The rehabilitation of the Beach Meadow Guard Station is part of the Kern Plateau Administrative Cabin Rehabilitation Project. The intent of this project is to rehabilitate both the Beach Meadow Guard Station and the Cannell Meadow Cabin. These cabins have been recorded and registered as historical archaeological sites. They were used by the early Forest Service Rangers and separated by a long day's ride by horseback.
These cabins were built with logs from local Jeffrey and lodgepole pines, cut by broad axes and cross-cut saws. The logs were hand hewn, and chinked with thin wood-splints then nailed into place. The cabins were built between 1905 and 1911 as the summer headquarters for Forest Service Rangers who worked on what is now known as the Kern Plateau. They both represent a unique style of construction using readily available materials and hand tools, and reflect the skill of the individual builders rather than any standardized plan of construction.
Beach Cabin is located at the head of Beach Meadow at an elevation of 7,760 feet. It is believed it was built in 1911 or 1912. It is a 1 ½-story single-room log cabin, with a steep-pitched gable-end roof. Measuring 14 feet by 16 feet, there are thirteen peeled lodgepole pine logs per side. Flat granite rocks at the corners support and level the structure. Three corrals, a small tack building, and modern privy make up the rest of the site. Today, this cabin is used as an administrative site and, during the winter months, as a way station for the California Department of Water Resources' annual snow surveys.
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The Beach Meadow Guard Station before rehabilitation started. Work began on July 12, 2004 and took three weeks to complete. Beach Meadow is in the background.
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| After several days of digging, the original foundation has been exposed. Note the rotted sill logs and the banding that will keep the structure intact while the sill logs are removed and replaced.
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The small diameter trees used for the cabin rehabilitation were cut and delivered to the work site. The next step was to remove the bark from the logs using a spoke-shave. |
| The next stage was creating a flat surface on each log. A line was snapped along the edge of the log to mark the depth of the cut for the crosscut saw. The flat surface was created using a crosscut saw and cutting to the line about every 6 to 8 inches. A small axe was then used to remove the wood between the cuts.
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After notching and removing the wood with the crosscut saw and axe, the surface was planed to create a smooth surface. |
| Creation of the end joint required use of a t-square, a protractor, a cross-cut saw, a hammer and chisel, a pencil, and then planing of the final surface. The type of notch used in the cabin is referred to as either a "steeple notch" or a "V-notch." |
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The crew gets ready to place the finished log between the original log and the new sill log. |
| The restoration is complete with the new logs in place. |
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