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This Old Cabin

You can hear the hum of chainsaws these days hiking through the lush meadows and deep woods on Moose Mountain. The chainsaws, along with pick axes, hand saws, and wheelbarrows, are being used by Dartmouth students and alumni who have initiated the first cabin building effort in 16 years with their reconstruction of Harris Cabin, a renowned Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) shelter named after DOC founder Fred Harris, Class of 1911. The cabin was the first to be built by the DOC in 1913. Today, students and other volunteers maintain a string of 13 cabins stretching from Hanover to the northern forest region of New Hampshire.

Clockwise from top, Chris Polashenski '07, Scott Andrews '07, Allie Hunter '07, Anthony Bramante '06 (middle), John Lewicke '07, Sean Mann '05.

Chris Polashenski '07 came up with the ambitious idea to rebuild the cabin two years ago. "I wanted a big project, and this site has a lot of history," he says. "Plus, I like to build things, and I hadn't built something in a long time." The idea was fully supported by Director of Outdoor Programs Andrew Harvard '71. "Building a cabin is one of the most memorable experiences a Dartmouth student can have," he says. "I was absolutely delighted when the students came to me."  

With the help of Brian Kunz, assistant director of Outdoor Programs, Polashenski hired a crew of three Dartmouth students and three recent graduates: Scott Andrews '07, Anthony Bramante '06, Susan Allie Hunter '07, John Paul Lewicke '07, Sean Mann '05, and Max Young '06. The job description, posted on line by the DOC listed a specific skill set:  "Good general physical health and the ability to lift, pry, drag, dig, roll and otherwise manipulate tools and sharp objects to shape a bunch of logs into a cabin."

After learning cabin building techniques from experts from the Adirondacks and Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the crew decided to build the cabin in what Polashenski calls "American Scribe" style. This style requires notches to be in the logs so they fit snugly together, with no nails used in the construction. They used black spruce logs obtained from trees in the Second College Grant, with the help of College Forester Kevin Evans. The Grant, located near Erroll, N.H., is a 27,000 acre expanse of woodland given to Dartmouth by the State of New Hampshire in 1807.

Crew Foreman Chris Polashenski '07 displays the grooves of the top log that fit securetly to the log below.  The crew added foam (the dark material) to the logs to provide high-quality insulation.

In a rare break from hard labor, John Lewicke '07 takes a moment to display a typical example of a scribed log.

Sean Mann '05, who brings prior construction experience to the project, measures a plank that will sit on top of concrete pylons to form the base of the cabin's porch.  (Photos by Steven Smith

The Harris Cabin is the biggest DOC project since Moosilauke Ravine Lodge was constructed in 1938-39, says Kunz. "The students are doing a wonderful job. Everyone who shows up and sees it says 'Wow!.'" 

Students at the site acknowledge the amount of toil the project requires.  "We've been working harder than anyone thought we would," says Bramante, who just recently returned from his honeymoon with his bride Carolyn Treacy Bramante '06. He adds, "It's a group effort, and you get to see all the different skills people bring." Mann echoes these thoughts. "It's hard work, with long hours, but it's a good group. There's a great sense of satisfaction at the end of the day."

Outdoor Programs Director Harvard is encouraging students, staff, and community members to join the effort in the remaining weeks before mid-September. "There's plenty of opportunity for people to help, regardless of experience," he says. Adds Kunz, "this will be a great legacy."

For more info contact the Dartmouth Outing Club at: thedoc@dartmouth.edu

By STEVEN J. SMITH

 

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