October 15, 2017 - Wind Storm Damage and Log Splitting Weekend

Last weekend we had planned to spend most of our time cutting down trees and splitting logs for this winter's heat.  However, mother nature decided we needed to take a few steps back and fix 3 panels on our new metal roof.

When we left the lodge a week ago, it was very windy. So windy that the traffic on I-80 came to a complete standstill at Davis due to poor visibility.  The winds were epic and caused power lines to fall all over Northern California.  That resulted in the Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino fires killing over 40 people and burning thousands of acres of prime wine country.  Thousands of homes were lost.  So I guess we were pretty lucky that the wind only took off 3 of our new roof panels on the Screened-in Porch. So cancel tree cutting, still split wood and fix the new roof.

Since we had a log splitter reserved, we started Saturday with splitting all the rounds that we have been stacking in front of the water tanks, in front of the game room and over by the backyard gate.  We ended up with over 6 cords of wood (mixed cedar and oak).  We are ready for winter!

Once we got all the wood split, we moved onto repairing the roof (Sunday).  Jim did most of the work - while I helped him and worked on cleaning up the debris from the storm.  

Then we updated some of our wood storage area that used to be tarped by adding our old aluminum roofing to the top of the storage pallets.  

On Monday, with Jim gone, I started loading all the wood into our storage areas and then stacked a lot in front of the water tanks (the wood by the gate and the game room is still in a big heap).  

And finally, since we are adding a cast iron stove in the Screened-in porch, I built a slanted roof log storage holder that I put on the small deck for this winter.

We still need to add the ridge cap to the new roof (2 weeks from now) and get those darned dead trees cut down.  

One more thing.  While Jim and I were clearing some of the debris from the new property, we found and old car canteen (rusted out of course).  They used to hang these on the front of the cars and used them to cool down hot engines while crossing the Sierra.  It looks small in the photo - but it is actually at least 16" diameter.  Goes well with the Model A engine guard we found a few months ago.  

We also found a Lea and Perrins glass bottle stopper (with the plug part broken off).  Vintage 1860 - 1910. 

No gold yet.  We just keep hoping. . . . 

September 20, 2017 - Snow (in Summer?!)

I headed up to the lodge this week to work on the new hearth for our cast iron stove that we are installing in the screened-in deck.  Jim finished re-inforcing the deck framing the last time we were up at the lodge, and added the 3/4 inch plywood that was needed for the base of the stone tile and the heavy stove.

I had the task of adding the hardiebacker and tiling the base with random, slate.   Usually, this would not be too difficult of a task - but Jim's base measurements were a bit off (the hearth was about 1 1/2 inch too deep for the deck flooring).  So, after two trips to Colfax, running supplies down the hill in a rain downpour and adding another layer of Hardiebacker and 1/2 inch of base mortar, I was finally able to thin-set in and the stone tile (picture below).

Another layer of difficulty, it started to snow (yes, snow!) on Thursday which made the screened in deck close to freezing (well actually it was freezing since it was snowing).  On our last visit had not put up the storm windows or shutters yet (it was only September and officially still summer) nor have we pulled the portable heaters out of the attic yet so the job got quite chilly.  I kept running up to the kitchen for hot water for tea and to add to the thin-set.

But all is well and next week I will be mortaring the stone to the back wall of the hearth and adding the grout to the hearth floor.  I see a lot of warm fires in our future!

I also managed to refinish a new addition to our fireplace lounge chairs.  I scored a maple western chair on Craigslist last week which is much like our existing chairs.  But, as usual, it had to be sanded stained and varnished.  And it still needs new cushions - but it is a great add to the living room.

The bad news about this stay - due to the snow, there was a jackknifed semi truck up at Cisco (resulting in a fatality) and several piled up cars that smashed into the accident scene.  The traffic was back-up over the summit for 3 1/2 hours.  Luckily, I was in the screen room working when this all happened and did not hear about it until the nightly news.

When I returned home, I found that I have received an email from one of the descendants of the Laing Family (they owned Laings Pioneer Resort from the early 1920s to the 1950s).  The person who emailed me lives in Alberta Canada and could only tell me when the Laings moved to the area ( around 1903).  I told him that if I ever hear from the Laing descendants up on North Fork Place, I would advise them of his email.

And our dear neighbors Rad and Paula, have sold their cabin (papers signed yesterday).  So of the new people at Emigrant Gap (folks who purchased in the last 8 or so years) we are now the last ones (all of the folks who purchased at the Gap when we did, have now moved on).   It is hard to have a cabin in the snow.

Photo of the snow (it is the grayish white stuff on the ground) from the 21st.

New hearth for the screened-in deck.  Plywood wall behind will have stone added next week.

  

September 12, 2017 - Thoughts of Yellowstone

Last week, we took an amazing trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  Of course, we came home with lots of ideas for the lodge.  We stayed at the Three Bears in West Yellowstone for a part of the trip.  The owners (who we believe are in their late 70s), are also trying to preserve the history of their place.  When they remodeled in the 80's (after a nasty fire), they kept much of the preservable wood and used it to create furniture and wall accents.  They found layer upon layer of old wallpaper in one of the walls and used it to create a lovely framed history (no fiberglass in the 20s)  and added fuel to the fire.  Since their lodge was build around the same time as ours, the walls were filled with sawdust for insulation.  They worked at the Three Bears as managers for many years prior to purchasing the place.  They also took a road trip to southern California to meet with the previous owners, prior to their deaths in the late 80s.

We fell in love with the Old Faithful Inn and the rustic quality of the great hall.    We are thinking about adding some "log" look to the exterior of our place with some of our dying Cedar trees (we shall see!).  We were sad that they replaced the old dark Douglas Fir floors with something that looks like Pergo (though I think it is light stained hardwood).  But they were smart enough to recycle some of the old wood and make it into furniture and frames that they have for sale.

And whoever let them design the addition to the dining hall should be sat on a log and run out of town. It has none of the log quality that is in the older part of the hall. Why do \ designers sometimes feel they have to mess with a really really good thing.  The pillars in the room were pretty with a relief mural quality, but they did not fit in with the overall look and feel of the main dining hall.   And the lowered acoustic ceiling was atrocious.

We took many photos of accents at the main hall that we thought would be appropriate for our place.  Now - just to find the time.

Unfortunately, the Grand Teton - Jackson Lake Lodge was not as lovely as the Old Faithful Inn.  It was build in the 1950s during the time of budget constraints, concrete and linear lines.  We did not find many ideas there that we would wish to carry to our lodge.   But we were lucky to see a few moose out in the bogs from their deck.

We stayed at the Heart 6 Dude Ranch while in Grand Teton/Jackson area.   The owner is a collector of vintage Jackson items and had most on display in his main building.  Another lovely log great room to admire.  All the individual rooms are built in log ranch hand style.  During the peak season they offer tours into the back country on All Terrain Vehicles and in the winter on Snowmobiles.

Speaking of snowmobiles, here is a story of how the bad few have ruined things for the many.   In both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, during the winter season, people were allowed to snow mobile until recently.  A few idiot yahoos, were found chasing the already stressed wildlife with their machines, so now, the only way to take a trip on snowmobile is with a guided tour.  Not that I am a fan of snowmobiles in the park - but it reminds me of how much disrespect some people have for our public lands.

Additionally, (and I am ranting now), many of the boiling pools at Yellowstone have been ruined by people throwing coins and rocks into them (for good luck?).  Each year, the park has to fish out loads of debris from these pools and it has left them with bacteria that is killing the ecosystems.

We caught some foreign women collecting small rocks at the entry to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Of course,  they did not "understand English" as I asked them what they planned to do with the rocks.  I did follow them around for a bit to make sure that they were not pitching anything into one of the pools.  Such fools!

At our lodge, we have to deal with people who litter our streets with beer/soda cans and paper bags, drop glass bottles into our creek and dump their plastic garbage bags on the side of the street.  Sick though that is - it is not as bad as what some people believe they can do in our national parks.

One of our neighbors is trying to set up an "Adopt an Exit" for our neighborhood.  I will be happy to join her in that effort (since I already pickup everything I see), but I would prefer it if people would just stop littering!

One last thing.  I found a copy of a 1955 map of Emigrant Gap Area that I would like to add here - but alas - too big, so the URL is below.    It shows the route of Highway 40 and the railroad during this time.  With Siri and Google maps, I am wondering how long paper maps will be used?  For me, paper maps are dreamweavers and I hope they will always be published for our use.

https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/58954d34e4b0fa1e59ba62ac

August 19 - 21, 2017 - The Great American Eclipse

We spent the weekend working on the lodge (putting in a new foundation in a section of the screened in porch so that it can hold a cast iron fireplace).  While Jim worked on the foundation, I worked on getting a railing on the bunk bed in the lower floor, providing cooking and cleaning support and on picking up supplies.

We found out that Placer County is planning to sell the schoolhouse next door.  We don't know when it will go up for sale or for how much - but the pending sale makes it rather important to complete our lot line adjustment (granted by the school district) for 10% of the portable.

I am pretty sure that the well at the school is bad.  Last time the water was running - it was running really red (iron oxide) so  the well may need to be dug a bit deeper to clear through that issue.  I don't think a whole house filter will do the trick - the water is just too mucky.  Above the well on the hillside is a lot of Sierra Slate (or shale) which is quite full of iron.   And the well is located up near the street (was broken into when the school closed).

Other than that, the building is in rather the same shape the lodge was when we purchased it - sad.  It has limited heating, only a small kitchen and bath, and no bedrooms (just a small loft over the main room), broken window (it was broken into a few winters ago) rest of the windows are vintage single pane and has been boarded up for 2 years.   I believe it is on less than an acre of land.  Not sure if anyone is crazy enough to take on that project.  It will need a whole lot of work.

The only access is through the pedestrian gate.  The road down to the school is on our property and there are no easements to allow for it's use once the property is no longer a school.  But with the sale, we will lose our winter parking area in front of the school fence.    Something to think about.

On Monday, I tried my best to capture the great eclipse.  I didn't have any special glasses with me, so I just put my phone over the brim of my baseball cap and shot photos every 10 minutes.  Since I have limited photo storage, I deleted the photos that did not show anything and the only one I kept is below.  Does not show much.  The sky did get a bit dim and the air got a bit cool - but not much to see of the eclipse itself.

Also on Monday, one of our long time neighbors from Fulda (they have been there since 1972) told me about a book that would be an interesting read.  It is titled "Diary of a 49er" and it is a diary that was found in a cabin up on the Yuba river.  Though it is out of print, I will try to find it an add it to our collection.

Once the foundation work is done and the floor joists re-supported, I will start working on the stone work for the cast iron fireplace.  While I am doing that work, Jim will probably be working on the interior wall siding (cedar shiplap) and on getting the metal roof installed over the screened in porch (the sheet shingle roof did not fair well last winter).  No rest for us.

10:37 am Eclipse Photo

July 30, 2017 - No Work Weekend

Jim and I spent my 62nd (yikes) birthday weekend at the lodge.  And we did not work on any projects!  Mom came along for the trip - but got sick due to a rash and the heat and the long drive.  Mary and Lynn came up Saturday afternoon and stayed until Sunday evening.

Saturday we went in search of the Signal Beacon footings (or concrete Arrow) that a 1932 map told us is located at the highest point of Sailor Ridge.  We started at the Texas Hill entry and drove in about 8/10ths of a mile on the Ridge via a pretty bumpy dirt road.  We stopped and hiked several areas that were high, yet flat on top - but no concrete anywhere.  Eventually, the road became too narrow for the truck - and we decided to try the other end of the ridge (from North Fork Road).

1932 Map

North Fork Road starts just after the Sierra Woods Lodge.  It is also a pretty bumpy dirt road (last year's storms left many wash outs and ruts).  We drove past the old Quarry (granite - not sure if it was used for the transcontinental or the freeway) and up the ridge.  The road is pretty steep for a bit, then levels out at the upper North Fork of the North Fork of the American River. At that point, there were 3 forks in the road (one of which was Sailor Ridge Road and none of which were marked).  We decided to try the left fork and ended up crossing a 1935 wood forest service bridge near some summer cabins that we have never seen before.

I got out of the truck to ask directions and ended up meeting some very delightful people who are the grandchildren of Laing (of Laing's Pioneer Resort). They told us that their grandfather had purchased the resort buildings fully furnished and had planned to put in an ice skating rink at Emigrant Gap.  The only problem was the altitude.  Since Emigrant Gap is at 5200 feet, the water seldom freezes hard enough for a skating rink.  As a result, Mr. Laing built a ski area (J-bar) across the road from the Resort.  People used to drive up highway 40 to ski at the resort (many stayed at Laing's and our Emigrant Gap Hotel).

Both of the Laing grandchildren told me they went to school at the Emigrant Gap School and one of them actually carried the Olympic Torch for part of the delivery for the 1960 Olympics (just like the son of the Nyack Lodge).

I am hoping the Laing descendants stop by the lodge sometime so that they can share their history for our blog.  For now, I think I have pretty much decided that Laing bought the old Carpenter Hotel (see the Carpenter story on the history pages of this blog).  Since the Laing Resort was located on the same spot as the Carpenter hotel.

We headed back to the lodge to pick up Mary and Lynn, then back to the three forks to try to head up the ridge.  Alas, we were greeted by a gate which had a sign "do not lock" with a very large padlock on it.


Sunday we headed out to Webber Lake.  The lake is about 20 miles north west of Truckee and has just recently been openned to the public after 100 years of private ownership.  It was purchased by a conservator group and they are adding campsites as well as preserving most of the vintage outbuildings at the lake.   The lake itself is just gorgeous.  It is a natural lake so the shore eases into the water and there is grass growing almost to the shores.  The water is clear and cool (not cold).  The surrounding mountains are still capped with snow.  And at the end of the lake there is a nice "saddle" between the mountains to create a great view for sunsets.   The sight has a 150 year old hotel, an old store and assorted summer fishing cottages that are as old as can be while still able to stand.

Here are some URLs for the lake:
http://northernsierrapartnership.org/project/webber-lake-and-lacey-meadows/

http://tdlandtrust.org/webber-lakelacey-meadows



After Mary. Lynn, Jim and I walked along the shore for a while, we decided to head to Webber Falls (which is on the east end of the lake).  What a sight!  The falls takes two drops (one about 15 feet, the other about 75 feet) into a 90 foot deep gorge.  Most of the rock looks rather volcanic, definitely uplifted in the area and around the falls, it looks a lot like Devils Postpile near Rainbow falls at Mammoth.  People jump or climb down the rocks into the first drop which has a 30 by 20 foot pool at it's base.  From there, they can look over the rock edge and down into the gorge.  (Photos to follow)

While at the falls, we thought that one of the loose rocks looked like it might have a petroglpyth on it.   The shape of the carving looked like an upside down apple with an arrow shaft on the top.  And another carving that looked like a bear.  Not sure if anyone else has discovered this rock - but I hope that if they do, they leave it be.

Webber Falls URL:

http://www.calexplornia.com/webber-falls-sierra-countys-little-known-waterfall/

After sitting at the falls for a bit, we decided to head over to Sierraville for lunch.  Sierraville downtown is only about 1/2 block long and has a vintage hotel, an antique shop, a feed and grain store and 2 small restaurants.  Lunch was at one of the restaurants (Mexican cuisine) that has some pretty good Chili Rellenos.

After Lunch we drove down the road (49 toward Loyalton) a bit and veered off to check out a Hot Springs Resort that is in the area (a future trip to the Hot Springs is in our plans).  The resort is pretty laid back, and very hippie with some areas being clothing optional.  There are at least 3 hot springs pools there, a hotel, and a small cafe.

http://www.sierrahotsprings.org

Headed back to the lodge just in time to say farewell to Mary, Lynn and Mom.  Then headed out ourselves on Monday morning.  Of course, next time we are at the lodge it will be back to projects - but this weekend was a special time!

July 4, 2017 - Mom's Birthday Reunion!

So many things going on at the lodge this month.  First,  we hosted a family reunion to celebrate my mom's 88th birthday just before the 4th of July (with some folks staying on to celebrate the 4th).

Most of our California family was able to attend and extended family flew/drove in from all parts of the U.S.  My mom had the opportunity to see hear sister, 3 of her nephews from New York, Virginia and Oregon, some of their family and her grand-nephew and great grand niece from Missouri.  Additionally, her extended family (my sister-in-law and brother-in-law) flew up from Orange County. And our family friend/handyman and his little boy came in for a day.

Though we did not get a lot of interest in a 2nd annual 5K (not many runners in this group and it was very very hot out), we managed to have a trip up the lake, a trip to Lake Tahoe, a day trip to the falls and a big BBQ.

Mom was so surprised when she walked into the lodge and found her Oregon nephew, her Missouri family, her nephew from New York and her sister there.   We managed to squeeze 33 into the lodge (there will be more at Christmas) 7 in campers and  5 in the hotel down the road.

Photos of this amazing event will be added at a later date.

On July 3rd we went to the Colfax "pre-4th" fireworks.  This event is very casual with folding chairs in a dirt field - but the fireworks are stunning!  The kids were in awe.  Then on the 4th, cousin Rod, Denise, Matt, the boys and assorted other family attended the Dutch Flat 4th Parade.  We have attended for the last 5 years since it is such a fun small town parade.

Just after everyone from the reunion departed, our niece Tina, her husband Joel and 5 kids drove in from Utah for a few days at the lodge, and a few days in the Bay Area.  The kids loved Quincy.  They had such a fun day at Tahoe (Emerald Bay) and some days at the creek and the river  and the lake.


Last week, Mary Beth hosted a reunion with some of her old friends from High School and College.  They loved the lodge and brought up their archery gear and throwing hatchets.

Now we are finally settling into the late season of summer.  This weekend, it will be just Jim, mom and me at the lodge (and possible Lynn and Mary).  Then back to our work schedule of adding the metal roof to the screen room before the snow comes this fall.  

May 27, 2017 - More Siding

Though we are still working on completing the wiring and interior siding in the screened in deck and the snow entry room, we decided that it was a good time to start residing the other side of our building.  Jim targeted the southwest front side of the building for this project down to the side door.  It seemed like a good idea because  1. any further and we would need scaffolding and 2.  There is a natural break for the siding at the roof for the side door due to a large supply line for our electrical running down the wall.

Once we pulled of the junky plywood siding and the brittle clapboard cedar siding, we found the original siding which was unpainted and appears to have been "board and baton".  The vertical boards are about 16 inches wide and the batons would have been a few inches wide to cover the seams of the boards.  The batons were probably removed when the clapboard was added.  The very front of the building has no board and baton because it was originally the front porch.  Also below the window, the board and baton was too damaged to retain, so we cut it out and added 3/4 inch plywood.

Here is a photo of the tear down.  Currently we have just tyvek covering the original board and baton and plan to put in our tongue and groove cedar siding next week.