After 25 years of operating Treasure Mountain Bible Camp in the rugged beauty of Colorado, Ray Bauman and his wife, Donna, have seen just about everything that comes with mountain life. Still, seeing the bible camp’s chapel wiped out by an avalanche was a bit of a surprise. It was also an opportunity.
The Bauman’s upgraded their chapel with a 26’ x 40’ high-quality WeatherPort® Jubilee shelter from Alaska Structures®. As Colorado residents, the Baumans were already familiar with the brand, which got its start more than 40 years ago in nearby Gunnison.
Mr. Bauman worked with an Alaska Structure’s building specialist to create a new chapel that was easy to install, offered plenty of floor space and could be quickly disassembled and stored during Colorado’s challenging winters.
“Everybody likes it really well,” Mr. Bauman said. “Of course, it’s so much nicer than our previous chapel.”
Mr. Bauman and a crew of volunteers laid down a concrete pad foundation and built two wooden end walls, including a façade for the chapel’s front entrance that harkens back to the frontier churches of yesteryear.
Pouring the concrete and building the walls took about three weeks. Installing the Jubilee shelter took a fraction of that time. The whole facility was ready for worshippers in May.
“It went up really pretty fast,” Mr. Bauman said.
Mr. Bauman then added hanging interior lights to the Jubilee’s high-strength metal framing system, as well as a sound system and forced air heat that comes in handy during early and late services. At 8,600 feet above sea level, temperatures can dip to 40°F or lower in the summer.
“It gets used. Again, with the heating system, it heats up in just a matter of minutes,” Mr. Bauman said.
Treasure Mountain’s new chapel is also easy to cool by opening the shelter’s side curtains. Mr. Bauman said his Jubilee offers an added benefit. The chapel’s dark brown tensioned fabric membrane helps provide radiant heat when the sun shines.
“For us, it’s not that bad a deal,” Mr. Bauman said. “When the sun hits it, it warms up quickly. When the sun goes down, it cools down quickly.”
With 1,040 square feet of floor space, the new Treasure Mountain chapel is a centerpiece facility that has enough space for dozens of worshippers as well as a stage for musical performances, skits and other events.
Mr. Bauman said his Jubilee was ready for him to pick up on time and on budget. He was able to transport his new shelter system using a trailer towed behind a pickup truck.
Because American-made Alaska Structure’s Jubilee shelters can last for decades in extreme climates and inclement weather, Treasure Mountain Bible Camp now has a chapel that will be around for generations. And if the camp needs to add more buildings, Mr. Bauman said he would highly consider adding more tensioned membrane structures. In the meantime, Mr. Bauman said he would recommend WeatherPort® structures from Alaska Structures® to friends, family and colleagues.
WeatherPort® is a brand of high-quality fabric buildings from Alaska Structures®. If you are interested in learning more about our fabric buildings and remote camp systems please contact us by calling +1-907-344-1565 or completing our online form to request a consultation.
