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Summer at the Cabin


The cabin was built in the 1950's when my Great Grandpa rode up there, and it looks like not many repairs have been made since that time. The cabin is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and is made out of pine logs. There are places where you can see between the logs because the chinking is falling out. The cabin faces to the east. It has a small porch that was made by leaving the first four logs of the cabin about six feet longer than the rest. There is a small set of corrals in front of the cabin. There is an old shed to the north of the cabin, and the outhouse is behind it.

The porch has a hole in it where a horse stepped through it when someone forgot to put the chain across the doorway. In the rafters hang old horseshoes that we tack on when one of our horses loses a shoe. Half the porch is cluttered with tools, shovels jacks, chains, shoeing equipment and an axe. The other half is full of firewood.

The only electric thing in the cabin is the phone. Propane or wood runs everything else. There is only one propane light in the cabin. To light the rest we use Coleman lanterns. There isn't any running water in the cabin so we have to haul water.
The floor to the cabin is made out of scrap lumber. It used to be rough, but has been worn smooth with time. There are places where it has rotted out and has been patched. There are also places that have been burned by sparks from the two stoves, and people spilling the ashes. Inside the cabin, behind the door, is a long bench we stack pop, canned stew, and many other things on. In the corner is the dog food, which we keep inside so the squirrels and birds don't get it. However that doesn't stop the mice. At night you can hear them run across the floor and into the sack. We trapped mice for three weeks before we stopped hearing them at night.

A large hand made table is pushed against the left wall of the cabin. This is where we eat and play cards. I also sleep under the table at night because it is the only open space. At each end of the table is a homemade chair, and for the length of the table is an old bench.

Farther along the left wall is a four-post bed. It is the only bed in the cabin so we draw cards to see who gets it. Getting the bed isn't that big of a deal because the springs are bad and the mattress is covered with stains. I think the best part about getting the bed is that one of the three windows is above it.

On the back wall is a slab of wood that we use for a shelf. It holds a deformed deer antler, a coyote skull, and the shells for the guns. Below the shelf is the gun rack where the rifles set. On the top rung is my old Winchester 30,06, next is a Ruger .223. After that is a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun. The last two rungs are taken by the .22 rifles. A company I have never heard of before made one. The other is a very old Savage. In the corner is a four point Mule deer head that the pistols hang off of. There are two Ruger .44's, and a Ruger .22 pistol.

Starting down the right wall, the first thing is the sink. The dirty dishes are piled in and around the sink. Under the sink is the bathtub. It is a big metal tub that we use to take baths and rinse the dishes.

Next along the wall is a small table that has a Forest Service map tacked to it. The map tells us where the ponds, gates, and fences are. Beside the map is the turnout paper. It tells us how many cows each person turned out. Then is the dead list, where we write down all the cows we find dead and who they belong too.

Farther down the wall is the refrigerator. It is full of left overs, sandwich meat, mayo, cheese, mustard, pickles, pop, and medicine for the cows. Next is the freezer. It's full of meat, bread, and a bucket of vanilla ice cream.

That is the cabin at cow camp where I spend part of my summer. Even though it may not sound that great, I think it is one of the best places I could spend my summer. It is really cool to be where my Great Grandpa had ridden, and said the best times of his life had been. I don't think I will ever get to go anywhere that has that effect on me again.