Seeley Sauna Schleppers
The build crew is growing
I woke up on Tuesday excited about Paul and Luca’s imminent arrival.
My mood improved further when I saw that a coating of snow had fallen overnight! I thought it looked really nice, and it wasn’t a big problem for working outside since it had mostly melted by 10 am. Still, it did remind me that we’re getting close to the season when a big snowfall can really delay things. I don’t have any set timeline for when this sauna has to be finished, but I am trying to make a bunch of progress during “stick season” — the time after the leaves fall but before the ground is consistently covered in snow and ice.
Perhaps because I knew reinforcements were on the way, I decided to make Tuesday a big physical day. I started the morning by revisiting one of my foundation holes. This was the hole closest to the big boulder, in the lower left corner of the site plan below.
The first time I dug this hole, I had encountered a chunk of what I assumed was that big boulder. It appeared about 10 inches underground, so it surprised me, and the rock was jutting out above the clay layer that is supposed to provide a level surface for the concrete blocks. I had thought that an extra bit of gravel could smooth things out, but I never really liked that solution. So I took the shovel back to the spot, did a little more digging, and… lucky me! That pesky rock wasn’t actually part of the boulder — it was its own entity. That meant I had a shot at getting it out of there without resorting to fracturing the boulder (doable, but slow). I could tell it was separate because I had gotten it to budge ever so slightly, but it was still mostly buried so I didn’t yet know how big it was.
It turned out to be a few feet in diameter and probably weighed several hundred pounds. I barely got it out of there with the power of leverage (and resigning myself to getting very muddy). After a few hours of effortful excavation, it was incredibly satisfying to have a level surface in that foundation hole.
I needed a break from digging, so after lunch I made yet another trip to Home Depot to pick up yet another half-ton of gravel and concrete blocks.
By the time I had carried all of that down to the site, I was totally exhausted and it was getting dark. But I was determined to get the back 3 concrete pads in place and level, so I donned my headlamp and worked past sunset. I was drop-dead exhausted when I finished the last pad, and was super grateful to have leftovers all ready to go for dinner.
I was feeling like a creaky old man, ready for bed at 8 pm, when Paul and Luca showed up and provided a jolt of youthful vigor. It’s so great having them around! Luca is at home in the woods, it seems, and Paul is enjoying some time away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago.
After a much-needed full night of sleep, the three Seeley Sauna Schleppers went out again the next morning to do some more schlepping. Luca was a very patient helper on our errands.
Paul had driven up in a Honda CR-V borrowed from family in Boston, and we wanted to take advantage of its superior hauling capacity to pick up a bunch of lumber for the deck. The joists that run perpendicular to the lake’s edge are 12 feet long, which strictly speaking is a few feet too many to fit in the CR-V. But I have some heavy-duty straps, which we used to secure the wood that stuck out the back. We closed the tailgate as low as it would go, and for extra insurance, Paul and Luca sat back there and kept a hand on the pile of lumber while I drove slowly back to the cabin. New Hampshire: Live free or die!!
After hauling all of that lumber to the site and getting a start on notching out the corner posts to accept rim joists, it was well past time for a frisbee break. So we headed to our neighbors’ big field and got out the last of our energy just as the sun was setting. “I can’t believe how quiet it is here,” said Paul. What a spectacular late-fall evening.
I’m feeling ready to move past foundation work, and we’ve done enough schlepping to last at least a few days. Spirits are high, the build crew is growing. It’s time to frame the deck!
—Jake
As you explain the work, I’m thinking of all the dangerous short cuts I would have taken! 😂
Looking good Jake!