The Drunken Bear

  The General Store and Post Office for the town of Index.     Kayaks along the wall of the Outdoor Adventure Center in Index. This weekend there was no work done at The Drunken Bear. Our friends, Bob and Doug had moved back into the city of Seattle (from Tacoma) and had an open house. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share in their excitement and visit with friends. Besides, there was a poker game planned. With Steve and I having the extra expense of building this cabin we thought we could make some good money. Of course when you are playing poker for nickels, dimes and quarters, you are not going to walk away a big winner. Between the two of us, I think Steve and I made enough to buy 10 new square washers. Square washers? Let me explain. This last week we had the inspector come by to check out our progress. On the plans we received at the time of purchase of our “2 year old Pan-Abode“, it showed round washers holding on the mudsill, so that i...

Steve beginning the blocking process.   Clouds moving in on the mountains up river. Wild currant (Ribes sanguineum). Steve looking up river.   The scene Steve is seeing.     Close-up of the peak in the previous photo. Saturday was such a beautiful spring day, but unfortunately I had to work. Luckily I do get off rather early in the day and I immediately headed to The Drunken Bear. This weekend we hoped to finish the floor joists and make sure it was all squared off. As I headed out of Sultan, a billboard was displaying the temperature at 79 degrees. Signs of spring were everywhere. This is one of my favorite times of year when all the shades of green can be seen in the new growth of plants. As I approached Index, I was greeted by the blooms of the wild currant (Ribes sanguineum), the Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) and salmonberry (Ribes spectabilis). Steve had arrived a few hours before me. He had dropped by the lumbe...

Pictures: 1. We awoke to these snow covered mountains across the river from The Drunken Bear 2. Mountain peak located a little northwest of us 3. Mt. Index 4. Myself toasting a bagel at the fire pit 5. Myself measuring a floor joist...the extra length will be part of the blocking 6. Steve tightening a nut on the foundation bolt atop the mudsill 7. Foundation before the building process This last weekend Steve and I headed to Index to start the construction process. It had been a beautiful week in Seattle, sunny most of the time, but cool. Friday morning as we were loading up the tools and equipment, we were greeted with a downpour. We were hoping it was temporary, but as we headed out of town it appeared we were following the storm into the Cascade Mountains. When we reached the town of Gold Bar we decided to stop at one of our favorite haunts, The Mountainview Diner, to have breakfast and hopefully wait out the storm. As usual, breakfast was good, but as for waiting out the storm...i...

Picture: 1. Just an example of the "2 year old" cedar wood we have uncovered Back in the early 50's my family bought some property where our extended family met for weekend camp outs and picnics. The land is about 35 miles northwest of Helena. My parents, and other relatives, poured a cement foundation and then cut trees to build the cabins. Being a youngster, my job was to help peel the bark off the trees...sometimes very fun...when the bark came off in long strips like a leather belt...and sometimes very tedious...when the bark would only come off in much smaller pieces. Back then, building a cabin out in the woods was quite easy. Well, I mean easy in respect to the bureaucracy you must now go through. Times have changed and now you need a permit for this, then you need this to be inspected before you can do this, then once this is completed you need to be inspected again to make sure this was done properly...this, this, this...it's enough to make you want to pull ...