Updated Building Pictures

Here are some pictures of what I accomplished on the cabing last week while I was home. I'm starting to get the working itch again as the weather should start warming up soon. I am at work now and the temperatures have plumeted this week. I was hoping it would be above zero so that when I am home and building next week I won't be so cold. It has been 30-40 below at home and between 20 and 30 below at work. Saturday and Sunday were terrible at -23 and 15-25 mph winds. The forecast for next week when I'm home to build is highs of 5-20. I'll have to get my wood stove and pipe set up temporarily. I would like to have the walls up and gable ends done by the time the weather gets warm enough to rain instead of snow. That way maybe I can get a roof covering on before too much gets wet inside. Last year was terrible for weather. It rained so much. At work we had more rain in one month than we normally have all summer.

Here is a picture of the first two steps leading from the main floor to the 2nd floor. All the stops will be notched into the log walls. The first step is resting on the floor but all the remaining steps will be notched into the wall on one end and free floating on the other. The second step is only resting on the blocks underneath of it temporarily. A one piece (narrow bent over log) banister will connect to each step with a railing. Its kinda hard to describe how I picture it, but it should be one of the highlights of the main floor.


This is a picture from the south west corner. Note the basement windows are covered with plywood so that I don't drop a log or tool through them. I should have waited to install the windows after all the log work was done but I couldn't sit around all winter and do nothing. Therefore I installed the windows and some stringers in the basement to cover the block with insulation and sheetrock.

Another picture from the south. It is exciting to start seeing window openings and more prominent door openings in the walls.

A second picture of the south wall and sw corner.


8:00pm time to finish putting tools away, return borrowed generator (ours is elec start only and won't start below +35F or so. I have sucessfully ordered a recoil starter to put on our generator so it can start now via arm strength!) and head home for dinner. Tonight I must pack my bags and get to bed so I can catch the bus to work at 12:55am.

Another picture of the work accomplished this week. I leave Tok at 12:55 am and usually arrive at the mine around 5:30 to start work at 7, therefore I can usually get another hour of sleep in my bed at work. The van broke down near Dot Lake this week and I didn't arrive at work until 8:15 I did get some decent sleep in the broken down van however.

A wide view of the work accomplished. It snowed several days and I only really put in 3 days of work on the logs... At that rate I could have the 1st floor logs done in a week or two (2 wks - month including time at the mine) and the gable ends up in a third week. But as one of my favorite characters would say "you can't rush it, a proper notch takes time. I don't want my cabin looking as though a boyscout were turned loose on it with a dull hatchet" (paraphrased).

How I would have enjoyed meeting Dick Proenneke. He did write quite a bit about making mistakes or falling and then having to meet his maker, or settle with the Lord right there on the mountain, but he also didn't seem to like it when good old Babe Allsworth tried to talk to him about "religious" matters. It would be nice to meet Dick in Glory when I get out of this wretched place.