John Muir Cabin 6/24-25/2011

It's been a little over a year since I was last up at John Muir cabin. They have done so much work to it. They put in an extension to the deck, and redid the entire inside of the cabin. Making the bottom have two double beds (bunks) on one side and the other, a spiral staircase up to the top, where they have created an separate room with a screen door. Perfect if you have children to keep them from running down the stairs when it's bed time, or for just making it a little more private.

The boy friend and I got up the cabin first and set up my hammock for relaxation. However, the bugs were insane and immune to any bug spray. So shortly after everyone else arrived, I took the hammock down and set it up inside.

We had a filling meal of shells and cheese for dinner followed by S'mores, in the morning, we made biscuits, eggs, bacon, and sausage. over the stove and on the electric heater. After we all had our fill, still in our PJs, we were cleaning up with a group of older campers came up to the cabin and sat on the deck. Knowing it is a public use cabin from 10a-5p, but not caring at all about the people who actually rented the cabin, they barged right in demanding that we know about the public use rule. Yes, we knew... no, they didn't have to be rude about it. We were just cleaning up and in our pajamas still... They came in and sat right down at the table. We were still having a quite morning wake up routine and the boy friend was trying to sleep because he works nights and wasn't able to sleep the night before. They all had HUGE packs, almost as if to claim the cabin if we had not been there. They sat right on down at the table before we could snag a few of my friend's daughter's toys to play with. And for an hour and a half, they sat and were loud completely not respecting us at all or the fact that all our little friend's toys were on the window sill or that one of our campers was trying to sleep.

My friend and I took the little one up to try and entertain her while they were there. They had a dog of their own as well, and our 4 dogs were not too happy about it considering they just barged right in. They tied him up and let him pee all over the deck.

Once they left, it was time for a little nap and time to play.

That evening right around 5p another group of hikers came up to the cabin to eat a late after sandwich. This group was a pleasant group who I had known from work. They had two little girls with them and 2 dogs that were sweet and so all our dogs played and their girls played with my friend's daughter. They stayed for about an hour as the boy friend slept. We all stayed outside with the bugs, that for some reason or another were not as bad as they were that morning. They offered us part of their sandwich and whiskey before they left.

The next morning we had about 25 runners who came up to the cabin, but seeing that people were sleeping inside, they left and went behind the cabin to the field for a quick snack and water break before running off into the woods. It was almost insane how busy it was.

We made pizzas for dinner and the next morning, I made up orange muffins, more bacon, more eggs and fresh squeezed orange juice. You could say we ate like Kings. Not saying we didn't deserve it though. The hike up was murder on the legs and the back with a full pack on.

After washing and cleaning up the cabin, we packed up and headed down the mountain. Taking less then half the time it took to get up the mountain, the car was a welcome sight.

All in all a good camping trip. But I'm hoping that the next cabin I have is a little more peaceful.

Dan Moller Camping Trip- 5.22.2010

Well, I was able to coordinate a camping trip with some friends and their families up to Dan Moller. I have been told that I am booking the cabins from now on as I apparently have an in with Mother Nature (went up on a day that was supposed to be raining but instead was nothing but blue sky and heat waves and then returning the next day on a very warm overcast day).

We took with us 4 dogs and 4 kids all ranging in ages between 3 and 15. Let me tell you, with a huge pack on your back, post holing through snow and carrying a toddler on your shoulders the last mile and a half or so up to the cabin is SO exhausting. It was such a relief when we finally arrived. That is until we saw the mess that was left for us to deal with. There was trash everywhere, broken glass all over the deck, beer bottles all over the underside of the cabin, random sleeping bags, mats, clothes and lots and lots of food both inside and outside the cabin in the cabinets. Most, moldy. The Broom was even burned. So all I had to sweep with was a hand broom ment to use with the stove and cleaning underneath it. We made the best of it and 2+ hours later we had a nice to relax and a safe place for the kids to play.

with the kids playing some of us passed out. I, seeing as how I can't really nap that easily took the opportunity for some meditation. This proved to be quite relaxing and revitalizing.
Now, you might now have guessed it but even with two men joining us on this camping trip I was the only one who was able to keep the fire lit. And around 8p I had it hot enough in the stove that we were able to boil water for filtering as well as cooking and get the skillet hot for turkey burgers. We didn't have enough wood for an outdoor fire and were more concerned with keeping the cabin warm enough that we just stuck with the stove.

With Dusk at 11pm Dawn came soon enough to wake me up at 4am. I woke up with Aspen on my back fast asleep and a my friends laughing at really how much of a priss my dog is. But I didn't mind, I was fairly sore from the hike up that it felt wonderful to have that little extra pressure there.

I was quite impressed with myself by morning when people were getting slightly agitated from lack of coffee I had the fire going and the water boiling that I was dubbed the fire lady. Coffee, turkey bacon, hash browns, eggs and muffins were all on the menu that day. And to our surprise, we were quite resourceful seeing as how the only clean thing left behind in the cabin was a small piece of tin foil.
*How I forgot some is beyond me, but I did.

We were able to cook two bisects at a time inside the stove making little breakfast sandwiches and burritos for everyone. After breakfast we realized we all went

We packed up pretty quick though and headed down the mountain. Some of us on blown up pool floaty mats down the hill. Which was 1) fairly productive and 2) VERY entertaining to watch.
Just as we were about a quarter of the way through the 4-6 foot snow. One of my friends realized they had misplaced and left some of there stuff back up at the cabin. So I took her three year old on my shoulders and hiked it down the mountain.
*let me tell you something. If you ever think that hiking/back packing is great exercise, try doing with with a huge pack plus a toddler on your shoulders while post holing down the mountain.

Over all, if you take away how poor the cabin was and how crappy the snow was, it was a pretty decent camping trip. But I will say that one day really is too short for camping.

Also, a week later, the cabin was closed down so Trail Mix Co. could go in and rebuild it. I told them they had there work cut out for them.


***pictures to be posted soon- stop back by later.***