Post by percypeaks on Feb 5, 2010 20:20:23 GMT -5
After some two years of work (eating and sleeping sometimes), a study regarding the possible development of outdoor recreation huts or camps is rounding out. Here are some interesting nuggets from the study as it is right now.
Cost per square foot
It is beginning to look like creating all new rustic self-service, permanent structures along the Cohos Trail would cost in the vicinity of $30-35,000 each (roughly $35 per square foot) for the materials and labor to build them and a small administrative fee to actually coordinate getting each camp built.
Most of the camps in the plan are in the 840 to 1008 square foot range. So, with a calculator, you can figure out that costs of construction at $35 per square foot would range somewhere between $$30,000 and $35,000 each.
In an eight camp system, there would be a need for five all new camps. In a ten camp system there would be a need for seven new camps.
Some structures along the trail already exist and would cost far less to renovate.
Could the camps sustain themselves?
At $20 to $25 per night per guest (and guests always stay free at Kamp Kirk) per night on a hut system, it would require about 1,000 paid overnight stays per year to generate a minimum of $20,000 to $25,000. That would be sufficient to provide for the salaries of two roving caretakers working about 120 days a year, for insurance, for maintenance, for taxes, and for incidentals.
Those figures do not account for the sale of consummable goods at each camp, donations for overnights at Kamp Kirk, outright gifts or other minor sources of income.
How many paid overnights?
If 500 people spent two nights in the system, it would generate the funds listed above. If 100 people spent three nights in the system, that would generate a third of the income required to run the system.
What other costs might arise?
Many of the camps can be built on leased land. But a few must be built on purchased land. The cost for land purchase has been estimated at $45,000 for an eight hut system, $75,000 for a ten hut system.
There is also one unusual cost that would have to be borne to create the camps in the study. A helicopter lift would be required to move materials and supplies to the summit region of Baldhead Mountain in Columbia. That would cost nearly $10,000 for a single day's operation.
What are the total costs of creating such a system?
In an eight hut system from the Kilkenny to Pittsburg, the cost of construction and land and helicopter lift would be something like $250,000. For a ten hut system, it would be about $335,000.
Those figures have a small amount of administrative leeway built into them, but it would probably not be enough to secure operation of the system for a while before overnight traffic reaches a level wherein the system could sustain itself.
That said, it would be wise when raising money to build in $5,000 or more dollars into each camp for administrative necessities. So it might be wise to think of an eight camp system as being feasible at the $300,000 to $325,000 level. For an eight camp system, then, the cost per unit in the system would be something close to $40,000.
That $40,000 figure would probably rise a little to about $42,500 per unit in a ten camp system because one of the two additional camps would be quite expensive because of land purchase requirements.
If someone asked me what I would like to see raised in terms of money for such a system, I would say $500,000 would be an ideal sum to ensure a ten camp system was built and operated for as much as three years before recreation traffic can carry the support load.
Building More or Building Less
Costs per unit above are very reasonable if thought of on a square foot basis. In fact, they are inexpensive. Such a figure might be doable for a number of sponsors who specialize in outdoor adventure activity or gear.
Such a system could cost somewhat less, maybe as much as $7,000 per unit less, if the structures were nonpermanent buildings built of structural lumber but covered with high tech fabrics, like commercial yurts are covered with. Some silicone-impregnated fabrics now have a 10 year life span or more (in normal conditions).
What are the hut designs based on?
Quite a number of camps in the system are based on fairly standard stick-built design. However, they incorporate some truss and plank ceiling features borrowed from First Day Cottages (firstdaycottage.com) which gives the interior a wide open, airy feel that is very pleasing to the eye and to the mind.
The structures would be built on heavy concrete piers. A few might be insulated but most would not be insulated. Each would boast a wood stove. Two or three might have auxilliary heat, such as a gas heater for heating the structures on the big winter three-day weekends.
All would have standard off-the-shelf windows and doors, double and triple bunk racks, kitchen counters with heavy cast iron countertop burners attached, a heavy industrial sink, privies or composting toilets, hand-carried or hand pumped water, high capacity jug water filters, benches, tables, and some simple hand-built furniture.
Most would have 45-watt LED solar lighting systems for evening lighting. A few would be electrified. Several would have equipment sheds nearby. A couple might have water catches built in to supply water where no water is readily available.
Bunks would have foam mats. Wool blankets and even small pillows could be made available, as you see in other hut systems around the nation.
The permanent buildings would have metal roofs, shiplap or tongue & groove or board and batten siding. Floors would be heavy planks. The main rooms would have a set of shelves to accommodate books and board games. Otherwise, there would be few trappings of modern civilization. Decor might run to moose antlers, old snowshoe pairs, old photographs, an original painting or two, and the like.
Showering and washing would be done outside. We would provide large plastic solar shower bags that can be handfilled with cold or warm water (in case the sun does not shine). We miight create a field shower stall and field wash basins. Water would drain to a dry well. There would be such low water use that that there would be no need for a leach field (an its expense). The association would provide each hut with strictly natural bio-degradable products to clean with, such as Bon Ami soaps.
Most camps would have a small camp store (cabinet) that would be opened by the caretaker at specific times. Goods could be purchased for cash money.
Each camp would be outfitted with a good first aid kit, battery powered smoke alarms, exit signs, flashlights for emergency use, dry chemical fire extinguishers and other safety equipment.
Where might the camps be located?
In the largest system, the camps would be sited as follows:
1. Jefferson. Near the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge
2. Kilkenny. The existing Mt. Cabot Cabin at 4,000 feet
3. Stark. The Bell Hill or Percy Road junction area
4. Stratford. Kamp Kirk at Mile 9 in the Nash Stream Forest
5. Columbia. Baldhead Mt. summit area
6. Dixville. Near the top of Balsams Wilderness Ski Area
7. Dixville or Stewartstown. Mud Pond Ridge or Sugar Hill
8. Clarksville. A bunkhouse near Clarksville Pond. Rudys Cmpgd.
9. Pittsburg. Mt. Bungalow high on Prospect Mountain
10. Pittsburg. At the foot of the Conn. Lakes State Forest
That's what the picture looks like at the moment. It is forever fluid, of course and could change considerably or come crashing down in flames.
But the picture seems to be brightening and coming into focus a bit more each month.
percy peaks
Cost per square foot
It is beginning to look like creating all new rustic self-service, permanent structures along the Cohos Trail would cost in the vicinity of $30-35,000 each (roughly $35 per square foot) for the materials and labor to build them and a small administrative fee to actually coordinate getting each camp built.
Most of the camps in the plan are in the 840 to 1008 square foot range. So, with a calculator, you can figure out that costs of construction at $35 per square foot would range somewhere between $$30,000 and $35,000 each.
In an eight camp system, there would be a need for five all new camps. In a ten camp system there would be a need for seven new camps.
Some structures along the trail already exist and would cost far less to renovate.
Could the camps sustain themselves?
At $20 to $25 per night per guest (and guests always stay free at Kamp Kirk) per night on a hut system, it would require about 1,000 paid overnight stays per year to generate a minimum of $20,000 to $25,000. That would be sufficient to provide for the salaries of two roving caretakers working about 120 days a year, for insurance, for maintenance, for taxes, and for incidentals.
Those figures do not account for the sale of consummable goods at each camp, donations for overnights at Kamp Kirk, outright gifts or other minor sources of income.
How many paid overnights?
If 500 people spent two nights in the system, it would generate the funds listed above. If 100 people spent three nights in the system, that would generate a third of the income required to run the system.
What other costs might arise?
Many of the camps can be built on leased land. But a few must be built on purchased land. The cost for land purchase has been estimated at $45,000 for an eight hut system, $75,000 for a ten hut system.
There is also one unusual cost that would have to be borne to create the camps in the study. A helicopter lift would be required to move materials and supplies to the summit region of Baldhead Mountain in Columbia. That would cost nearly $10,000 for a single day's operation.
What are the total costs of creating such a system?
In an eight hut system from the Kilkenny to Pittsburg, the cost of construction and land and helicopter lift would be something like $250,000. For a ten hut system, it would be about $335,000.
Those figures have a small amount of administrative leeway built into them, but it would probably not be enough to secure operation of the system for a while before overnight traffic reaches a level wherein the system could sustain itself.
That said, it would be wise when raising money to build in $5,000 or more dollars into each camp for administrative necessities. So it might be wise to think of an eight camp system as being feasible at the $300,000 to $325,000 level. For an eight camp system, then, the cost per unit in the system would be something close to $40,000.
That $40,000 figure would probably rise a little to about $42,500 per unit in a ten camp system because one of the two additional camps would be quite expensive because of land purchase requirements.
If someone asked me what I would like to see raised in terms of money for such a system, I would say $500,000 would be an ideal sum to ensure a ten camp system was built and operated for as much as three years before recreation traffic can carry the support load.
Building More or Building Less
Costs per unit above are very reasonable if thought of on a square foot basis. In fact, they are inexpensive. Such a figure might be doable for a number of sponsors who specialize in outdoor adventure activity or gear.
Such a system could cost somewhat less, maybe as much as $7,000 per unit less, if the structures were nonpermanent buildings built of structural lumber but covered with high tech fabrics, like commercial yurts are covered with. Some silicone-impregnated fabrics now have a 10 year life span or more (in normal conditions).
What are the hut designs based on?
Quite a number of camps in the system are based on fairly standard stick-built design. However, they incorporate some truss and plank ceiling features borrowed from First Day Cottages (firstdaycottage.com) which gives the interior a wide open, airy feel that is very pleasing to the eye and to the mind.
The structures would be built on heavy concrete piers. A few might be insulated but most would not be insulated. Each would boast a wood stove. Two or three might have auxilliary heat, such as a gas heater for heating the structures on the big winter three-day weekends.
All would have standard off-the-shelf windows and doors, double and triple bunk racks, kitchen counters with heavy cast iron countertop burners attached, a heavy industrial sink, privies or composting toilets, hand-carried or hand pumped water, high capacity jug water filters, benches, tables, and some simple hand-built furniture.
Most would have 45-watt LED solar lighting systems for evening lighting. A few would be electrified. Several would have equipment sheds nearby. A couple might have water catches built in to supply water where no water is readily available.
Bunks would have foam mats. Wool blankets and even small pillows could be made available, as you see in other hut systems around the nation.
The permanent buildings would have metal roofs, shiplap or tongue & groove or board and batten siding. Floors would be heavy planks. The main rooms would have a set of shelves to accommodate books and board games. Otherwise, there would be few trappings of modern civilization. Decor might run to moose antlers, old snowshoe pairs, old photographs, an original painting or two, and the like.
Showering and washing would be done outside. We would provide large plastic solar shower bags that can be handfilled with cold or warm water (in case the sun does not shine). We miight create a field shower stall and field wash basins. Water would drain to a dry well. There would be such low water use that that there would be no need for a leach field (an its expense). The association would provide each hut with strictly natural bio-degradable products to clean with, such as Bon Ami soaps.
Most camps would have a small camp store (cabinet) that would be opened by the caretaker at specific times. Goods could be purchased for cash money.
Each camp would be outfitted with a good first aid kit, battery powered smoke alarms, exit signs, flashlights for emergency use, dry chemical fire extinguishers and other safety equipment.
Where might the camps be located?
In the largest system, the camps would be sited as follows:
1. Jefferson. Near the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge
2. Kilkenny. The existing Mt. Cabot Cabin at 4,000 feet
3. Stark. The Bell Hill or Percy Road junction area
4. Stratford. Kamp Kirk at Mile 9 in the Nash Stream Forest
5. Columbia. Baldhead Mt. summit area
6. Dixville. Near the top of Balsams Wilderness Ski Area
7. Dixville or Stewartstown. Mud Pond Ridge or Sugar Hill
8. Clarksville. A bunkhouse near Clarksville Pond. Rudys Cmpgd.
9. Pittsburg. Mt. Bungalow high on Prospect Mountain
10. Pittsburg. At the foot of the Conn. Lakes State Forest
That's what the picture looks like at the moment. It is forever fluid, of course and could change considerably or come crashing down in flames.
But the picture seems to be brightening and coming into focus a bit more each month.
percy peaks