Shay Creek – The Cabin in the Woods

After 20 summers in Utah, we purchased a real cabin in Markleeville California and began a set new pro fun tours (NPFT). Details of the New Pro Fun Tour are written separately. This document details comparisons between the Ranch (in Utah) and the Woods (at Shay Creek in Markleeville CA), It also contains details about the Woods repairs and operating instructions.

Price difference CA v UT

One point of “difference” is what it costs. “Obviously” being in California vs Utah one would expect that taxes would be significantly different. Taxes, HOA, water, electricity, travel and shopping all affect the costs. So I will detail the cost difference.

The cabin in CA costs quite a bit more than an undeveloped lost in UT – duh. While taxes are higher in CA, the total cost per year is, amazingly, not particularly different. The listed costs were essentially effective the year we moved. There have been some significant changes but … the big cost in Cal (property tax) is protected by Prop 13.

yearly cost	CA	UT
property tax	1900	650
HOA	75	200
Water	included	600
Road Dust Treatment	0	100
Road plowing	0	200
Electricity	60	500
Total	2035	2250

Yearly cost Utah v California

There are some major differences between the two. In CA the road is paved (no dust treatment needed) and not maintained in the winter. Water is included in the HOA fee (we own the system). In Utah there is an “upcharge” for electricity when I am not there. The end result is that Utah actually costs a bit more.

The yearly cost is mostly a tossup.

Quality Difference

In Utah we owned a 60 year old 38 foot trailer (the major reason that we were thrown out) on a one acre lot. There were also two outbuildings.

At Shay Creek I own a two bedroom cabin with half basement on a 1.5 acre lot.

Obviously, the California home is significantly better – it also had an upfront cost of nearly 200K v only about 25K in Utah.

While the cost is significantly more – the home follows suit. I consider the quality and upfront cost to be a tossup. Obviously CA is more expensive – but I have a lot more.

Recreation Differences

Utah is home to 5 different national parks, several national monuments a few recreation areas and numerous opportunities for hiking, biking, backpacking, camping, boating rafting etc. But then again California is similar. It has more than Utah but it is larger. It is also considerably more crowded – though not in the Markleeville area.

The differences are more a matter of taste. I really liked Utah when I was younger but as I age, being in California, with its convenience, is preferable.

Generally, the recreation possibilities of both states are phenomenal and there is little difference.

Convenience

Swains was an 8 hour drive away from Hawthorne versus about 3 hours to Markleeville, Obviously Markleeville is much closer.

In Utah I could shop at Joe’s market in Panguitch (about 45 minutes away). For just a bit more driving time I could shop in Cedar City at real supermarkets like Wal-mart. The trip to Cedar City however travels over the 10K summit of the Markagunt plateau and down a winding mountain road nearly 4000 feet. Not the easiest of drives. Panguitch was a simple ride away on Hwy 89.

Trader Joe’s is in Carson City (also about 45 minutes away). Gardnerville (with hardware, banks and grocery stores) is about half an hour away. The end result is that the cabin in Markleeville is more convenient than the lot in Duck Creek Utah. Both in getting to it and living at it.

Volunteer Opportunities

In Utah I volunteered for the forest service and led walks at the Duck Creek visitor center. It was about 10 miles from my home. At Shay Creek I volunteered to lead walks for Grover Hot springs State Park. I could walk from my cabin to the park.

Cedar Breaks NM and the Alpine county library basically dissed my offer to help out.

While Shay was a bit more convenient, the difference was minimal

Overall

There is not a lot of difference between the two locations. For me, Utah was a better choice when I was younger; Markleeville when I was older. The convenience is the deciding factor. All other differences are either minimal or a choice.

Working instructions for the Cabin in the woods

Working instructions? It is a cabin. There should not be a lot to “operating” it. Mostly these instructions have to do with maintaining and setting up the wastewater and the septic system.

I try to not put a lot of liquid down the drains. To that end I have used several different outlets for gray water. Obviously, brown water goes into the septic. I have had septic tanks at my summer homes (both at the Woods and at the Ranch) for nearly 30 years with no problems.

There are two gray water drains: upstairs and downstairs. Both are basically just lengths of garden hose to move the water away from the house. The laundry is drained into the deep sink which drains about 50 feet west. A sink is set up on the upstairs deck and also drains about 50 feet west. Water from the kitchen sink and the outdoor shower is gathered in a basin and drained into the sink.

Outdoor Shower

I have set up an outdoor shower on the propane pad. A four foot fence provides some privacy from the road. Basically it is just an old ladder that is used to mount a portable camp shower. Shower water is collected in a plastic basin and removed to the drain.

Kitchen sink

Dishwater is collected in a wash basin. It is strained though a fine grid to remove food particles before being sent down the outdoor drain.

Heating/Cooling

The fireplace is very efficient (for a fireplace). The wood burning stove is very efficient – period. The stove can easily get the cabin over 70F. The fireplace not so much. The fireplace is however more fun to sit in front of.

In the summer, two fans keep the cabin cool. One in the bedroom blowing in and one in the dining area blowing out. Most nights the fans cool the cabin to mid 60s. Closing the cabin during the day keeps the high temp to about 80F.

There are five (5) skylights in the cabin. During the summer these skylights can make it unbearably warm. I use automobile windshield covers to block the sun. Their use drops the daytime temperature in the cabin to the mid 80s in July.

Laundry

The washer is in the basement drains into the deep sink and then into the ravine as gray water. The dryer is a clothes line on the north side of the cabin. It coils into the line receiver attached to the deck.

Changes/Repairs Made

There were many changes required as we moved into the cabin. Some were personal choices but others were required either by the HOA, the state fire marshal or just for reasonable access. Many of the repairs were made by Joe Turner. Others involved were Colleen Keller (curtains), Mike Geddes (Pot rack), and Jason Porteur (Tree trimming)

Removal of Needles

There must have been about 5 years of needles left around the cabin. Needles had been cleared from around the cabin but were left in a large pile just outside the required 10 foot radius.

Wood Pile

We had about two cords of wood piled essentially next to the deck. We gave some to the library, some to a neighbor and moved the remainder to a new spot about 20 feet uphill behind the cabin.

Tree trimming and removal

Many trees on the lot were trimmed of lower limbs. A couple of dead trees were removed.

Cabin Sealing

The cabin had not been sealed in a number of years. Woodpecker holes were closed and the cabin and deck were sealed. The resealing of the cabin, pine needle removal, moving the woodpile and tree trimming finished required forest fire abatement maintenance.

Deck/Stairway

Among the first repairs/additions that needed to be made were to prevent the deck from collapsing. Part of that repair required adding a stairway that appeared to have been removed.

Walkway

The stairway dumped onto a dirt walkway that was also where the roof dripped (there was no gutter). A brick walkway was installed all along that side of the cabin. It allowed convenient access to the basement and prevented the mud quagmire that rains/snowmelt caused on the old dirt walkway.

Pathway to the Driveway

Two paths with one switchback were built to access the walkway from the parking area. The combination of pathway, walkway, stairway and deck repair finalized reasonable access to the cabin.

Cat Door

For nearly a decade I have had a couple of cats. The cat door, mounted in the east facing window has been used by them to come and go. (I have no litter box). Despite everyone’s advice that the cats would not survive, I have yet to lose one to the outdoor dangers.

Pot rack

Michael Geddes and Coleen Keller built a nice hanging potrack out of half inch copper tubing. It hangs from the ceiling between the kitchen and dining area.

Curtains

Colleen made curtains for essentially all of the ordinary windows (one was missed and the picture windows were not included).

Flooring

Joe Turner replaced the truly ugly orange carpeting that was insatlled throughout the cabin with a variety of floor treatments. The kitchen was first – it was replaced by pirgo. The living/dining area was replaced with a flexible floor finish. Each of the bedrooms was replaced with a hardwood floor. The hardwood flooring was furnished by Mark Riddle (it was extra from a floor installation he made). or recycle by Joe from a construction site he worked on.

Laundry

During our first year at the Cabin we traveled to Gardnerville to do laundry. The first thing we did in the second year was buy and install a washer in the basement. Extra bricks from the walkway gave a nice path to the machine. A retractable clothesline was installed outside for drying. And the laundry was complete. The laundry machine, deep sink for draining (gray water) and the clothesline worked together – and trips to Gardnerville were no longer required.

Propane Pad

The HOA at Shay Creek specifically allowed me to build a propane pad. There was no requirement that the pad actually be used for a propane tank. Joe built a pad with the specific intent of using it for an outdoor shower. It is enclosed on three sides to provide privacy from neighbors and the street.

Wood Stove

The state of California paid for the installation of a new wood burning stove. The old one had a “mousetrap” for an exit pipe. I wouldn’t use it.

Knife Rack

Mark Riddle gave us a nice chest of drawers. Installation of a single piece of finishing board across the top – with a few spacers behind it – created a marvelous knife rack

Closet

There was an opening that appeared to be a closet but there were no doors, no shelves, and no clothes bar. Joe installed several shelves and a set of blinds for doors.