The cabin remodel

[m1west]

After working on the dozer starter for a day and a half, I was able to get most of the 2x2 spacer boards the shiplap attaches to installed.
I have a couple more to go on the lower end of the ceiling. After all the lower boards are on I need to add another section of scaffolding to reach the peak of the ceiling, then the insulation and ship lap and paint. If the weather holds on my every other week schedule I may get the ceiling done before the snow makes me stop up there until May next year when the snow melts again. I have some more dirt work outside I would like to finish this year also. Fells good to be able to get back to work up there, the last couple years I haven't done much there due to work load at home, I retire next spring and then I can hit it even harder with longer stays there. If I have time I can make a winter trip in the track van, but in the winter we just play up there. Its too hard to to haul much material in.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Dang. Just getting caught up on your thread. I need a nap after all that. Keep it up.

 

[m1west]

Dang. Just getting caught up on your thread. I need a nap after all that. Keep it up.

me too

 

[redsqwrl]

Not me. Im ready for him to put on a glove and squish a couple yellow jackets and get pushing...!

 

[m1west]

Heading back to the work cabin for another round on Thursday, cabin ceiling, road work and a dead cedar tree too close to the cabin to leave it over the winter, maybe a little target practice.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

This guy keeps showing up on my camera, first time during the day though. The time stamp 7am is the time that I head out for the day when I am there. Its likely seen me before and made a good choice. I never want to see him in person unless he is running away. This time of year they are trying to pack on calories for the winter, same as the bears up there, if there is a bad time its this time of year.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

This trip I did more outside than inside, mostly pushing over dead trees near my solar container, that could have fallen on it in the wind. Also cut a bunch of them up into 6' pieces and started making burn piles. Then we started cutting in a road to my sons cabin site, got about 200' of a 1/4 mile driveway roughed in. It seems you can get quite a bit done until you have to make a switchback or run into a rock pile. Inside I did a little but not enough for a change in looks. I took the old cook stove out, that will be rebuilt and become the stove for the outside kitchen. I have one more dead tree I need to take down, its a very large cedar tree, slightly down hill from the cabin. I need to control it with chains and coma longs when it comes down to avoid rebuilding the cabin. I can likely get in 2-3 more biweekly trips before the snow flies, then its time for the projects at home thru the winter. If I have time this year I would like to make a trip or two in the snow with the track van. Being off grid in the snow is something that everyone should experience. The hornet battle also rages on up there, I have evicted most of them from the D7 but the little bastards are persistent at trying to come back. Another winter project for up there is prefabricate an awning to park the two Cats under then install it next spring, that also will give me a place to work that is not in direct sunlight, even in the 60's up there the direct sunlight is brutal.

 

[m1west]

Headed back to the cabin tomorrow, just me and the dog this time. I plan to stay focused on the ceiling this trip.

 

[Melensdad]

Headed back to the cabin tomorrow, just me and the dog this time. I plan to stay focused on the ceiling this trip.

I'm sure just having the faithful companionship of the dog will help keep you focused on the actual job.

 

[m1west]

I'm sure just having the faithful companionship of the dog will help keep you focused on the actual job.

Last couple of trips, I got sidelined moving dirt and knocking down trees, the dog provides companionship and security when I get focused on outside work instead of what could be sneaking up behind me.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

Had a pretty good trip, got all the insulation on the ceiling in the big open area after finishing the vent channels. I am now on the ceiling in the loft, much much easier.
I had to add another section of scaffold to reach the peak ( last 3 feet ) what a PITA it was after that, it was bad enough before but after the second section it was extra bad. The ends of the scaffolding that has the ladders extended almost to the ceiling so when you climbed up you couldn't go over the top, trying to swing around it was sketchy at best so the best method I found was to access the top by using a ladder. Everything is up down, up down for everything as there isn't room to stack much material. When I got to the loft all that changed and was so much much easier and faster I ran out of materials by lunch time on Saturday.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

When I got ready to go to lunch on Saturday, when I went outside I could hear people talking?? I got in the truck and went up on the service road to drive out and saw a big down tree with 2 guys on dirt bikes on the other side complaining that now they would have a 2 hour detour to get to the lake thats a few miles up the road, as I approached I could see one wearing a Biden harris tee shirt in his 50's. they asked if I was there to move the tree. I said that if they helped me I would go get the chainsaw and we could get it out of the way. When I got back in about 5 minutes they were gone, likely on there 2 hour detour. I cut the tree in half and shoved it out of the way with the loader in about 10 minutes and went to lunch. To me thats typical democrat behavior, if you are there to do it for them its all good, ask for some help and thats just going too far for them. I hope they had fun on there detour.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

As was leaving Sunday morning, one of the tasks is to shut the valve off on the water tank, as I had been cutting down dead trees I should have got this one, it was super windy on Friday afternoon and night, thats when the big tree fell across the road. It taco'ed the lid but didn't ruin the tank, next trip it will straighten it out. I was able to lift it off the tank.
Next trip I hope to finish the spacer boards on the ceiling in the loft and the ceiling under the loft and start with the ship lap boards. I think that will go pretty quickly with a nail gun. There is a big dead Cedar tree in striking distance of the cabin I need to take down next trip. looking at it .likely it would fall downhill away from the cabin, but I can't chance it, its big enough to do some real damage.

 

[m1west]

Headed back to the work cabin in the morning for another round. Later today I have to go to home depot for more building materials.
This trip I'm taking a 3 ton coma long, 1.5 ton coma long, chains and a long cable as well as the chainsaws. There is a big dead Cedar within striking distance of the cabin and another little one near the solar container. Wind up there in the winter can reach 80mph and I don't need anymore rebuilding to do.I already had one hit the water tank on the last trip.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

I spent Friday cutting down every dead tree that could hit anything this winter, I got motivated from the one that fell on the water tank on the last trip, the tank actually un tacoed itself over the last couple of weeks bit it punched a 1" hole in the top of the tank. I left the piece of broken branch in it for now, next spring I will repair it. The tree in the picture was one of the larger ones, cedar about 40" in diameter made a big rumble when it hit the ground. In total I cut down around 15 trees of various sizes.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

Saturday after lunch, I was able to get back on the Ceiling, got some more spacer boards on the rafters in the loft. Next trip going forward I should be able to stay more focused on the ceiling as most of the outside things that had to be done are now done.
Im still trying to get the ceiling done before the snow locks me out, it will be close. The daytime temps were low 50's and it was 26 on Friday night. Extended forecast says it will start snowing in the next couple weeks but high 30's to mid 40's daytime, so I can still make trips but will have to switch to the old dodge 4X4 after the next trip.

 

[m1west]

Went today and picked up another 30- 2x2 spacer boards, this trip I will be able to stay more focused on the ceiling. Other things I need to do is disconnect the pipe from the spring for the year, as the 600 gallon tank is plenty for any winter trips plus the 200 gallons I have on a stand close to the cabin. Also winterize everything, this is the time of year that everytime you leave it has to be ready for the winter as it could snow me out at any time, so far the forecast is good until around Thanksgiving, but thats been known to change, the other wild card is real work load this time of year.

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

Got up this morning for the trip and its raining?? Checked the forecast for Susanville and found a winter storm warning.
Looks like the trip is postponed till next week?

 

[m1west]

 

[m1west]

This is the weather report that has been on my phone all week, including right now. Happy It started raining here today, if tomorrow I wouldn't have known about the discrepancy in the weather reports, and got snowed on off grid in a 2x truck. The report for Susanville is bad enough, the cabin is another 1000' higher in elevation and its windy up there a lot of the time.