What a great weekend at the cabin! The weather was warm and sunny, and the terrain was a bit dry, which made for easy travel. Also, being springtime, when I did come to tough areas I was able to easily spot alternate routes through the low vegetation. It’s amazing how different things look without all the deep ferns and grasses in the way.

On this trip I took my rifle, twin size air mattress (finally some comfortable sleep), solar lights that I purchased from Sierra Trading Post, my new chainsaw, birdseed and a hummingbird feeder, and a few odds and ends. I wanted to get a few things out there, but my main intent was to WORK.

By the time I hit the trail on Saturday it was getting late. I had to winch out of a couple of usual places on the trial too, so that put be back even further. Eventually I reached Mike Berg’s cabin, and since it’s only 15 minutes away from my place, I decided to hold up until morning. The intent was to be able to see the trail better in the morning in case I got stuck or if a tree had fallen down across the trail during winter.

Mike’s place provided a great night’s rest, which I didn’t even start until roughly 2 a.m.

In the morning I continued on with no trouble, all the way to the cabin. I did, however, pull the chainsaw out to clear a fallen tree or two.

Once I reached the cabin, under some Sunday morning sunshine, I was geared for labor, and the remaining events can be condensed into a list of accomplishments and experiences.

• 

  The cabin as I left it on Memorial Day. Notice the tall window that is now framed and cut out.

  Fixed an issue I had with my foundation and determined I HAVE to get my cross members in place on the next trip

• Installed nearly all studs in upper walls
• Finished all top plates on upper walls
• Installed all headers, now with triple 2 x 6 boards, and beefed up headers I had done previously downstairs
• Cut out lumber that spanned across my two vertical window frames that extend from the first floor into the second
• Cut about six trees that were either too close to the cabin for comfort or blocking sunshine
• Clipped devil’s club and alders that were too close to the cabin and cluttering up the view from what will become my deck
• Burned branches and limbs piled up from clearing I did two summers ago
• Cleaned around the whole cabin
• Found a hidden canoe at the lake and took it for a long test drive
• Met a new neighbor who seems cool and also told me about an easier access route
• Was visited by multiple grouse
• Recorded a sandhill crane and some geese out on the marsh
• Found sign that a bear had been in the cabin, probably a cub
• Was able to work with shorts and no shirt due to the weather
• Experienced a thunderstorm and heavy rain just before leaving which then cleared out for sunshine again

I left around 6 p.m. on Monday and took my time driving out. With all the reduced weight, I never got stuck once and had sunshine the whole way. It was a great trip and I can’t wait to get back out.

Next order of business: install cross members on foundation posts for strength, install upstairs floor, then get going on the roof.

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