,000 in the Hog Fire, all feeding smoke into the atmosphere. Bob passed flames on his way through Chico up Highway 32; there were some 550 fires burning all at once. As of this writing, there have already been 7100 fires and over 1,600,000 acres burned. It’s August 28. Just another sign we are on our way out the door, another failed human experiment.
Be that as it may, the morning was calm and cool and we had coffee, fruit, and cereal, before I noticed Bobby hoisting his tool belt on. Let’s get it on! Bob chose the full length floor joists he wanted and we got them installed. Jenny had unrolled some chicken wire I brought up last time so we cut that into strips, then got to the 2 new rolls I brought up. We used every inch and had none left over. Then we headed down to the bone yard and grabbed an insulation burrito. We used every bit of the insulation wrapped up in that tarp and again didn’t have a shred left over. It was stunning how well things were falling in place. We stopped for a break and Bob was bemoaning his shorting the estimate on the plywood we needed for the flooring. He kept saying he couldn’t understand how he figured we only needed 3 sheets.
When I told him he told me to get 4, he was much relieved, and they too went in smoothly and easily. Now came the fun part. The structure was still just a flat, rectangular, two-dimensional surface. Now we were going to get some walls up, and make it look like a cabin. Bob was super grateful Jordan had helped me drag all the cabin pieces up to the build site. Now the needed pieces were easily identified and dragged up for use.
We started with the front door section, then added a short section next to it on the East side. Then we got the entire North wall in, and 2 sections of the West side. We had more than half the walls in place and braced well, and of course, level, by quittin’ time. I was stoked. We walked all around it and checked it out. Me just enjoying the progress, but Bob’s measured eyes were sizing things up, evaluating, noting improvements needed. We found the sections we wanted to use next and then planned on how to fill in between them to finish it off. In all the excitement, Bob proposed working again tomorrow and taking Thursday off, but my body needed an in between day off, so we stuck with the plan.
After a great shower at the shitter and clean clothes, many cocktails were consumed and the music played a little longer and a little louder. I BBQ’d a ton of boneless, skinless chicken thighs so we would have plenty for lunches or snacks. We had a banana squash and mini potato fry in the cast iron. The evening was excellent and the sleep deep and sound. Even without a bright early sun, I was up early. I got coffee going and sat out on the Western Addition. Bob ambled up the trail shortly, and as he came out to sit next to me, out from under the deck shot our Fox friend.
He had been under me the entire time I was out there. He was maybe 2 feet from my legs when he shot out. It was only an instant flash, but he was so close, it felt like I got a decent view of him. I was stoked he was hanging out with us, hopefully not too scared by the noise of the tools and construction, and surely didn’t seem too bothered by us. I really hope he makes a home here and with the structures providing very reasonable accommodation, he has a choice of shelters.
Bob made us a killer breakfast of perfectly fried eggs, bacon, banana bread with coconut shavings that Marya made. I could have gone back to bed at that point, but despite the smoke, I was excited to go out and explore. We had decided to get up into the high country and visit my old Forest Service station up in the South Warner’s and then maybe get a swim in at Blue Lake.
We stopped for a quick bag of ice at the Likely store and a lengthy visit with Tom McDonald in front of the Saloon. He was a really nice guy that truly seemed to enjoy the conversation. Out of town, the smoke seemed to ease a bit, and it certainly lightened up once we got up into the mountains. We took the right fork at Jess Valley instead of heading left to Mill Creek, and up we went. In no time we were at the junction for Blue Lake and noted it was only 2 miles down the road, greatly increasing our chances of taking a dip on the way back.
Bob is a great one for finding cool things on the ground and for seeing wildlife, and he didn’t disappoint on this trip. On the dirt road past Blue Lake, we slowly rounded a curve when Bob spotted a Bald Eagle perched on a branch in a snag. He thought he had another and another, but they turned out to be turkey vultures, but then he did spot another. Two big Bald Eagles just hanging with the other scavengers, enjoying a mid morning snack. We were able to get the glasses on the nearer one and had time for a good look. Then he jumped off his branch and floated out over the valley. Very sweet.
Some things were distinctly familiar, like a cattle guard, or a fence line, and an intersection, but most of it was like seeing it for the first time again. The drive up to the station was not familiar at all and if it were not for the guard house and the stable, I would have had a hard time putting it together. I could make out the slots for the trailers that Jim and I stayed in, and there seemed to be one or 2 more slots, although I would have said I remembered more. I couldn’t place the fire barracks at all, and I recall that being a large structure, but it was almost 40 years ago, so these trees that now seemed to be in the wrong places may have grown up since then.
The Guard Station looked good from the outside, but it was a mess on the inside. It was sad to see it in such disrepair. The gates were broken and much of the fencing had fallen down. There was one vehicle parked up by the trailhead to the Wilderness, but there wasn’t a living human soul around.
It was great to be back, but it did come with some melancholy. We wandered up to the trailhead where you could hardly make out a trail. The guest book had about a person a day, mostly for day hikes. We walked the campground loop which wasn’t at all familiar. I tried to recall more and put some pieces together but I couldn’t. It wasn’t nearly as I recalled; too much had faded already.
I do remember my mom visiting me and staying in the guard house. We were having dinner when a lady rode into camp on a huge mule with another pack mule. My mom was astounded to see these massive creatures with a lone woman on top, coming out of the Wilderness like it was 1882, not 1982. I showed her to the stables and she did her thing with the mules, then joined us for dinner. After my mom left a couple days later, I met the Mule Lady at Pyramid Lake as she rode on to finish her journey all the way from Canada to Tahoe. It was an incredible feat, and an incredible journey.
I have a lasting memory of huge stands of spectacular Aspen, so we decided to take a drive to see if we could get into some of it. We drove out to Bear Camp and had a nice lunch. Fortunately, the smoke and haze lifted a bit while we sat, providing us with a much clearer view of the meadow and far hillside covered in Aspen. We didn’t really find a stand to wander through, but we saw some beautiful country, full of memories. We took another loop through Corporation Meadow and Long Valley. We passed a real life cowboy on horseback with his cow dog running alongside. We saw his tiny range shack he was staying in while in the high country. It was a little bit of a way back machine.
It was a mellow day, a leisurely drive, exploring and recollecting and trying to match my memories to what we were seeing on the ground. It was great to be back, yet very clear it had been a long, long time. Fortunately, we had plenty of time to head down to Blue Lake. A couple of guys were outside their Jeep in the boat launch parking lot with their tiny coyote snack. The outhouse was spewing its aroma, but fortunately the fumes dissipated well before they hit the lake. We checked out the boat ramp and I decided it was well worth a dip.
Suffering past the outhouse back to the guys at the Jeep, I returned to the truck to get my swim shorts. They seemed to be looking our way an awful lot, but they never really approached us. I wasn’t sure if they wanted to talk or wanted to keep an eye on us out of fear or concern. They didn’t look like local “Q” types, so we didn’t think we had stumbled into a meeting, but I did get an odd vibe from them. Maybe they were Germans!
Bob headed out on a lakeside trail to a deck over the water and saw a Muskrat. Not sure if was Suzy or Sam, but a cool sighting nonetheless. I had a nice dip and soak for a few minutes, before we headed on down the road. I am sure I saw those guys trying to see me change out of my swimming suit, but I persevered. We were back at camp by 4:00 ish, and the thirst raged. Bob BBQ’d some killer steaks that had been marinating in teriyaki for days. We did a zucchini, mushroom, and onion sauté in the cast iron and melted away into a good night’s sleep.
The morning was again cool and calm, but the smoke returned, although we did not think the fox did. I would periodically put the binocs on the surrounding shrubs and under neighboring Junipers to see if maybe he was just hanging out nearby, but I did not spot him. I did, however, spot Bob sliding into his tool belt, so our work day began. Bob had a good idea of the sections he wanted to use to carve out the last wall pieces needed to enclose the structure. Then we went around the sill and replaced some pieces in the corners to ensure a super strong connection.
Soon we had the end pieces of the walls up and were quickly putting the middle trusses in place. We got the ridge supports in with a little trimming and finessing. We had to return to the bone yard for the plywood, and saw how many tacks and staples were in it, and how much paper was still attached. By the time we got it back up to the build site, we were feeling the effects. After a lengthy break, we got after the plywood roof, bolstered by the progress we had made, how great it looked, how stout the structure was, and by the 3rd Ibuprofin.
The full sheets went on fairly reasonably, but the smaller ones were definitely a grind. Each staple and trimming, seemed far more laborious than it should be. We found our groove, but it was still a grind. The second layer of 1/2” plywood for the roof was voted down, and thus our work day ended. We took some time to marvel at our accomplishment, the quality, and the sheer cabin-ness of the structure. The slope of the roof and the location fit really well with the trailer and the cover. The deck would really tie it all together.
A lengthy shitter shower felt great, and clean clothes made me feel like a new man. Each time the cabin would catch my eye, I would get a huge grin and surge of satisfaction. We had done a lot of great work. Bob cooked up some burger and we added all sorts of onion, zucchini, taters, herbs and seasonings. The Storelli freezer still had solid ice, so our cocktails were quite enjoyable. I couldn’t stop eating until all of Bob’s brew was consumed; that is just how opposed to waste I am. Thankfully I did not take the same approach to the “Beam”, though it was dangerously close to being drained as well.
Fortunately, moderation allowed for a clear and energized morning. I was stoked for the progress, to be headed home, and to have some time to address a few little things before I left. Bob helped me move the glass door to the cabin inside and the huge window over as well. We got the trapezoid window up on the deck where we can easily install it. Then he headed on down the road. I took a few minutes to take it all in and try to organize myself, but I was too excited to be able to get on all of these little projects.
Doing a little part of everything all at once, I drilled a hole at the bottom of the Storelli freezer to the water drain through the deck, instead of spilling out all over it. I built a little pony wall on the West side of the freezer to protect it from the afternoon sun and cut another piece of plywood to serve as a cover for it while we are gone. I pushed the freezer way back to the edge of the deck to allow more space to pass in front of it, to get to it and to get out to the sitting area on the end of the annex deck.
Then I went on to the sink. I built a decent frame and legs for it, cut out a section of the deck and attached the drain hoses. The sink still leaks, but not the new plumbing; I think it is where the metal ring attaches to the cast iron sink, so that needs to be cleaned up, but it looks great. The water pressure out of the 55 gallon barrel is so strong, I need a 90 degree fitting and I think it needs to be reduced to half inch maybe, but it is awesome to have running water in the kitchen.
I then added the last small piece of decking on the kitchen and added 5 pieces to the ramp that leads up to the Western Addition. It looks complete now; just a few less things that nag at you. I moved a bunch of the cinder blocks, and tools, and various materials from past projects away from the front of the kitchen, so you don’t see all the mess when you first drive up. It looks much less like a construction area now. I brought one load of materials back down to the bone yard and organized that area a little, and then picked up a bunch of scraps, and garbage to bring home. It was a massive day, and without stopping for lunch, it was 3:00 by the time I stopped, and 4:00 by the time I got cleaned up, loaded, and changed. I can’t wait to get back to finish the cabin exterior and to take advantage of all the work we have done to make each trip up a little easier.
One Fox, Two Bald Eagles, 543 Wildfires
