BLOK Ranch cabin

[SkagitDrifter]

Great to see you back at you place Frank-
Beautiful corner of the world you have there.
Love the photo of the "crew" catching a nap- you worked them good.
All the best-

[NM_Shooter]

Gotta start thinking about my water and battery storage area outside of the cabin.  Was talking to Don over a burger about how to mount the thing to the side of the cabin.  I'm planning on using a 55 gallon plastic drum as my water storage, and possibly having up to 4 six volt batteries in there.  Initially I was going to screw a ledger into the rim joint and only put legs on the outside of the water storage, but I think I should use the ledger to keep the storage attached to the shed, and use legs all the way around for support.  I'm going to cheat though, and I will only make the leg bases out of a shallow hole filled with gravel and a cement paver on top.  If I have to level it later I will. 

I am planning on using an RV pump to push water around, and I want to make it detachable so that I can also use it to go fetch refill water from the sweetwater spring on the property.  Eventually I am going to build a downspout filter so I can fill my tank using collected water, but that will be awhile. 

Also need to get some wall cabinets and some shelving built.  My wife is insisting on curtains or something to hide the contents of the shelving.  She does not want it to look cluttered 

Oh yeah... and trim out the windows too!

[Sassy]

Looks cozy   

I agree w/your wife, I don't like everything showing in the shelves either - so far I've made 3 different sets of curtains over the years.  The different types/sizes of shelving makes it just about impossible to buy ready-made curtains.  I kinda like the curtains better than doors because you don't have to allow for room to open them. 

How's it going w/the trespassers?  How are you going to secure your solar, etc?

[NM_Shooter]

No phone call back from anyone at the ranch, so I am assuming it is secure. 

Initially, I was planning on mounting my solar panel to the roof of my cabin, but I was worried about vandalism.  So instead, I keep my 190W panel inside when I am not there, and I only have a 15W Harbor freigh special that I leave outside to trickle charge the batteries while I am gone.  When I am there for more than one night, I put the big panel out.  I plan on making a mount on a pole that allows me to manually track the sun, and allows for fast removal when I am heading for home. 

I bought a Morningstar MPPT charger, and I left the small panel out all winter.  The snow blows off the south side of my cabin, so I have a place that gets sun most winter days.  I returned this spring to find that my batteries were floating at 13.18V.  They seem to be in better shape now than when I got them.  My brother gave them to me used... they were deemed worn-out by his company and they switched them out and were going to scrap them.  I wish I could get more of these "bad" industrial batteries.  They have huge capacity. 

Once I start using 12V lights it will be interesting to see how well they hold up!.

[glenn kangiser]

The Morningstar could actually rejuvenate the batteries I think as it is a PWM along with the MPPT I think.  The pulses will help break up sulfation.  Sounds good.

[NM_Shooter]

Went up for a quick day and overnight trip to scout for elk, set up some blinds and clear shooting lanes for brush.  While I was up there it started to snow (!!!) and the wind came up so I hurried up the work in the woods and retreated to the cabin to do a little electrical. 

I found some 12V DC switches rated for 15 A at a local surplus store for $2 each.  Not a great deal, but not bad either.  Turns out that they are just shy of 1", so I bought some decora blanks and a wall plate, and used a 1" spade bit to open up the hole.  Had to super glue the switches to keep them from rotating, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  This will be the eventual result :



Those are Calterm 40602 switches, SPST.  I do not plan on wiring up the LED. 

I still have to build an overmount plate to make up for the mistake in my sheetwall work.  I could patch the hole instead, but making a plate will be less work.  Here are the switches wired into the box.  I used 12g romex for all my 12V runs.  This wall switch feeds one light fixture with three 12V MR16 20W flood bulbs. 



For the light fixture, I was trying to figure out how to have multiple bulbs in one location and to make it look decent, and I remembered that my junk pile contained an old halogen light base.  I pulled out the AC - DC converters, and hard wired the bulbs directly to their own pair of romex.  Here is the fixture that I am using.  The plan is to be able to bring up the appropriate amount of light as needed, and I can direct it where I need it too.  I may change one of the bulbs to a spot if I need some concentrated light. 

Note the fancy dining table that fixture is sitting on.  Ethan Allen, eat your heart out.



BTW... woke up to a heavy frost and 26 degree air.  My furnace came on a lot last night.

[NM_Shooter]

Went up to close up this weekend.  Painted the outhouse, brought some building supplies up for my water / battery shed project next year. 

Am hoping to make one more trip up, but things are buttoned up if not.  Small solar panel positioned for winter sun and out of the snow.  Antifreeze in the ptraps. 

One slight problem... I think we left an unopened jar of salsa up there.  I am certain it will be open the next time I visit.  It's been down to 10 degrees at night recently. 

[rick91351]

Hunting over?  Did you guys have any luck?

10 degrees!      I am not ready for stuff like that, I still want it to be summer maybe early fall.  We have had snow at the 8000 level above the ranch.  It is all gone now but more on the way if Glenn and Sassy will send it on up.    

Most of our real wet storms come up from down that way.     

[NM_Shooter]

No joy on our hunt.   

Our hunt was to start Friday... Thursday we got hit with a freak snowstorm, dumped 16" up at 10k feet, with drifts to 3'.  We were unable to access the ranch, although we tried for a few days.  It was a weekend that was a cross between Ice Road Truckers, MacGiver, and Man vs. Wild.  Even with chains on all 4 corners I had to winch a couple of spots. 

I don't like to have to use my winch to get deeper in. 

Sarah had to be back at school on Tuesday.  Sunday night, after struggling to get 6 miles back, and winching my way along, I decided that I was trying too hard to make the evening news.  We were on top of a hill (had to abandon the road because of the drifts) and I was taking a rest.  I decided to pull the plug and broke the news to Sarah that we were not going to be hunting.  She was pretty sad.  Even though I had food and water for a week, plenty of warm clothes, and a satellite emergency transmitter, I thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. 

As we were getting ready to turn around, we saw two bulls trot across the meadow below us, about 800 yards distant.  One was nice sized and would have easily scored 325 inches.  It was beautiful to see... sort of a parting gift. 

Most of the snow is gone, but the ice remains in the dark woods on the road.  We have one hunter on our property, and he says that the elk are still on the ranch.  He has seen 3 or 4 herds over the last couple of days.  I have the opportunity to go back an hunt for me (Sarah won't be able to hunt) but the fun of it is gone for me this year.  I really wanted her to be able to hunt, and this weekend she has district meet for cross country. 

We set a record for earliest "snow out" of our property, at Oct. 6 of this year.  Considering that the snow lingered until early June, this was a short season. 

Bears are becoming more frequently seen up there, so I may hunt them next year.  One of the owners believes that he saw a wolf on the property too.  He is a pretty experienced woodsman, so I think the possibility of it turning out to be a monster coyote is slim.  I need to check with game and fish. 

Will post some game cam pix in a bit.

[NM_Shooter]

From my critter-cam

A few boys going for a walk in the woods :







Pretty nice Muley :



Check out the brow tines.  Must have gotten injured?



Looks like the cows use this trail too once in awhile.  This is our grazing tenant looking for strays.  It is hard work to ranch anywhere.  It gets harder the higher up you get.

[Redoverfarm]

Went up to close up this weekend.  Painted the outhouse, brought some building supplies up for my water / battery shed project next year. 

Am hoping to make one more trip up, but things are buttoned up if not.  Small solar panel positioned for winter sun and out of the snow.  Antifreeze in the ptraps. 

One slight problem... I think we left an unopened jar of salsa up there.  I am certain it will be open the next time I visit.  It's been down to 10 degrees at night recently. 

I hope it was XTRA hot.  Maybe the tiny critters will get a buzz out of it.  Too bad about the hunt, I felt that you were more excited about it than her.

[rick91351]

Loved the pictures.  I would take any of them for wall or locker.  The guy on horse back looks like this time of the year.  Cows usually pretty much gather themselves, the old girls start down the mountain when it is time.  Yet there are always a few you have to ride for.  Some are contrary just like humans, others they sort of don't know yet and then there is one or two you never find.    

I will PM you a wolf picture.  I think there is one on this machine or I might have one on photobucket

 

[NM_Shooter]

Was thinking about making a run at my cabin via snowmobile.... but ironically, we just had a dump of fresh powder, so I think I will let it settle. 

This time of year I start to get itchy to get back up there.  This season I am going to get my water and batteries into the outdoor "coop".  I really want to have running water for a shower.  I'd like to also get my bunkhouse built, but that probably won't happen.  First trip up is always clearing downed trees, and checking around the perimeter of the property (as much as possible).

I think the blower motor on my RV heater is about to go belly up.  I will need to pull it and put a new blower in there.  It was not fun building that heater in, it will be less fun to pull it out. 

C'mon May!

[NM_Shooter]

Thinking more about spring thaw... cabin fever has hit me hard. 

I'm glad for the projects underway through the winter that get posted here.  Gives me something to daydream about. 

I may need to find a small piece of land at lower elevation so I can have a winter retreat too.  Hmmmmmm..... maybe somewhere near the San Juan river :-)

Hoping that a tree didn't fall on my new outhouse.  I may need to thin out the corkbarks that are within drop range.

[NM_Shooter]

Went in this past weekend, as we had an early snow melt due to thin snowpack.  Not boding well for the fire season! 

Only went in for a quick overnight, as we had Sunday appointments to tend to back home.  Got up early, and hit the front gate of the ranch at 1030.  Was relieved to see that no trees fell on the outhouse, and that the bears had not broken into the cabin after the salsa and jelly that were left inside.  I did find what appeared to be very tiny mouse poop under the sink.  None of the baited traps were sprung though.  I'll need to check my wire mesh under the cabin and see if I have any openings.  Luckily there was no damage anywhere in the cabin. 

Sarah and I then went up to the ridge to make a phone call.  It is about a 2 mile ride, and we only had one downed tree that we had to clear.  We then checked the corner gates and rode some of the fenceline.  We saw elk everywhere....



These four boys were in the meadow below my cabin when we came down from the ridge. I'm guessing they are two year olds :



We found a cow in distress... she had fallen into a dry wallow and was unable to get up.  From the looks of it, she had been there awhile.  We went back to the ridge and called the grazing tenant and left a message for him.  We tried to get her some water, but I think she knew the time was near.  There was no way that we could help her up, as she would get to her knees and then roll over.  Poor thing.  I expect to find a carcass next time up.  If it had been my cow I would have put her down, but I left her for the tenant in case he wanted to try and harvest some meat from her. 

We also went in the RZR and explored the far east side of the ranch, which is somewhere I have never been.  We found some interesting boulder-strewn cliffs, along with a large amount of fresh bear scat. 

Then went back to our little shack, and noticed the trout were rising.  Delayed dinner to go play with the fish, and quit when a little squall blew up.  We waited until it was over, then had a campfire and roasted 'dogs and beans in the fire.  I've had an interesting travel life and have had pretty good meals all over the globe, but those hotdogs were one of the best meals I ever had. 

The company was great too.

[OlJarhead]

Very nice!  Those are the best trips!

[craig]

This is an awesome setting plus the elk herd seems great. I built a similar cabin but in the wilds of NYS, lots of deer and bear but no elk. Its been a while since I went elk hunting in Montana and Colorado, but your cabin seems perfect. And the fishing is great fun. I have a pond and beaver dams that I fish.

[ColchesterCabin]

Wow, is all I can say. My daughter is only 12 and recently broke her ankle but I was hoping to involve her in my build project. Here's hoping it is only short lived. I am looking at your pictures with your daughters and thinking about it being the exact reason I am doing my build project. Kudos! Your project looks fantastic as well.

[NM_Shooter]

Thanks!  Yes, the elk make it special.  They are sure a lot more skittish than deer.  The deer actually put up with us stalking them a bit, but elk bolt the instant they see you.  My kids like to play hunt when we spot elk behind our cabin in the woods, and see how close they can get to take pictures before getting spotted.

I built this cabin more for my kids than I did for me.  It has been a joint-effort and I would not have gotten done as soon as I did without them.  I also like the fact that my kids were safe and comfortable with hand and power tools at a young age.  They have a lot of pride in ownership now, and I encourage you to put your daughter to work.  Even at 12 and with a broken ankle... have her doing some planning. 

I am blessed to have kids who enjoy being around their parents, whether we are at the cabin or sitting at dinner.  We have always ensured that they knew that they were respected by us, and they have returned the favor.  Having daughters was an eye opener for me.  I raised them like boys, their mom raised them like girls.  So now I have cuties that can ballroom dance and also out fish / shoot quite a few men that I know. 

It is not "quality time" that counts.  Focus on quantity time!  Nothing better than building a cabin for that 

[NM_Shooter]

Wow... I haven't posted in awhile. 

I'm getting the itch to get in there, but sadly the snow is keeping me out for a bit.  Even more sadly, looks like I may be selling this year!

Improvements on the list for 2015 include a pantry and a shelving unit, both of which will serve as a way to hide some flex furnace plenum.  I'd like to get my water system started too. 

I thought that I'd have more time when my girls went off to college.  Man, was I wrong!

-f-

[rick91351]

Hate to tell you but most likely not the first to do so.  Frank as far as time it only gets more scarce and as with all commodities the more scarce the more valuable...... 

Sent you a personal message....

[NM_Shooter]

Well, I have been working to sell my cabin and shares in the ranch for awhile, and it appears that I have found a buyer.  I need to post my latest improvements as a close to this thread. 

As a bit of eye candy, here is a link to a drone video that a friend of mine shot of my cabin, and the lake and spillway that it overlooks.  This will be a nice keepsake for me.

https://vimeo.com/134155234

[MountainDon]

I hope that all goes through for you. Thanks for the video. I'll view it when back home as I don't want to use the Verizon data all up here from the cabin.

Nice rain tonight.

[hpinson]

Enjoyed that.

[MountainDon]

    Realnice!!