We have a new favorite Forest Service Cabin. The Hamma Hamma Guard Station was built by the CCC in 1937. The pictures on the website don't really do it justice at all. They need to employ and HDR camera with a wide angle lens like all of the real estate agents do these days. Actually it was so nice to be so pleasantly surprised. The cabin was designed by an architect and had a really lovely layout. It also had an indoor bathroom (unlike all other forest service cabins except the Imnaha Cabin outside Medford). Unfortunately all indoor plumbing was disconnected except for the flushing toilet because of the safe drinking water act. What a drag! I should probably write to the ranger station and suggest a low-fi sand filter. It's fresh spring water....give me a break! Couldn't a 'use at your own risk' sign suffice? Heating water to do dishes feels like more of a pain when you know there's a hot water heater in a closet right around the corner.
The cabin had a book on the CCC and I learned a lot that I had not known before. I think we could really use a program like that again now. The details were amazing - down to the hand forged door latches and the open trusses in the master bedroom ceiling. It was nicer than most of the houses we've viewed in Sellwood recently. Move-in ready! The living room has 180 degrees of windows, which is really necessary in the dark and gloomy Olympic National Forest where it rains for most of the year. The kitchen nook with its built in shelves and eating bench were lovely. There was an assortment of items on display from past visitors. The cabin fell into disrepair after funding ran out to maintain it. Vandals broke the windows, stole the wood stove and just generally trashed the place. A local girl scout troop worked for a year and a half to restore it so that it could be used in the cabin rental program. There was a photo album showing the progress of their efforts. What a great experience.
A rare species of bats roosts behind the shutters of the cabin. A posted sign says not to move the shutters but Brian missed that and opened one when he heard some squeaking. A tiny bat fell out and because it was in a state of torpor, just layed there. While it was unfortunate, it was also an amazing opportunity for the kids to all check out a mini bat-mouse. After a good look we got a couple of pieces of wood to build him a little cover. Later on he was gone so I assume he made it back up to his roost. At twilight the bats would come shooting out from the shutters and the eaves of the roof.
We took a bunch of nature walks along the stream by the cabin which feeds into the Hamma Hamma River. We also drove up to Elk Lake and hiked a lakeside trail before having a picnic. We drove down to Hood Canal and shucked some oysters on a beach that was littered with them. The kids loved that. Hood Canal is just such an awesome area. The forest, the salt water, the lakes and hikes. Apparently the Lena Lake trail must be a good one. Our trip was on Memorial Day weekend and there must have been 50 cars parked at the trailhead. We passed but I think we will try to get to Hamma Hamma again sometime.
