After 2 workdays in the bunkroom....

After 2 workdays in the bunkroom:

I got the pine up the wall to here.

After 1 day in the bunkroom, the windows sills were trimmed
and the first 2 rows of pine installed.

And this is what one looks like after 2 workdays in the bunkroom,
frazzled and sweaty unshorn hair and beard, covered in sawdust.

Why does it take so long? Why doesn't this stuff just "go up".

• The wood isn't in the best shape so it takes a little time to choose the pieces. Some pieces are warped, and the color varies between the pieces of wood.
• You gotta set that first piece level -- it sets the course for everything afterward.
• Because this is "trimless" finish work, making the cuts around outlets, light roughins, windows and to length against walls takes a lot of time. 
• Exposed cuts have to be sanded. 
• The pine is often slightly warped and wavy, which makes setting one piece on top of the other difficult at times.
• Sometimes...I make mistakes.

What tools have I been using:

• Chop/mitre saw
• Track saw for ripping the sheets of plywood to the correct width for the window sills.
• Oscillating multi-tool for detail cuts and for sanding.
• Hole saw and drill for cutting out the holes for the sconce rough-ins. 

An hour or two left in the bunk room, then it's off to the master bedroom. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Finished pine on main level

Finished installing the beetle-stain, blue pine on the main floor.

After finishing the wood on the main floor, I assembled my new 6 ft. rolling work platform, then moved all the saws, nailers, saw horses, extension cords and a supply of plywood and pine to the top floor so that I can begin the wood there on my next visit.

Katie took Mackenley sledding, suffered through working with me on a challenging cutout in the pine around the top of the back door, and painted the door jambs on the top and main floors.

Mackenley did some sledding, watched 3 movies on the iPad, turned his nose up at a frozen Indian curry meal (the green beans in particular), and helped me shopvac the miter saw.

First (late season) snowman of this kid's life.

The snow has melted noticeably. I'm guessing there's still about 5 to 6 feet on the ground, but it's down from the lofty heights last month, and obviously down from our visit last week. 

Another weekend unpiling wood

I got so busy today that I neglected to take the final picture so you don't get to see the wood all the up the right side of the window. 

And here's the behind the camera after Katie wore him out sledding. 

Mackenley watching Rin Tin Tin.

Window Wall Wood with a New Family Member

I finished firring out the main room's windows and started on the wall pine. We had a new family member in-tow, Mackenley -- fresh from Haiti! This was his first experience with snow. He was exhausted from the long trip from Haiti, and we also discovered he'd been hiding a very swollen knee due to an escalator injury in the airport.

The window sills are now firred out with finish-grade plywood. And I started on the wall pine.

Mackenley's first experience with snow.

Mackenley, Eliza and Sammie watched a movie on the iPad while I worked.

Entry Pine and Furring Out Windows

Another socially distant Saturday at KnArrow Haus. While listening to the general conference, we finished the pine in the entry/mud room at KnArrow Haus, then went on to furring out the windows in the kitchen/family room.

Beetle pine finished in the mud room.

Furred out 3 of the 6 windows in the family room
with 1/2" finish-grade birch plywood.

Admiring the view our the newly furred-out window.

The snow on top of our water system.

It's a crime that Stevens Pass is closed for the season. The now is epically plentiful. Another foot of fresh pow when we arrived this morning.

Oh, and Katie went up with Nasca 😇(#fitnasca) on Thursday and finished painting the downstairs (Thank you!!!)

Olaf's Snowtracker Exits March with a BANG!

With over a foot of snow in the final days of March, the snowpack at KnArrow Haus is the highest in over 5 years. 

125 inches, nearly 10-1/2 feet of snow on the ground at midnight, March 31st. 

A crying shame that Stevens Pass and all ski areas across the West had to shut down due to #Covida-19. According to news reports, Washington's snowpack is 104% of normal.

But things aren't exactly "normal" right now, are they?

Precision Pine in the Powder Room and Entry

On Saturday, Katie and I continued our self-imposed isolation by finishing the pine wall in the powder room and bringing it halfway up the entry room wall.

I wrapped the entire window sill in 1/2-inch birch plywood,

then installed the remaining pine on the wall.

Brought the pine 1/2-way up the entry room wall,

with custom cutouts for the power outlets.

Spent an hour unpacking my new track saw guide and circular saw,

setting it up, and getting the first cut from the plywood setup.

My trusty and infinitely patient helper enjoying her microwaved Phad Thai lunch.

We also added a few more shims and screws to the airlock door -- just to make sure it's solid. And Katie filled all the screw holes in the door jambs on all the floors in preparation to paint the door jambs next week.

Final 3 interior doors in and beetle pine started

After a decidely isolating week, courtesy of the Corona virus, Katie and I hopped in the car and spent a beautiful, bluebird Spring day sheltering-in-pace working at KnArrow Haus. We started out day  installing the final 3 interior doors. They were special order doors and didn't get delivered until after the drywall was completed.

Angled door to the under stairs closet.

Door to the basement at the bottom of the stairs

Airlock door between the mudroom and the kitchen and family room

We finished the day by beginning to install the beetle-stained pine that's been sitting in the Haus since it was dried-in -- over 2 years.

Beetle-stained pine in the main floor powder room.

Laser level in the entry mudroom.

First two rows of pine in the mudroom.

We pulled out at 6:00 pm -- still light out and 40 degrees. 

There were a lot of cars of owners sheltering in place at their cabins today.

Not a single car in the parking lots at Stevens Pass, which is now closed for the season with all the other ski resorts in the state.  

Social distancing at KnArrow Haus

A beautiful day for Katie and me to practice our "social distancing" at KnArrow Haus.  She finished priming the upstairs and began priming the basement. I finished installing the floating shelf brackets in the kitchen. 

Katie pulling her painting supplies out of her highly-fashionable equipment transport bag.

Katie priming the downstairs walls.

The floating shelf brackets on the kitchen wall.

Because there are pipes and electrical wiring in the wall that prevent installing some of the brackets, I'm ordering some additional front-mount brackets.

View of the brackets from the backside of the wall.

I needed to get all of these brackets installed so that we can put up the tongue-and-groove beetle stained pine.

Sammie played foreman.

And he explored our neighbor's foundation during a potty break.

View of the front door (and snow) from Schneewagen.

Light snow flurries interspersed with sun breaks throughout the day.

Olaf's Snow Tracker through Feb 2020

Well folks, there's just a WHOLE LOT of snow up at KnArrow Haus. We've kissed 120" (10 ft.) on the ground three times during the month. The snow arrived late this year, but we've set new maximums this year compared to the last 6 years.

120" on the ground three times in February.

Here's what that amount of snow looks like at KnArrow Haus.

Approaching KnArrow Haus in Schneewagen

Looking left out the basement door

Looking out the basement door. 

Panorama from the front door.

Looking down to the front steps and along the side of the house.

Looking down on the garage door.