Today, Westwind cabins are still a cherished feature of our camp, but due to coastal weathering and increasing costly repairs, many need to be renovated or rebuilt. Over the winter, Westwind staff, board, and skilled volunteers have helped us undergo some immediate and much needed improvements.
Alpine Cabin Renovations: Added insulation and interior paneling in progress
Over 600 Westwind alumni from outdoor school, rentals, and camp recently took the Westwind Cabin Survey. This provided an opportunity for feedback on various features and necessities for Westwind’s cabins, along with problems noted for existing cabins. The musty smell, lack of comfort, and poor access to facilities were among the top complaints among users. Some of the most appreciated features were the cabins’ rustic simplicity along with the sense of community they bring. Based on this and other feedback from the survey, we hope to keep what people love as well as provide the needed improvements.
Starting with the Alpine Unit (Tyee, Klickitat, Uncle Bliss), we are currently working on adding insulation, new inside paneling, windows, and preparing the cabins for upgraded ventilation and heating systems. Once this first phase is completed, we will move to phase 2 (Highlands – 5 cabins), and then installing new HVAC systems on all cabins.
Alpine Cabin Renovations: Accent Wall Paneling in Progress
The goal of these renovations is to immediately improve conditions of the cabins, improve energy efficiency, and make the cabins more comfortable with better heat and ventilation. This should also make the cabins less stuffy, drier, and much more comfortable. In several cabins, there is also extensive evidence and damage from wood-eating pests, and so any other critical areas will be repaired. These cabin improvements should last several years allowing for our guests to enjoy a comfortable stay while Westwind plans for the long-term solutions any cabins that will need to be rebuilt.
Westwind is grateful to the YWCA, Weitzer Company, and two other generous private donors for helping to get Westwind started with these first cabin renovations. If you are interested in supporting this project and are interested in keeping up to date on planned cabin improvements and new cabin plans, please consider making a donation to Westwind. While making your donation, please select “camp maintenance fund” from the drop-down list, and enter “cabins” in the memo line. If you would like to make a gift of $5,000 or more, please contact Amy Carlow, Westwind’s Development Director at (541) 838-0065 or amy@westwind.org.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to updating you on this project!