Re: Housing
Posted by Jerry K. on May 05, 2004 at 19:39:36:
In Reply to: Housing posted by Peter on May 05, 2004 at 18:35:53:
Homesteading implies some sense of ownership, and that ain't gonna happen in DVNP. You may have heard of the Adopt A Cabin program of the BLM's Ridgecrest Office. Volunteers sign up to regularly visit and maintain various cabins within the BLM service area. Several cabins have been restored to almost "resort" status, and are popular weekend destinations by the assorted groups.
As for rebuilding anything - I'd say you have a long uphill battle. Most of the work the Adopt A Cabin volunteers perform qualifies as "stabilization." The objective is to restore the cabin to a livable status using appropriate building materials where possible, such as weathered lumber from the original structure or other nearby structures. Branches of the BLM seem to disagree on what's appropriate, so getting consensus is occasionally problemmatic.
This Saturday is the annual meeting of the Adopt A Cabin group, at the Boxcar Cabin. If you're interested, you can meet some of the major players in the program. I won't be making it this year due to Mother's Day. I haven't been to the Boxcar, but I understand it is along the Saline Valley road south entrance, north of Hwy 190. I'm sure people will be arriving periodically between Thursday evening and Saturday morning, so look for vehicles or their tracks. There will be plenty of good food and relaxation after the couple of hours of serious stuff.