This document is intended as an instruction set for Intervale Cabin Keyholders. It is similar to the instructions told to new keyholders during the keyholder training trips. However, this document is not a substitute for a keyholder training trip. If you want to become a keyholder for Intervale, you must attend one of these trips. Normally, there are two trips per year, once in late spring and once in early fall. The trips are announced on the following mailing lists: mitoc, mitoc-announce, and intervale-keyholders. Contact mitoc-owner if you would like to be added to these mailing lists.
If you have any questions about Intervale, or about these instructions, please contact the current Intervale Manager for more info.
Every group that uses Intervale, no matter how small or large, must be accompanied by a keyholder. The purpose of the keyholder policy is to ensure that there is always at least one person at the cabin who is familiar with its quirks. The policy requiring a keyholder to accompany every group was begun after the previous cabin, Intervale II, burned to the ground. It was clear that this unfortunate incident was the result of simple mistakes made by people unfamiliar with the rustic nature of the cabin, and that it could have been easily averted had there been someone more responsible present. Safe usage of the cabin is relatively straightforward, but may not be intuitively obvious to someone with little experience in a rustic setting.
The cabin tends to get used in three different scenarios that determine who has responsibility for ensuring the safety of the cabin and its occupants. The first scenario occurs when a large MITOC trip (such as Circus) uses the cabin. Then, several of the Outing Club's officers and directors are present, and share responsibility for the cabin. The second scenario is when a large private group rents the cabin for one or more nights. Often the keyholder is recruited from the keyholder mailing list, and is not a member of the group. In this case, the group, not the keyholder, is financially responsible for damage to the cabin. The responsibility of the keyholder is to make sure that the leaders of the large group understand the consequences of their actions. The keyholder is there to instruct the group on how to use the cabin, not to enforce proper behavior among the groups members. The third scenario is when a keyholder takes a small group of her friends to the cabin. Then, the keyholder generally places the deposit check for the cabin, and is ultimately responsible.
Anyone interested in renting Intervale should check the WWW rental schedule If the date desired is available, send email to the cabin manager Be sure to indicate the actual dates you want to use the cabin. Do not just say "next weekend," or "Memorial weekend," list the dates of each night you want to rent the cabin. Also specify whether you want the cabin for a large group or a small group, and who will be the keyholder for the group. If you need a keyholder, let the cabin manager know and he will send you instructions for finding one. The cabin manager will email you back to confirm the reservation, and you can check the rental schedule to make sure that the dates you requested show up as reserved.
A keyholder may get a key to Intervale by going to the MITOC office during office hours (Mon, 5pm-6pm & Thurs 8pm-9pm). Occasionally the office is not open during the appointed hours because no desk worker shows up. You may call the office at 617-253-2988 to check if it is open.
Make sure that your name gets added to the key checkout list, and that you get a copy of the Intervale checklist. Fill out the first part of the checklist when you first arrive at the cabin, and the second part as you are cleaning up and leaving. When you return the key to the office, make sure that the return is noted on the key checkout list, and that you give the Intervale checklist to the desk worker.
Before you can get a key, someone must leave a $1000 deposit check with the MITOC desk. If you are taking a small group of your friends to the cabin, then you can leave the deposit check when you check out the key. If you have volunteered to be the keyholder for a large group, then the group leader will have to come to the MITOC office and leave a deposit check before you can check out a key.
The deposit check will be destroyed after you have returned your key, and the cabin has been checked by a MITOC officer. If no MITOC officer visits the cabin within a month of your trip, then the cabin manager can authorize the return of your deposit.
Before you set out for the cabin, make sure that you know who the group leader is, and that he has received a copy of these instructions. Also, make sure that you and the group leader know how to get to the cabin.
This section assumes that you are acting as the keyholder for a large group. If you are the keyholder and a member of the group, or you are visiting the cabin with just a few of your friends, the group dynamics would obviously change a bit.
First of all, the keyholder is not responsible for the actions of the group. It is assumed that the keyholder will make a good faith effort to instruct the group on safe usage of the cabin, and to warn them of any dangerous or stupid activities. If the keyholder holds up that end of the bargain, and the group persists in unwise activities that damage the cabin, then the group and its leaders, not the keyholder, will be held responisble for damage.
Furthermore, it is not the responsibility of the keyholder to police the actions of each and every member of the group. At the beginning of the trip, the keyholder should identify who is the leader of the group. If there are any problems with members of the group, and the keyholder does not want to confront the individuals directly, the keyholder should inform the group leader that members of the group are behaving badly. It is then up to the group leader to enforce proper behavior.
When the keyholder first determines that a problem is occurring, he should first inform the group members or leaders as to how to correct the situation. If that does not resolve the problem, the keyholder can assess fines, to be deducted from the $1000 deposit check, and inform the group leader that this will occur. If any such problem occurs, the keyholder should discuss the situation with the cabin manager as soon as possible after returning to Boston. As a last resort, the keyholder has the authority to revoke the group's priviledge of using the cabin, and to order them to leave.
Have everyone sign into the logbook located near the front door of the cabin soon after they arrive. Fill out the first part of the cabin checklist. Have people take their personal gear to the loft or the hooks at the far corners of the den. People have a tendency to dump their stuff in the middle of the floor, where it gets in everyone's way and is probably even a fire hazard. Please instruct everyone to leave their shoes/boots on the tiled floor at the door. The hardwood floors are in beautiful condition and snow, dirt, etc, from outside will quickly scratch them.
Contrary to popular belief, Intervale is not in an isolated wilderness. There are indeed neighbors, and they can be disturbed by the actions of Intervale's users. In particular, please respect the privacy of the neighbors who live in the houses along the path up to the cabin. Do not shine headlamps toward those buildings and try to avoid arriving/leaving between the hours of 12A-6A. Please respect all of our neighbors' privacy, and do not do anything to worsen the situation.
Parking for the cabin is in a small lot about 100 yards after you turn onto Dundee Road. There may or may not be a sign indicating MITOC parking there. There is also a small Dundee Ski Club lodge just off this parking lot. Do not park anywhere else but here, not even to unload gear. If you attempt to drive the rest of the way, you may annoy our neighbors, with whom we.d like to stay on good terms. Please keep in mind that this parking lot is owned by the Dundee Ski Club. MITOC has been granted permission to park here under two conditions.
1. That MITOC leave enough space such that the Dundee Ski Club can park two cars side-by-side in the lot
2. That MITOC not block the driveway of the Dundee Ski Club.
The nearest house to Intervale is generally not visible through the trees, but it is not all that far away. Sounds carry surprisingly well. So, make sure that group remains reasonably quiet, especially at night. People from the cabin should not go wandering around on other people's property.
While people of legal age may drink alcohol at Intervale cabin, drinking alcohol in public is illegal in New Hampshire. Thus, drinking alcohol on the road or in the parking lot is forbidden.
There is a fire ring in front of the cabin. This is the only place on the grounds where a fire is permissible. What is the difference between a cooking fire and a bonfire? The line is a fuzzy one, but a cooking fire is small. Thus the fires in the fire ring should be kept to a reasonably small size.
Whenever there is a fire or lots of smoldering coals in the fire ring, someone should be supervising it. There is a tendency for a group of people to assume that someone else is managing the fire, so make sure that one person knows that he or she is responsible for the fire and will stay with the fire until it is out.
Intervale is heated by a rather old but functional propane heater. Directions for lighting the furnace are found on the cork board inside the door of the cabin.
Feel free to leave behind non-perishables in the appropriate cabinets, and feel free to take some food from the cabinets in return.
Intervale is equipped with a propane stove for cooking. Once the gas is turned on, lighting the burners is rather straigtforward. Turn the knob of the appropriate burned to the setting marked "light", and touch a match to the burner. Then turn down the burner. The over is also gas, and is lit using the burners inside the over. The top surface of the working stove is very easy to clean with some hot, soapy water and a scrubber or scouring pad. Please make sure that the stove top is clean and sparkly white before you leave.
Glasses, plates, bowls, and utensils all have storage cabinets. Make sure that they are all properly put away and that the cabinets are properly closed.
Water at Intervale is drawn from a spring locatated over the hill by the large wooden platform. There are containers for carrying water to the cabin. The water from this spring has been tested, and is believed to be safe for drinking. Please be careful around the spring such that it does not become contaminanted. Waste water should be deposited in the sump which is near the cabin. .
When you leave the cabin, make sure that all water is poured out. Do not leave empty plastic water containers in the kitchen. Take them back to Cambridge with you and recycle them.
The most efficient way to wash dishes at Intervale is to use the tubs on the counter in the back. Heat some water on the stove. If you are with a large group, you will need lots of water, and it will take a long time to heat. You should make every effort to start heating the water immediately as soon as dinner has been cooked, and before everyone eats (or even before dinner is cooked if there is room on the stove.) You can use water that was used to boil pasta or vegetables as the first round of cleaning water. Fill one tub full of hot soapy water, and the other full of hot rinse water. Wash, rinse, and place the drippy dishes in the dish rack on the counter. Be sure to clean the counters, and the stove, with hot water. .
There is no garbage service at Intervale. You must take all garbage with you. Please survey the cabin and grounds before leaving to make sure that you have cleaned up all of your trash.
Restroom facilities at Intervale consist of two-stall outhouse a short distance from the cabin. The trail to the cabin is marked with reflectors such that you can find it in the dark. There should be toliet paper at the outhouse, and there is more in the cabin. Please insure that it is protected from the animals which will quicly shred it. If the toliet paper supply is low, plesae tell the cabin manager. .
Please leave the cabin at least as clean as you found it. Clean all of the counters and tables. Sweep out the loft and living area. Take all of your garbage with you. Check the fire pit and area around the cabin for trash. If people from your group are leaving early, have them take some garbage with them in case it won't all fit in the remaining cars.
If you experienced any problems, or you have any concerns about the cabin, please contact the cabin manager as soon as you can. If everything went well, then you just need to return the key to the MITOC office as soon as you can. Be sure to give the completed checklist to the desk worker along with the key, and your payment for using the cabin.