2012 has brought many changes to the operation of the A-Frame cabin. First, the Oregon Nordic Club (ONC) is wrapping up our third year of managing the cabin through a Forest Service special use permit. The largest change over 2012 involved the implementation of the Reserve America (RA) (www.reserveamerica.com/) reservation system. We received many negative comments concerning this change. We understand your frustrations but unfortunately this is the system we are required to work within. The Forest Service is pushing more and more properties to this type of arrangement – where all reservations are made through Reserve America. The biggest challenge from the ONC’s perspective involved a steep learning curve in implementing the reservation process. It was quite bumpy early on last season. We didn’t have adequate time to notify you and get the word out to all users of this change. Please expect additional enhancements this season to the reservation system, specifically around reservation confirmation notices. We will begin including the door lock combination code within the Security Alerts section of the Reserve America confirmation e-mail. We hope this will reduce the chances that folks had with getting locked out. The other major issue we heard with RA is the $9 reservation service fee. This fee is in addition to the $15 per person per night rental charge and is based on each transaction, not the number of reservations made. Our recommendation is to have one person manage your group’s reservations thereby reducing the number of RA fees assessed. We also recommend that you bring your confirmation letters as they may assist in resolving any reservation disputes. There are no plans to increase the $15 dollar per person per night charge for the 2013 season.
Another major issue involved the locking of the cabin. Many long time users were accustomed to dropping in to warm up and eat lunch. The ONC lease requires that the cabin to be locked when overnight guests are not present. Going forward day users or drop in visitors will need to rely on the good will of our overnight guests. We encourage you to maintain the spirit of the structure by allowing drop-in’s to continue while educating those who are not aware of the new policy. We also ask day users to contribute a $3 user fee for use of the cabin (fee box located in the SE corner near the message board). As the facility is now required to be locked, we also encountered multiple “break ins”, whether it be related to user frustration that the cabin is now locked or users not realizing that a change has taken place or simply not reading your NRRS confirmation notice, we encountered 3 stolen or “lost” locks over the season. We also had to replace the lock hasp several times throughout the season. We encountered lots and lots of trash including abandoned food, propane bottles, silverware…..you name it and it was left up there. We even found a full baby bottle! Please be considerate and carry out anything you bring up. We’d also ask that you look after the place and pick up any loose items and carry them out. We realize items are inadvertently left behind. It’s up to you to help manage and maintain the structure for all to enjoy. Another area of discussion involves user/dog conflicts. We received multiple reports of guests bringing up their canine companions for overnight stays. Dogs are not allowed in the structure. Please keep this in mind and educate your friends and other users. We also had to replace propane light glass globes, push broom and assorted tools.
As most of you are aware, the ONC purchased a woodstove for the 2011/12 winter season. The new high efficiency stove dramatically reduced the volume of wood burned. In years past, the wood supply would be exhausted by March or April. Last season saw several cords left as of the recent (October) annual wood haul. The increased stove efficiency allowed for cabin rentals throughout the summer season and we only ordered three cords of wood for restocking purposes. In previous years 5-6 cords of wood were required. We encountered one instance of the wood stove door glass being broken. The bypass pull tool was removed and somehow the pipe stove damper was disconnected. The glass was replaced ($130) and we’ve yet to fix the damper. We won’t be replacing the bypass tool.
An ONC work party completed repainting the cabin interior in early August. We weren’t able to repaint the doors or the loft ladder but we have plans to complete the job next summer. We also attempted to have several trees taken down. The forked tree outside the front door (looking back at the cabin door, right side) lost half a tree that, fortunately, fell away from the cabin. The second tree is leaning towards the cabin! As of this writing, we have contacted the FS and are requesting that this and a few other hazard trees be removed for the safety of the structure and its occupants.
Weekends continue to be prime reservation times with Saturdays in Jan, Feb, March and April typically being fully booked. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. Weekdays can find the cabin with minimal usage. Please book reservations through www.reserveamerica.com/. Type in Tilly Jane A-Frame in the Park Name field then select the search function. This will take you to the Tilly Jane A-Frame campground. Please respect your fellow users and do not come up without a reservation! Maximum capacity continues to be 20 guests. Coming up without a reservation will impact fellow users and leads to overuse and user conflicts.
As of October 1, 2012, the cabin saw roughly 397 user days booked through NRRS with roughly a 10% cancellation rate. This equates to roughly $7558 in total income. Incurred expenses for the year totaled $2354.11. The bulk of this includes the purchase of the annual firewood supply. This does not include the ONC donation of the woodstove which totaled $4683.00 (stove purchase plus installation). The ONC requires that the A-frame be self sufficient in that all operating money must come from user fees. Conversely, all monies generated by the A-frame will be held in trust and be used exclusively for improvements to the structure. As you all will agree, the structure is in need of major rehabilitation. It’s literally rotting away. Trusses, walls, roof and a new toilet all need to be addressed. We plan on creating a master plan of all work to be done. More to come on this front. In the meantime, please look after the cabin. It’s truly a treasure and one of the last public structures on the mountain. You are the future of the cabin. The ONC is interested in using the cabin as a means to reinvigorate it’s membership base. There are only 4-5 members who are actively engaged at keeping the structure open! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Please consider joining the ONC and taking a more active role in the upkeep and management of this unique structure. To find out more, please contact us at: TillyJaneCabin@gmail.com
ONC Tilly Jane A-Frame – Andre’