The Stone Cabin at SAWUURA is a single
room cabin located atop the hill
to
the Northwest of the windmill. The cabin is available for use by
SAWUURA members and their guests. SAWUURA, as an all volunteer
organization, does not and cannot maintain the sanitary condition of
the cabin. All campers at SAWUURA are expected to follow the
General Use Policies at all times. The stone cabin is reserved as
community space during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend camps, it may
not be used as a personal space during those events.
These suggestions are offered to make your use of the cabin as safe and
pleasant as possible.
Location
The cabin is approximately 660 feet
from the road. Parking is on
the
North side of the road in the clearing immediately west of the
windmill. The trail to the cabin involves a 50 ft increase in
elevation. Users of the cabin are well advised to minimize
personal
belongings as everything carried up to the cabin must be removed when
you
leave.
Opening the cabin
Because of the possibility of exposure
to hanta virus from rodents, persons staying in the cabin should follow
these Public Health guidelines for cleaning before use.
- Use a breathing mask (in trash can) to minimize exposure to dust.
- Open all doors and windows.
- Spray dust and rodent feces with chlorine bleach (in trash
can). Leave the spray bottle empty when finished.
- Sweep the cabin with doors and windows open before and after use.
- Allow the cabin to air out for 15 minutes before reentering.
- Sweep the cabin with doors and windows open again when leaving.
There is a large metal trash can and some small tins containing
household items. Replace the items and seal the cans when
leaving.
Do not use Coleman
type (gas burning) lanterns or stoves in the cabin to avoid carbon
monoxide poisoning.
Toilet
There is a small pit toilet east of the
gate in the fence about 50 ft.
Sleeping
There is a bed platform raised from the
floor sufficient for 2 people
to
sleep on, approximately double bed size. You will need a sleeping
pad or
inflatable mattress and a sleeping bag.
Wood stove and fire
The wood burning stove has
characteristics which need be recognized to
have a
safe fire. The stove is not
designed to be filled with
wood. Three large (4-5 inch diameter) or four small (2-3 inch diameter)
logs
is the
maximum fill. There is a damper handle on the stove pipe. It is
open
when parallel to the pipe and closed when perpendicular. It needs
to be
open when lighting the fire. Do not fill the stove more than 1/4
full
with paper and kindling (finger sized wood) when starting the
fire. Light the paper and close the stove door immediately. The small
openings at the base of the door should be open enough to provide
airflow. The small openings at the base of the door should be
open enough to provide airflow. The openings can be dampened down
a small amount if the
stove
puts off smoke. (A small amount of smoke from the stove is normal
during
the first minute of the fire.)
The damper can be closed down when putting a last log for the evening
to
"dampen" the fire, make it burn more slowly by reducing the air
flow. Allow enough time for the fire to burn itself out when preparing
to
leave. Do not put water in
the stove to extinguish the
fire. Use
the small shovel to remove hot coals to the small metal trash can and
leave
the can covered on the stone floor, not outside.
The fire should be dead out
whenever you leave the cabin.
Kitchen
There are 2 cook pots and 3 frying pans
at the cabin as well as
silverware
and cups for 4 people. A can opener, large ladle, large fork and
grater
are
also at the cabin. These items are stored in the sealed tins and
are to be replaced clean when closing the cabin.
A sink is in place with a counter top outside the
cabin. It is advised to bring a camp stove to cook with. Gas burning stoves
should
only be used at the counter outside the cabin to avoid carbon
monoxide
poisoning. The wood stove can be used for cooking. The
decorative top
may be
removed to expose the flat surface and 2 cook holes with covers. Water
will
simmer on the flat surface in about 1/2 hour with a steady fire
going. To
have a higher heat for tasks such as frying eggs, remove a circular
cover and
place the pan or pot over the opening. Bottoms of cookware used
this
way will
become very sooty.
Closing the cabin
The cabin must be left clean to
minimize attraction of animals.
- Leave no food crumbs or trash.
- Put rugs and household items away in the metal trash can.
- Use a
breathing
mask (in trash can) to minimize exposure to dust.
- Open all doors and windows.
- Spray dust and rodent feces with chlorine bleach (in trash
can). Leave the spray bottle empty when finished.
- Sweep the cabin with doors and windows open before and after use.
- Allow the cabin to air out for 15 minutes before reentering.
- Place the tables on their sides. Fold
chairs
against the wall.
What to bring:
You will want to bring camping gear and
clothing appropriate to a
backpacking weekend or a very minimalist car camp.
Here are some additional items you will want to bring that will be very
helpful for your stay.
- paper towels
- flashlight or battery operated lantern (no
gas
powered lanterns)