New Hampshire Outing Club Cabins Blog

Franky Renovations

2011-02-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

A long due update for Franconia Notch Cabin. This past fall members of the NHOC, and one alumni spent several weekends giving Franky some much needed TLC. Two solid days of work involved replacing a good portion of the roof...taking the old roof apart and building up. The inside also received a much needed makeover as the downstairs was re insulated and new paneling was put up. Pictures can be found here

Work Weekend - May 9, 2009

2009-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hooray for melted snow! Ah, the sounds of spring - birds chirping, frogs peeping, the rustling of new leaves in the gentile breeze, the sweet smell of sawdust, and the first firing of the generator after a long winter. That's right, winter is officially over! And as any true-blooded New Englander knows, if it's not winter it must be construction season. This weekend we had a crew up at Jackson shaking the cobwebs off and making more good progress. Work this weekend included putting another good dent in the siding, installing cabinets, and getting a good start on the entry stairs & landing.

Pictures can be found here.

Progress? Not really. But you should have seen the view...

2008-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

From October 4-5, 2008

A couple brave souls fought leaf-peeper traffic to get a little done on the cabin this weekend. We continued working on the finished floor, as well as put in the tile hearth/base for the woodstove.

The real star of the show was without a doubt Mother Nature, as foliage was near peak and the weather was somewhat cooperative. A sampling of the pictures I took can be found here.

We're baaaaack!

2008-09-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn, NHOCers! The return of Fall brought some great weather and renewed progress on the new Jackson Cabin. This past weekend we had a stalwart crew of seasoned vets (alumni) and plucky new recruits (undergrads) come together to get some solid work done. The entire cabin had been Tyveked a few weeks ago by a fresh crew of undergrads, and their continued work this weekend shows they're serious about bringing back the old school cabins love. Now that's something EVERYONE can agree to vote for this season!

We began putting up the cedar shakes (siding), and just about finished one side of the cabin. We also got most of the exterior trim up, installed the 'through the wall kit' for the stove pipe / chimney, and got another 1/3 of the finish floor screwed down.

In two weekends (October 4 - 5) we'll be back up there hoping for good weather and another solid weekend of work. We'd love to see you there!

Click here for pictures from the weekend

Summer 2008 season is underway!

2008-05-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Jackson cabin has survived another north country winter, and we're back at it for another season of building. With any luck, this fall we'll be able to have our grand opening celebration! We'll keep everyone posted on just when that might be, but at the moment Columbus Day weekend seems like a likely possibility.

We have had two productive weekends of work so far this spring. The windows are all in, and we have actual locking doors! Over the last two work weekends, we've done some major cleanup inside, and even begun putting the finished floor down on the first floor. Pictures of all the work can be found by clicking on the links on the right side of the page.

Over the next couple months, our goal is to get the windows and doors trimmed out inside and out, and get to putting up the siding. After that - it's just finish the floor, put in the chimney, and install the kitchen! We are psyched to have this cabin so close to being done!!!

With Cabins Love,

NHOC Cabins

Progress update and new pictures

2007-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hello NHOCers!

Despite some rather heavy rains this Saturday, we had a very productive weekend. First and most importantly: We picked up our new wood stove and got it inside the cabin! In the next couple of work trips we're hoping to have the cabin weather tight - which means that when that does happen, we'll be able to heat it and work on the interior much more comfortably through the winter.

A big NHOC KA-OOOOOOO-WAHHHH!!! and thank you to Beth and Ron Blankenstein of Concord who donated the stove. Thanks to their generosity thousands of NHOCers will be warm and toasty on cold February nights for decades to come.

We also managed to get both of the large trapezoidal windows put in, as well as the other smaller trapezoidal window and the fixed window up high on the deck gabled end. All we have left now are the doors and a couple smaller (and simpler!) windows. After that we'll put in our chimney and then be ready to start siding.

Pictures of this past weekend can be found here.

I hope this update finds you all in good health and happiness, making the most of this beautiful New England autumn!

Peace, Love, and Cabins,

NHOC Cabins

Jackson Work Weekend Oct 27-28

2007-10-17T17:57:00.001-07:00

Hope to see you all there!

Also, we have new pics from a previous work weekend at the new pic page.

Work Weekend Sept 22-23

2007-09-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know we'll be up there working at Jackson next weekend. Hope to see you there!

Labor Day Weekend Update

2007-09-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well we survived another long weekend of work at the new Jackson, and lucky for all of us, so did the new cabin. It was a tough weekend on the equipment and the local parasitic wasps, but in the end we had some really good stuff happen, like....

WE HAVE A WELL!!!! WITHOUT HAM!!! Yes, we put in a well at the new cabin. And no, this one has not had a ham dropped in it. (Anyone caught within 100 feet of the new well with ham will be drowned in the old well) Even without the new cabin this development is a significant improvement over the old Jackson Cabin. Add to this the fact that this well will be permanently sealed, yet easily accessible thanks to a soon to be installed Simple Pump (which is freeze-proof and capable of pumping water all the way up to the new cabin).

We mouse-proofed the area between the sill and the siding with 1/4" rat wire. Hopefully this will help keep the mouse infestation at bay for years to come.

So we were running out of funding, right? How the heck did we afford a well? Glad you asked. We'd like to give a huge thank-you to the Barker Foundation for donating $3,500 to the Jackson Cabin Fund. Their generous gift will help pay for the wood stove and chimney, kitchen amenities (including our new stove, pots, pans, and cabinets), the well, repairing the damage we've done to the access road (which we don't own), and the purchase of some new mattresses to fill out the new loft!

Also, in addition to the old pictures page, new pictures can be found here. Sorry for the two separate pages, but putting pictures onto Picasa has proven much quicker/easier/better than Photobucket (at least for those of us in Mac land).

Until next time, remember this:

"Work is reverence for this life. Play is reverence for our place within it."

Peace, love, and timber frames to you all,

NHOC Cabins

Work Weekend Update

2007-08-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! We here at the NHOC Cabins hope that everyone is having as wonderful (and less busy) of a summer as we are. This past weekend we finally made it back up for another work weekend. There were five of us who tackled a couple of tedious but necessary tasks over the course of a weekend of nothing but absolutely beautiful Jackson weather. At one point as I sat on the deck, a handful of woodpeckers were busy finding dinner in the birch trees just downhill of the new cabin. A tiny hummingbird hovered around one woodpecker in particular, quickly darting from one side of the tree to the other, and then back again as if admiring the woodpecker's skill. A red squirrel bounded up within 5 feet of me to inspect such a strange two legged creature so quietly watching the forest around him...

O.k. - I'm back. Here's what you're really after....PICTURES FROM THE WEEKEND!

Secondly, we're already planning our next work weekend. OUR NEXT WORK WEEKEND WILL BE LABOR DAY WEEKEND. We'll be there all three days (Sat., Sun., Mon.) so any day that you can come up and help would be fantastic! If you are planning on coming, send us an email at NHOCCabins@gmail.com so we can get a rough idea of how many people to plan for.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see all of you up at the cabins soon!!!

NHOC Cabins

Cabins Update with Pictures from our last work weekend!

2007-06-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

By now everyone should know there are only two seasons in New Hampshire: Winter and Construction Season. Last I checked, there was no snow to be found and that can only mean one thing...We're back at work on Jackson Cabin! Over the weekend of June 16-17th six motivated alumni (and two very lazy dogs) got a heck of a lot of work done on the new cabin. We were able to fully insulate and sheath the east and west sides of the new cabin (the two non-gabled ends), finish framing the north (deck side) gabled end, and get a good chunk of the interior wallboard up on that gabled end as well. Pictures can be found here.

Here's a fun fact I was thinking about this past weekend while working on the cabin: This project truly does bridge the gap between not only alumni / current student, but it also bridges the generational gap. Since we've begun work, we've had UNHers ranging from the classes of the mid 1970's all the way up to the class of 2010...almost a 40 year span! Besides the obvious learning experience of actually building a cabin, we've all been able to learn about and experience first hand the past, present, and future of UNH through the New Hampshire Outing Club. Thanks again to everyone who has brought sweat, insight, and connection to this amazing project.

Remember to check back often for updates and pictures this summer!

The season is nearly upon us!

2007-05-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful winter full of whatever it is you love about that time of year. In case you haven't been outside lately, NH's short season (winter) is coming to an end and the other season (construction season) is rapidly approaching. From all reports the new cabin has weathered the winter well, and we're getting ready to swing back into building.

Some new news - We've secured another $3,000 in grant money for the project which will primarily fund the woodstove & chimney, cabinets/kitchen/furniture, and a small generator which we'll be able to leave at the site for the remainder of the project.

Keep checking back here in the coming weeks to find out about work weekends, picture updates, and lots more. Right now we're tentatively planning something towards the end of May.

Hope all is well, and see you at the Cabin!

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

We here at the NHOC Cabins blog just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. May all your holiday wishes and dreams come true, and we'll see you in the new year!

Warm wishes,

All of us who love the NHOC Cabins

Work coming up at Franky next weekend (Dec 2nd)

2006-11-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone -

If anyone is interested, we'll be doing some work at Franky this coming Saturday, Dec. 2nd. We've got some leaky roof issues around the chimney and subsequent moldy insulation to replace. We'd love to see some alumni up there!

Post comments with any questions and I'll answer them ASAP. Hope everyone's enjoying leftovers!!!!

New Pictures added from past two work weekends!

2006-11-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! We've added new pictures from the past couple of weekends up at Jackson. During these past couple of weekends, we managed to get three sides of the cabin enclosed, one of which is even insulated, sheathed and papered!

Pictues can be found by clicking here.

p.s. - If you want your pictures on there...send them to me, suckas! Email pics to: nhoccabins@gmail.com

A time for thanks

2006-11-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It's at this time of year that we like to sit back and reflect on those things that we're thankful for - things that give our life the value and meaning we so appreciate. I know that this blog is supposed to be general cabins stuff only, but I'm going to take this opportunity to get a bit personal.

We started the Jackson project over three years ago. Since then, we've had our share of hard work - and hard workers! I spent the last four days up at Jackson with a couple dedicated people and that time got me thinking (okay, reminiscing) about all the great help we've had. So this is my attempt to personally thank some of the biggest supporters of the Jackson Cabin Project. As with any list, I will undoubtedly forget some people who have been a huge help to our success and to you I apologize in advance. I'll start at the beginning...

Thank you to the UNH Parents Association for supplying us with a $17,500 grant for the project!!! Thanks to Wally Kenison for all the help with the grant proposal. If anyone needs help writing grants, Wally is your man. Really, he does that for a living! Big thanks also to Chris Webb for help with the letter that went out to alumni - and of course, HUGE thanks to all the alumni that donated the almost $10,000 that have gone into the new Jackson.

If you see Rusty Partridge, give the man a hug. Or two. Rusty - along with friends Tim Bernard, Jeff, and Mark - is the main reason this cabin will last longer than 5 years. Rusty has since started his own timber framing business, Pear Tree Builders, and would be more than happy to be your timber framer for your next project!

Other alumni to whom we owe large debts of gratitude include Greg Betts and Laurel Flax, who not only planted the seed of timber framing in our minds (via Franky's new wood rack), but have continued to show up regularly to offer tremendous amounts of help and canine back-up. Thanks to Pete Manning for chiselling in the cold rain - we can't wait for you to come home safe from Iraq and help us with the finishing touches!

Thanks also to Norm Gagnon from Gagnon Construction in Rollinsford, NH for donating so much of his equipment to the project. Almost all of the materials were hauled from UNH to Jackson on his trucks, the land was cleared and foundation was dug using his excavator, and his generator gives us power when Travis' dinosaur needs repair. Thank you, thank you - it is appreciated more than you know.

Thank you to Ricci Lumber, Fernald Lumber, Great Brook Lumber, Middleton Building Supply, and Quikrete Concrete Products for donating and reducing the price of materials for this project.

Thank you to all the students (most have graduated now, but they were students when we started!) and members of the NHOC who have given up so many of your weekends to be a part of this history in the making. There have been literally almost 100 of us over the past few years, but a few names and memories really stand out. Thank you Travis for helping me handle this enormous responsibility - I would have significantly more gray hairs if not for you. Thank you Joe Maslow for always being there, ready to work, ready to de-stress me. Thank you Aaron Marquis for only missing one or two work weekends the entire three years - your dedication is amazing and truly appreciated. Thank you Aaron Faulkner for stepping in and offering some knowledge and hard work when we really need it. Last but not least, thank you to my wonderful girlfriend Brett, for putting up with me disappearing so much. I promise when this project is over, I will be home more than one weekend every two months...

Although there are too many names to name here, a couple of memories will always stay with me. First, I'll never forget the girls who carried all those bags of cement! With such dedication and determination, it's no wonder the NHOC is the amazing organization it is today. I'll always remember the long days in the rain - chiselling, raising the roof, and lots more - that really showed me we were going to make the new cabin a reality. I'll never forget the endless hard work with (almost) no complaints, even when moving the same pile of wood for what seemed like the hundreth time.

I'm sure you need to get to your turkey (or tofurky), so I'll stop here for now. I'm thankful for many things this year - but none more so than for the great NHOC family, and all that we have accomplished over the past three plus years. Thank you, each and every one of you, for helping make a huge part of my life as wonderful and meaningful as it is, and for helping to give a hundred years of future NHOCers the opportunity to share in the same joys and experiences we have enjoyed during our time here. Remember, no good deed goes unrewarded...

May peace and good fortune bless each and every one of you this holiday.

Jason

Next work weekend and a progress update

2006-11-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm happy to say that this past weekend we were able to get most of the interior wallboard up. It's scary, but the place is starting to look like a real building now, what with walls and a roof and all... Travis, Aaron, and myself are planning on heading up this weekend (18th - 19th) and possibly staying through until Tuesday to really get some good work cranked out. We'd love to see you there! As soon as I get pictures from the past weekend I'll post them.

I hope everyone is doing well, and hope to see you up there soon.

Jason

ps - Rusty, I'll mail your stuff this week, I promise!!!

Success...with pics to prove it!

2006-10-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great three days of work this weekend up at Jackson. Although the crew was less numerous than it has been in the past, those of us who were there more than made up for it. The roof is finished, the windows are framed out (but not yet put in), and we've started to put up the interior wallboard. Oh, and man did we have some nice weather!!!

Pictures from the past two weekends can be found here.

If you have pictures you'd like seen, please send them to: jngagnon(at)gmail(dot)com

Thanks for looking...next time come on up and live it first hand, we'd love to have you up there!!!

NHOC Cabins

Work this weekend at Jackson!!! (Oct 7-8)

2006-10-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We'll be back up at Jackson this weekend finishing the roof and continuing work on the walls. Hope to see you all there!

Tentative work weekend date September 16-17

2006-09-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm throwing that weekend out as a possible date for continuing work on the roof. How does that work for people?

Work this weekend postponed until a later date

2006-07-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but things just didn't come together for this weekend like they were supposed to. I hope everyone enjoys the nice weather anyways!

Jason

Proposed date for next work weekend:

2006-06-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

We're thinking of having our next work weekend at Jackson be July 14th-16th. Please leave comments here on how that weekend would work for you!

Things to be done: Finish the roof completely! Includes putting on the insulation, sheathing, tar paper, and metal roofing.

Estimated people needed: 10 or so

In the midst of the summer heat...

2006-06-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Let this picture be the refreshment you need!

Pictures of laying the loft floor added!

2006-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Bonjour! We have just added pictures from last November's laying of the loft floor to our photo album. View those pictures here.

Don't forget - if you have pictures you'd like to see up there, contact us at nhoccabins@gmail.com!

Get outside and enjoy the summer!

Jason

So you want to rent a cabin?

2006-06-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well, our Cabins Reservationist is Colum Lang. He can be reached by email at:

ciu2@cisunix.unh.edu

For the moment he's living in a tent somewhere, so calling him is not an option (although he is checking the messages at the office, so I hear) but he works at a place where he checks his email every day. So if you'd like to rent the cabins, he's the man you want to reach!

Share this page with your friends!

2006-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

If you're checking this out - great! Wouldn't it be great if all NHOC alumni could see what's going on with Jackson Cabin, even if we don't happen to have their emails? If you know an alumni who might like to see what's up, send them the link to this page! The address here is http://nhoccabins.blogspot.com .

Also, if you visit - let us know! We'd love to see some comments to know that people are indeed checking this page out. We especially like comments like "Tell that guy to put a shirt on!" or "Those girls look like they work twice as hard as you lazy guys." and "You call that a cabin? I'll build you a cabin!" No matter what you have to say, let us know you're here!

Hope all is well with everyone, and get outside!

Jason

More pictures added...

2006-06-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We've added more pictures to our photobucket account from when we did the foundation and when we built the sill. Check them out at http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h67/nhoccabins/

If you have pictures of Jackson you'd like to see posted, please send them to Jason at NHOCCabins(at)gmail(dot)com. Please send fairly small file sizes, if possible.

Get out and enjoy the weather!!!!

Jason

Roof Raising at Jackson Cabin

2006-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! This past weekend, the roof was raised at the new Jackson Cabin. A dozen or so hearty NHOCers braved the torrential downpours on Saturday to be part of history in the making. We were able to not only raise the rafters, but also get the wallboard and vapor barrier on the roof. Thank you to all involved, especially Rusty and Jeff for their timber framing expertise, hard work, and moral support. Check out this link for pictures from this past weekend up at Jackson.

If you want to be involved in upcoming work at Jackson, check this page often or email Jason at nhoccabins@gmail.com . Here's a teaser from the weekend:

Thanks for reading, and watch for more updates coming soon!

Welcome to the NHOC Cabins official BLOG!!!

2006-06-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Kaaaa-ooooooooo-waaaaahhhh! Thanks for visiting! Here is where you will find the most up to date information about the New Hampshire Outing Club's Jackson and Franconia Notch cabins! Be sure to check this page for cabins info, updates on Jackson Cabin construction, and all things NHOC cabins. Also check out the links to other NHOC and related sites.