If the weather is decent I want to sleep outside under the stars. If not, I'll take a spot in Cabin 12.
Unless the commons is a hazard, couldn't we put it to some good use? It wasn't finished until after I left, so I have no special fondness for it. I just hate to see something useful go to waste.
Maybe we could turn it into a treatment center for neurotic chihuahuas. (I think to myself as I watch my chihuahua repeatedly trying to sneak up to her water dish and then jump back as she gets within one foot of it.)
If George can't make it I have "dibs" on Cabin #6. And if he does make it maybe he'll allow me the back porch swing anyway. Sleeping outside with the sound of the Gunnison flowing and the smell of clean night air. I'm there! :)-->
I think I can make room for you, it IS a rather large cabin IIRC (I'll be out flyfishing anyway. Leave a light on for me, though, O.K.?).
The family commons (which I actually helped build) was - and probably still is - a joke.
The roof design was such that, during winter months when "ice damming" becomes a problem, that ice would build up on an upper roof, then break loose and come crashing down on a lower roof and the decks and railings. I don't know what, if anything has ever been done to remedy the situation. Maybe they just continue to rebuild it every spring.
But the real problem with the building, IMHO, is just the ridiculous waste of space. A huge portion of the building is devoted to the tower at the main entrance. There are no floors in the tower, no good way to utilize the space for anything, it's simply a dramatic entrance to a building that's too small for such architectural feature.
It's pretty, I'll give you that. Hell, with the dozens of skilled carpenters who spent YEARS in its construction, it had damned well be something to look at. Just a shame the basic design was so flawed.
Thanks, and your right it is a large and many roomed cabin. I've spent many a time rubbing the wood down with sickums (?). A hard thing to do unless using the right applicator or it would shred on the knobbies of the wood.
I'll leave the light on for you, but can I have some of your catch? I'll help you clean and prepare the fish.
When there during winter I didn't notice any rebuild of the structure due to the ice on the roof, but I didn't observe everything so could have missed it.
It still does have a large center section that is unused, however when you were there was there inside levels of walkways that led into rooms like the library? I may be remembering incorrectly as far as the section you are speaking of. But the very top was used for running inside, we literally started in the basement and ran up each flight of stairs, around the circular center on every level and then to the top circling around and re-tracking our running steps.
"Sikkens" was the product you're referring to, I think. It's a European wood finish/preservative. They slather it on the "Corps Chalet" by the barrel full, to little avail (Ohio is just too humid for those Colorado logs).
Yeah, I think the basic construction of the tower sounds the same as when I was there last (winter of '88-'89).
The ice damming always happened at the rear of the commons where the meeting hall met the main rotunda. I saw the damage it did once. Several hundred pounds of ice smashing down on the roof, deck and railing, turning it all into splinters. Not pretty (or safe!). Maybe they resolved the issue somehow. I know there was talk of heating elements to melt the ice, etc., but I don't think they had a final "cure" figured out by the time I left Hq. (March, '89).
Never having gone to a single meeting there (oh, maybe one), Gunnison was always a place for me to screw around and have a good time. Hence I don't have any "baggage" connected to the place that some do. I have mostly great memories of it. Fishing, drinking, bar-be-queing (almost burning down cabin #4 - oops!), and great times with good people, and no Way-flavored religious crap to taint it.
I know lots of others who didn't fare as well there, but for me, it was GOOD!
Yes, sikkens, that's it. And you are correct in regards to the chalet logs versus how they fair in Colorado.
Okay I can visualize the area where the damage would take place, but again even though I have visited after you I still don't remember anything regarding it.
Gunnison is mixed for me, but the good is sweet memories indeed! Even "bless patrol" at 3 am was enjoyable due to the stillness and awesome surroundings.
There was one cabin that burnt down though due to combustible oil soaked rags left overnight next to it, remember that? That was an exercise in "spiritual witch hunting" heard from Colorado to Ohio.
I do know that the family commons was set on fire (twice!) during it's construction. The sprinkler system didn't work for some reason or other. Naturally it was that pesky adversary trying to stop "the move of The Wurd" again.
The place would have probably burned real good save my mentioning to one of the godly-inspired architects that the light fixtures we were putting in were labeled (quite clearly) "do not install near combustible materials". Seeing as how we were attaching them DIRECTLY to aspen planking in the ceiling I thought maybe somebody ought to say something before they were ALL installed (there were about half of them already in place).
There was a big pow-wow with the high mucky-mucks of Way Builders, and the decision was made that maybe we shouldn't install the fixtures after all. And maybe we ought to check with the manufacturer as to whether their fixtures were appropriate for the installation.
Gosh, those guys were so detail-oriented!
So we ended up cutting out all the fixtures we had just installed and putting in fire-safe ones in their place.
What with all the "tapped-in" spiritual folks around dealing with those issues, isn't it amazing that some worker-geek in the carpentry crew had to be the one who actually read the freaking label?
I wonder how they'd have explained the place burning down had they not been made aware of the obvious? Oh, yeah, that damned ADVERSARY!
I remember going to Gunnison once in 83 or 84 when I was a wow (bleagh, what a wasted year) in Fort Collins for some sort of get together.
I thought to myself,”Someone blew the revelation on this deal.” There were lots of folks there and no convenient toilets. For all those people, there should have been a bunch of port-a-potties.
The next revelation that got blown was they served corn on the cob and some kind of barbeque meat. That’s fine and wonderful except that there was a teaching right after lunch. So, picture this. People eating messy food picnic style on the lawn, not enough napkins, no way to wash your hands, and some shmuck blathering bible stuff expecting you to follow along with your bible using your messy hands.
What with all the "tapped-in" spiritual folks around dealing with those issues, isn't it amazing that some worker-geek in the carpentry crew had to be the one who actually read the freaking label?
One of the best paragraphs I've ever read! --> :)-->
Maybe they just expected the "believers" to believe that physical/chemical laws would be suspended in this instance and they could use any kind of light fixtures they wanted where ever they wanted. It was a "teaching practicing exercising believing opportunity".
That's probably also what they figured would happen with the ice on the roof thing. It's not an architectural flaw, it's the fear/unbelief in the hearts of all the lowly worker believer bees.
My dog peed on Camp Gunnison property. Does that cheer anyone up?
I spent a year at Camp Gunnison in 1986-87 in the corps. The Corps program itself was a breeze...a few pharisee-type rules and a few amazingly bad calls by leadership...but mostly...they left me alone and I learned to leave them alone.
I LOVED the mountains, the horses, the after-hours when my buddies and I would fish our wine/beer out of the river stash and sit around and talk.
I found the Way Corps itself extremely boring....no challenge at all except for the occasional early morning (which was no biggee) or religious d*ckhead.
Beautiful country...worth every minute just to ride those hills onna horse.
ahh, Gunnison- now a wienie roast there I might actually go to attend. (it is close enough to me to be worth the trip), and certainly a more pleasant place to stage an ex-TWI reunion than in that flatlander place in Ohio.
My wife was born and grew up in Gunnison and we could probably look up some of her highschool friends for places to stay. (The Cattlemen's Inn burned down not too long ago)
We could float right by the camp and moon them! and throw our Camp G belt buckles on the shore in a symbolic gesture of our rejection of their spiritless desecration of a beautiful area.
Never got to do a thing but shovel snow, sit in inordinate number of classes, get yelled at and how I looked forward to the hillside sing with Mrs. Owens. Oh ya, I did have fun once. I got to dress a calf once with a cute guy who prpheied really loud. (From Venezuela) The dadgum calf almost knocked me out.
Not sure. I think it was a shirt..It seems to me there were several items. Not sure. The blow to my jaw when the calf jerked its head probably wrecked my memeory.
The number of in-residence WC and staff is really low. I think there are only about 20 people in WC training now. They must have to work constantly to keep that place up and running.
They won't allow us to go visit or vacation there anymore. It's really sad.
Ahhh Gunnison. :D--> :(--> :)--> While in rez there, I christened the toilet with a mix of Wiskey and Scotch, sled on the roof with a snow shovel after being told not to, went into town to drink dark beer through a straw, helped remove tember off of a mountain, learned to chew tobacco (Levi Garret rough cut and a miniture of blackberry brandy mixed and set for 3 days), saw more stars in my whole life on Bless patrol, caught slow flying flies by hand and shook them senceless then let them go, ate deer tenderloins, tried bear meat, hiked to Signal Peak and loved looking at a crystal cut glass window with the words" The Living word".
Gunnison will always be special to me because that is where I got to really know and understand Jesus Christ inspite of TWI.
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Mary Cate
If the weather is decent I want to sleep outside under the stars. If not, I'll take a spot in Cabin 12.
Unless the commons is a hazard, couldn't we put it to some good use? It wasn't finished until after I left, so I have no special fondness for it. I just hate to see something useful go to waste.
Maybe we could turn it into a treatment center for neurotic chihuahuas. (I think to myself as I watch my chihuahua repeatedly trying to sneak up to her water dish and then jump back as she gets within one foot of it.)
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Nottawayfer
I thinkg WERD is a GenerationX term.
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houseisarockin
If George can't make it I have "dibs" on Cabin #6. And if he does make it maybe he'll allow me the back porch swing anyway. Sleeping outside with the sound of the Gunnison flowing and the smell of clean night air. I'm there!
:)-->
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George Aar
hiar,
I think I can make room for you, it IS a rather large cabin IIRC (I'll be out flyfishing anyway. Leave a light on for me, though, O.K.?).
The family commons (which I actually helped build) was - and probably still is - a joke.
The roof design was such that, during winter months when "ice damming" becomes a problem, that ice would build up on an upper roof, then break loose and come crashing down on a lower roof and the decks and railings. I don't know what, if anything has ever been done to remedy the situation. Maybe they just continue to rebuild it every spring.
But the real problem with the building, IMHO, is just the ridiculous waste of space. A huge portion of the building is devoted to the tower at the main entrance. There are no floors in the tower, no good way to utilize the space for anything, it's simply a dramatic entrance to a building that's too small for such architectural feature.
It's pretty, I'll give you that. Hell, with the dozens of skilled carpenters who spent YEARS in its construction, it had damned well be something to look at. Just a shame the basic design was so flawed.
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houseisarockin
George,
Thanks, and your right it is a large and many roomed cabin. I've spent many a time rubbing the wood down with sickums (?). A hard thing to do unless using the right applicator or it would shred on the knobbies of the wood.
I'll leave the light on for you, but can I have some of your catch? I'll help you clean and prepare the fish.
When there during winter I didn't notice any rebuild of the structure due to the ice on the roof, but I didn't observe everything so could have missed it.
It still does have a large center section that is unused, however when you were there was there inside levels of walkways that led into rooms like the library? I may be remembering incorrectly as far as the section you are speaking of. But the very top was used for running inside, we literally started in the basement and ran up each flight of stairs, around the circular center on every level and then to the top circling around and re-tracking our running steps.
It is beautiful though.
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Mary Cate
Well, maybe it should be a bonfire. Wouldn't want any humans or neurotic chihuahuas harmed by its hazards.
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George Aar
hiar,
"Sikkens" was the product you're referring to, I think. It's a European wood finish/preservative. They slather it on the "Corps Chalet" by the barrel full, to little avail (Ohio is just too humid for those Colorado logs).
Yeah, I think the basic construction of the tower sounds the same as when I was there last (winter of '88-'89).
The ice damming always happened at the rear of the commons where the meeting hall met the main rotunda. I saw the damage it did once. Several hundred pounds of ice smashing down on the roof, deck and railing, turning it all into splinters. Not pretty (or safe!). Maybe they resolved the issue somehow. I know there was talk of heating elements to melt the ice, etc., but I don't think they had a final "cure" figured out by the time I left Hq. (March, '89).
Never having gone to a single meeting there (oh, maybe one), Gunnison was always a place for me to screw around and have a good time. Hence I don't have any "baggage" connected to the place that some do. I have mostly great memories of it. Fishing, drinking, bar-be-queing (almost burning down cabin #4 - oops!), and great times with good people, and no Way-flavored religious crap to taint it.
I know lots of others who didn't fare as well there, but for me, it was GOOD!
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houseisarockin
George,
Yes, sikkens, that's it. And you are correct in regards to the chalet logs versus how they fair in Colorado.
Okay I can visualize the area where the damage would take place, but again even though I have visited after you I still don't remember anything regarding it.
Gunnison is mixed for me, but the good is sweet memories indeed! Even "bless patrol" at 3 am was enjoyable due to the stillness and awesome surroundings.
There was one cabin that burnt down though due to combustible oil soaked rags left overnight next to it, remember that? That was an exercise in "spiritual witch hunting" heard from Colorado to Ohio.
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George Aar
hiar,
No, I never heard about the cabin burning down.
Maybe that happened after my departure.
I do know that the family commons was set on fire (twice!) during it's construction. The sprinkler system didn't work for some reason or other. Naturally it was that pesky adversary trying to stop "the move of The Wurd" again.
The place would have probably burned real good save my mentioning to one of the godly-inspired architects that the light fixtures we were putting in were labeled (quite clearly) "do not install near combustible materials". Seeing as how we were attaching them DIRECTLY to aspen planking in the ceiling I thought maybe somebody ought to say something before they were ALL installed (there were about half of them already in place).
There was a big pow-wow with the high mucky-mucks of Way Builders, and the decision was made that maybe we shouldn't install the fixtures after all. And maybe we ought to check with the manufacturer as to whether their fixtures were appropriate for the installation.
Gosh, those guys were so detail-oriented!
So we ended up cutting out all the fixtures we had just installed and putting in fire-safe ones in their place.
What with all the "tapped-in" spiritual folks around dealing with those issues, isn't it amazing that some worker-geek in the carpentry crew had to be the one who actually read the freaking label?
I wonder how they'd have explained the place burning down had they not been made aware of the obvious? Oh, yeah, that damned ADVERSARY!
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jackmm
I remember going to Gunnison once in 83 or 84 when I was a wow (bleagh, what a wasted year) in Fort Collins for some sort of get together.
I thought to myself,”Someone blew the revelation on this deal.” There were lots of folks there and no convenient toilets. For all those people, there should have been a bunch of port-a-potties.
The next revelation that got blown was they served corn on the cob and some kind of barbeque meat. That’s fine and wonderful except that there was a teaching right after lunch. So, picture this. People eating messy food picnic style on the lawn, not enough napkins, no way to wash your hands, and some shmuck blathering bible stuff expecting you to follow along with your bible using your messy hands.
Ahhh! Such godly inspired horse manure!
Jack
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houseisarockin
One of the best paragraphs I've ever read!
--> 
:)-->
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Mary Cate
Maybe they just expected the "believers" to believe that physical/chemical laws would be suspended in this instance and they could use any kind of light fixtures they wanted where ever they wanted. It was a "teaching practicing exercising believing opportunity".
That's probably also what they figured would happen with the ice on the roof thing. It's not an architectural flaw, it's the fear/unbelief in the hearts of all the lowly worker believer bees.
My dog peed on Camp Gunnison property. Does that cheer anyone up?
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Cindy!
I spent a year at Camp Gunnison in 1986-87 in the corps. The Corps program itself was a breeze...a few pharisee-type rules and a few amazingly bad calls by leadership...but mostly...they left me alone and I learned to leave them alone.
I LOVED the mountains, the horses, the after-hours when my buddies and I would fish our wine/beer out of the river stash and sit around and talk.
I found the Way Corps itself extremely boring....no challenge at all except for the occasional early morning (which was no biggee) or religious d*ckhead.
Beautiful country...worth every minute just to ride those hills onna horse.
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HAPe4me
ahh, Gunnison- now a wienie roast there I might actually go to attend. (it is close enough to me to be worth the trip), and certainly a more pleasant place to stage an ex-TWI reunion than in that flatlander place in Ohio.
My wife was born and grew up in Gunnison and we could probably look up some of her highschool friends for places to stay. (The Cattlemen's Inn burned down not too long ago)
We could float right by the camp and moon them! and throw our Camp G belt buckles on the shore in a symbolic gesture of our rejection of their spiritless desecration of a beautiful area.
~HAP
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Schuks
I froze my tushy off in Gunnison.
Never got to do a thing but shovel snow, sit in inordinate number of classes, get yelled at and how I looked forward to the hillside sing with Mrs. Owens. Oh ya, I did have fun once. I got to dress a calf once with a cute guy who prpheied really loud. (From Venezuela) The dadgum calf almost knocked me out.
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excathedra
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha schuks
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Tom Strange
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Schuks
Clothes
Not sure. I think it was a shirt..It seems to me there were several items. Not sure. The blow to my jaw when the calf jerked its head probably wrecked my memeory.
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Tom Strange
Okay... I'll bite... WHY were they dressing a calf?
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GrouchoMarxJr
casually elegant dress code?
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Schuks
Not casually elegeant.
That's probably why it ended up in the dining room (if you know what I mean)
It was during 10th Corps Graduation week. Rodeo stuff going on.
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Oakspear
Family Camp at Gunnison in 93 was the only Way-related fun I ever had with my family.
Well maybe I just thought it was fun because I was swallowing handfuls of extra-strength advil to combat a rotten tooth.
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WaywardWayfer
The number of in-residence WC and staff is really low. I think there are only about 20 people in WC training now. They must have to work constantly to keep that place up and running.
They won't allow us to go visit or vacation there anymore. It's really sad.
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imbus
Ahhh Gunnison.
:D--> 
:(--> 
:)--> While in rez there, I christened the toilet with a mix of Wiskey and Scotch, sled on the roof with a snow shovel after being told not to, went into town to drink dark beer through a straw, helped remove tember off of a mountain, learned to chew tobacco (Levi Garret rough cut and a miniture of blackberry brandy mixed and set for 3 days), saw more stars in my whole life on Bless patrol, caught slow flying flies by hand and shook them senceless then let them go, ate deer tenderloins, tried bear meat, hiked to Signal Peak and loved looking at a crystal cut glass window with the words" The Living word".
Gunnison will always be special to me because that is where I got to really know and understand Jesus Christ inspite of TWI.
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