Cabin, Gentlemen's Weekend 2019

Gentlemen's weekend this year was scheduled a bit earlier both in the hopes that the weather would be more pleasant but also so that it was still fishing season. It ran from Thursday, 26 September to Sunday, 29 September. Naturally we still got some rain and it was still somewhat cool. The main task was the installing of an insert into the old fireplace and a new smoke stack in place of the old chimney taken down last year.

Now that the new insert is in place a winter trip is required to see if it can reliably heat the whole Cabin on its own!

Customary shot of Krupnik. My hammock set up by the Cabin. I slept in it every night.

I arrived Wednesday evening and opened up the Cabin. The weather was nice so I spent every night in my hammock set up outside the bunk room.

Patched up wall from the kitchen work. No more hole to the outside. New logs above the fireplace replacing the waterlogged, rotten ones. New logs above the fireplace replacing the waterlogged, rotten ones.

The Cabin was in good shape. The work on the kitchen was completed and the logs above the fireplace (which where damp and rotted) were also replaced.

Leaves changing color by the Cabin. The flag pole is often in use. The Cabin with smoke coming from the wood stove. Sucker river. Jon fishing in the Sucker river.

The weather was nice on Thursday. Jon and Jim arrived in the early afternoon. They did some fishing in the Sucker river, mostly losing some lures. We got a fire started in the new fire pit and kept it going the whole weekend.

Rain

Jon, Jim, Mikey, Andy, and Bill. The guys having dinner.

It seems to be a requirement that it rain during gentlemen's weekend. This year, Friday was the rain day. Though a little work got done in the morning, it rained most of the rest of the day. Most of the guys went out fishing in the cold rain. Bill stuck it out for the longest and came back with two brook trout. He also ended up sleeping for about 12 hours recovering from that expedition.

Projects

The old fireplace opened up. Mikey and Jon getting the generator fired up. Angle grinder cutting out part of the old fireplace. Andy using the angle grinder cutting out part of the old fireplace. Andy using the angle grinder cutting out part of the old fireplace. Jon using the angle grinder cutting out part of the old fireplace. Old fireplace opening ready for the installing of the new smoke stack. Andy with his chainsaw. Preparing to cut down a standing, dead tree. Andy cutting down a standing, dead tree. Andy cutting down a standing, dead tree. Andy cutting up the dead tree he felled. Bill with more work on the cedar shingles. Mikey and Jon starting the installation of the new smoke stack. Andy splitting some wood. Mikey cutting some wood. First part of the new smoke stack installed. First part of the new smoke stack installed. Preparation for counter replacement around the well pipe. Bill cutting down another standing, dead tree. Bill cutting down another standing, dead tree. Bill cutting down another standing, dead tree. Bill running from the falling dead tree. Processing the felled, dead tree. Processing the felled, dead tree. Processing the felled, dead tree. First part of the new smoke stack installed and the initial framing of the box around it. Mikey attaching the box frame to the concrete slab. Mikey attaching the box frame to the concrete slab. Jon attaching the box frame to the concrete slab. Preparation for attaching the insulated pipe to the smoke stack. Prepared for attaching the insulated pipe for the smoke stack. Mikey and Jon preparing to attach the insulated pipes for the smoke stack. Mikey attaching the cap to the new smoke stack! Progress on the cedar shingles on the bunk room. Mikey attaching the supports for the new smoke stack. Mikey and Jon attaching the supports for the new smoke stack. Mikey, Jon, and Jim securing the supports for the new smoke stack. Mikey, Jon, and Jim securing the supports for the new smoke stack. Mikey, Jon, and Jim relaxing as the new smoke stack gets its first use. Jon relaxing by the first fire in the fireplace in decades. Ambient light from the fire in the new fireplace insert. Flames in the new fireplace insert. Framed in box of the new smoke stack after its first use. Work on insulating and closing up the box for the new smoke stack. Starting to close up the box for the new smoke stack. Box for the new smoke stack almost completed. Jon closing up the part of the box for the new smoke stack. Box for the new smoke stack completed. View of the completed new smoke stack.

The weather cleared on Saturday so this is when the bulk of the projects were done. This included the usual cedar shingling which is close to being finished. There was also the processing of a lot of dead wood for use in the winter. But main task was the insert!

The fireplace was finally going to be put back into use, Jon brought up an insert which we then installed. It was a long process driven by Jon with a lot of help from the rest of the guys. It took all day to complete with only a couple of trips into town required. The end result was the guys sitting inside the Cabin, in the dark, watching the fire for hours. It was incredible to have a fire in the fireplace again and to be able to actually watch a fire inside the Cabin.

Departure

Cabin with the new smoke stack in place.

As usual we all departed on Sunday. The Cabin was closed up and the new insert ready for its real test in the winter. Will it heat the whole Cabin on its own? Will it be more efficient than the existing wood stove? Stay tuned!