Caretaker Cabin Project
Thanks to the helping hands of countless volunteers, we are so thrilled to finally have the Caretaker Cabin FINISHED! Between the road closure, Covid and Brenda’s cancer diagnosis, the project took longer than expected! However, it is now home to new staff!
The original Caretaker Cabin was camp’s first building constructed and the only building fully occupied year-round! It provided a cozy forest home for staff for more than 5 decades. Filled with original 1960s charm, the little A-frame nestled by the road provided shelter from the rainforest’s constant drizzle and howling winds for many winters. During the warm months, the sweet sounds of summer would waft through its open windows while children’s voices lifted to the sky in song and laughter. The little cabin was even the location for the birth of a child during one spring snow….Oh, if only those walls could speak!
Over the years, the little cabin had to fight for its place in the forest, and ultimately, the elements were winning. Over the last decade, the cedar roof appeared to be held together mostly by moss as new trees sprouted on its steeply-pitched roof. Inhabitants constantly battled leaks, mold, mice and tight quarters. It was a tough decision to tear the nostalgic little house down, but once the skeleton was exposed and the rot revealed, it was crystal clear that the right choice had been made. And though it was sad to let go of that cornerstone of camp’s history, we now look forward to a new beginning…
Designed to reflect DCC’s A-frame tradition, the new building’s structure will be modified to allow for simple quality-of-life improvements such as upper kitchen cabinets and in-house laundry facilities! The new cabin has been designed to provide flex-space for staff & volunteers. There will be living quarters in the basement (a new addition to the old footprint) for directors and cooks who crave a quiet space during summer camp or while cooking for weekend groups when “sleeping among the group” can be tight. The flex-space will be available for housing volunteers throughout the year as well as providing a heated gathering space mid-week or when the lodge is not being used. This additional year-round space will provide much-appreciated flexibility for staff and volunteer needs. It will also add a moisture-proof area for storing valuable program materials and building Drift Creek’s institutional memory. Once the cabin is completed, the Sitka Cabin, located above the bathhouse, will again be available for use by volunteers, rental guests and program participants.
The cabin’s construction came to a screeching halt with back-to-back closures caused by the culvert project and the pandemic. In many ways, it feels like the last few years have been “lost”. Between my own battle with cancer and its lingering side-effects, the road closure, Covid, the many downed trees from the Labor Day storm and the forest fires that followed, there have been so few opportunities to welcome the volunteers on which DCC depends. Although our current focus is preparing for summer programs, we are also thinking about what’s next. At that point, we will be able to acquire the supplies needed and revive the effort to finish the new cabin. We will need skilled carpenters to help complete the project! (The exterior of the cabin was mostly finished until work came to a screeching standstill with back-to-back closures and lingering stay-at-home orders.) Now that a return to normal operations looks promising, let’s finally get this thing finished! If you are willing to lend a hand, contact info@driftcreek.org or call 971-600-1244.
If you are interested in volunteering, on-site housing can be available, depending on the rental schedule. We would love to have your helping hands. Please contact info@driftcreek.org to make arrangements. Thank you for your support!
