Don MillerOf course the snow drought ended the day I started to head back to Washington. And of course, the snow started falling just as I had the chance to avoid it at the intersection of shortcut and long way around. Of course I took the shortcut over a 7000 foot pass into Idaho’s Bitterroot mountains. If it was good enough for Lewis and Clark, It would surely be good enough for me. The snow plows were not keeping up with the 6″ of snow that piled up in the couple of hours that it took me to get over the pass. Its not that far but with 4 balding tires and no way to tell what was road and what was ditch, it was slow going. I passed one other car and it was a big 4 wheel drive truck so I had the whole road to myself.
I was in no hurry to get back really since I knew that I would only be able to hike in. I meandered around Western Montana and North Idaho for a couple of days but the snow had turned to a steady rain. Not much to do really. The next thing I knew, I was turning the corner on the road up to my property.
Not much to do anywhere other than haul my winter luggage and tax free shopping bits and bobs I picked up in Montana. I have a supply sled that is more supply than sled. Its not too bad in snow but as the snow melted out as spring took hold, it was like pulling a pile of cinder blocks through mud.
I spent most of March with just one little solar battery and not much sun. So I just had enough electricity to charge my phone. No lights or refrigerator. I have been using the snow for water and refrigeration but the piles are getting smaller and quite dirty. Hopefully the road will open up and I can get more batteries installed and clean water hauled in. To speed it along, I have been going out and breaking up the remaining snow and ice. I don’t know if it really helping but I really need the exercise.
Once I get the road opened, the real work can begin. There was some snow load damage to the trailer cover. It is going to be a big job. In the meantime, I started cleaning up from the snow damage. First was pulling down the deck roof on the old trailer cabin. It collapsed under the snow load. As decrepit as the roof was, It wasn’t the roof that failed. The weight of the snow caused the support posts to sink into the ground until the roof pulled away from the main cabin. It was pretty stubborn in not wanting to get pulled down. There was some pretty good gymnastics for an old guy as I tried to get the roof apart without it sliding down the ravine with out dragging me with it. Ultimately it was a successful start to the season.
 The roof mess |
 Roofless |
The good thing is that I can use most of the lumber and roof panels for other projects. I have already hauled the roof panels up the hill to the outhouse to replace the plastic corrugated roof panels that blew off. Wind just ripped the screws right out of the roof. I am not looking forward to the roof height but it will get done the next dry windless day. Luckily, the tar paper is keeping it dry for now.
The other project I can do without car access is to continue fire proofing the property. A lot of chainsaw work. That is going to be an all summer job though. Who am I kidding. that will go on forever. Like painting the San Francisco Bridge. No sooner will I get one section cleared, It will start growing back as I work the next section.
The main goal this year is to get the cabin started. If the building permit overlords deem me worthy of course. I hope to have that done in April. and I am still waiting on that. , get started on the cabin.
It is a double edge sword. Usually it is a slow transition from Winter snows to Spring Rains to Summer dry. It already been a dry March so I think my road will dry out in a few days enough to drive in but that keeps up wildfire season will be upon us sooner than later. I better get my burn pile lit soon.
