In November 2024, a bomb cyclone formed off of the West Coast and exploded over the Pacific Northwest. Local news coverage understandably focused on the more populated Eastern King County area of Western Washington state, where two women died, but the damage in Eastern Pierce County was also devastating to many, including the small AirBnB operation of my 70-year-old friend, Elona Raven Kafton. She and her husband Jim Kirol operate a charming small AirBnB called Two Frog Bog -- their primary source of income.

Of their three glamping sites, two were made unusable by strikes from trees felled by the storm. The remaining glampsite was closed for the winter, as is normal, but has reopened with improvements. You'll read more about this later.

This tree just missed the most recently completed structures near the Wood Henge.

We've been able to open up our driveways, but still-standing trees damaged by the storm could pose a danger to people and property, and may require professional removal.

Fortunately, the main house and vehicles were spared, and Elona, her husband, cats, and two volunteers were safe. The four spent long hours that night trying to play cards and board games in the house, while listening to the roaring of the wind and the thuds of trees as they hit the ground and splintered structures around them.

How Did They Come to Be Together in this Forest?

Located 37 miles to the west of Mount Rainier, Two Frog Bog is situated on 20 acres of what was once Weyerhaeuser timberlands. A pretty little bog -- essentially a shallow lake – on the south side of the property is surrounded by Aspen, Cottonwood, and tall Douglas Fir trees.

(Photo by Brittany Reid)

There are a variety of native plants such as Salal and huckleberries, and dozens of species of birds and other wildlife call this forest home. Since she purchased the property, Elona has lightly thinned the trees for the forest’s health.

This place is a little bit of paradise to Elona, complete with an enchanting straw bale house she designed and did much of the work on.

When Elona’s 32-year marriage ended, AirBnB room rentals in the house and, later, glamping site rentals, became her financial

salvation for almost a decade. Along the way, she met and found a partner and eventual husband in carpenter Jim Kirol.

Jim helped complete and maintain the yurt that had been recently added to the property, and then helped create additional glamping and camping sites.

A talented woodworker, Jim has made his mark on every structure and glampsite on the property. Because there was no covered work area or storage for his tools, he also cobbled together a workshop from what had begun as a chicken coop and storage building.

Elona was diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago, but her symptoms have worsened in recent years, especially after the side-effects of a surgery nearly killed her. As a result, Jim has taken over 90% of the cooking and housework as well as building and maintaining structures.

Nevertheless, two years ago, he constructed a fabulous Wood Henge structure at Elona's request as a setting for weddings and other small outdoor ceremonies.

The Wood Henge at Two Frog Bog

From the beginning, Elona’s vision had been to create a retreat, a sanctuary amid the trees, where guests could find peace and quiet, hear birds singing during the day and owls hooting at night, and observe deer and other wildlife while enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning.

And the space did became a sanctuary to a wide variety of people from around the world and across the Northwest, some of whom regularly visit in all seasons. Reviews are glowing. Comments, especially from women, emphasize this is a place they can sleep outside in nature and feel safe.

For Jim and Elona, it is an enjoyable way to get needed income and, better yet, meet people with similar values. Elona and Jim enjoy sharing their knowledge about the native flora and fauna, giving "rock talks," and sharing local lore and mysteries with their guests, when asked.

The dominant tree species in the Pacific Northwest, Douglas fir quickly grows tall and straight, a good cash crop for a timber company. But they have a shallow root system, making them more susceptible to blowing down in wind events. Many of the young trees replanted in the 1970's had reached up to 125 feet in height by last November.

As the windstorm approached November 19, one of Two Frog Bog's regulars was scheduled to stay in the Paisley Paradise Yurt, the largest and most comfortable glampsite. Elona called the woman to inform her that, due to safety concerns, she could not have guests in the glampsites in case high winds materialized. They agreed to reschedule the visit after the storm, but it was not to be.

A fir tree came down during the night, striking the yurt. It broke 12 of the yurt’s 42 rafters, and a branch punched through the yurt’s lining. The kitchen area was left exposed to the elements, interior items were damaged, and the entire structure was left in danger of collapse.

The smaller Funk House glampsite was obliterated by a very large fir tree. Cutting through the tent structure, it came to rest next to the bed. It also drove the base of a table on the deck through a plywood panel, collapsed the roof structure over the outdoor kitchen, and crushed the outdoor bathroom.

That wasn’t the end of the damage caused by this tree. It was so tall that, along with another tree, it hit and destroyed the roof of Jim’s workshop. With the roof and support posts compromised, Jim had to move his tools, temporarily storing them in a converted shipping container that normally provides housing for live-in volunteers. There is no room to work in the container, nor can it be lived in for the time being.

It was necessary to hire professionals to remove the trees from the shop, although the base of the tree remains at the Funk House.

Thus, the storm not only took out their two top rental sites, but also severely limited their ability to repair the damage themselves.

This Storm Created a Set of Extreme Circumstances

Both Jim and Elona are accustomed to being independent and working hard to stay ahead. This storm has created a Catch-22 set of circumstances difficult to overcome on their own.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Elona had to cancel five more bookings, and the losses continue to mount. Winter has always been their slow season, but even the small income Elona and Jim would normally have earned in the past few weeks and coming months is no longer there. More worrying is whether they can reopen the yurt in time for the busier spring and summer months.

Currently Jim and Elona are covering their personal living costs with Social Security and a small pension Jim receives. A friend and volunteer named Aravel, Elona’s ex-husband, Ralph, and their neighbor, Nate, have done their best to help clear downed trees and branches, but most of the work is falling on Jim, who is also approaching 70 and has physical limitations.

Elona and Jim are using the situation to rethink the spaces, hoping to lighten the workload for them both. Their current plan calls for the removal of the beloved Funk House – although the offending tree has to be removed first, and poses a challenge. Nate will make another attempt before they resort to hiring the pros who removed the tree from Jim’s shop.

Rather than building a new glamping tent in the Funk House area, they have decided to put in two new ground campsites instead. This will be easier, faster and less expensive, and will hopefully replace the income from the Funk House rentals during the camping season (although it won't produce income in the winter.) It will greatly reduce their workload maintaining the rental spaces, making the business more sustainable for them to operate in the coming years.

Jim will repair the existing outdoor kitchen for the campers to use, rebuild the roof over the area, and repair the deck. The outdoor

composting bathroom will be rebuilt.

The hand-crafted, queen size four-poster bed that made the Funk House decadently comfortable was graciously spared. It’s been moved to the Dragonfly Den, the only glampsite untouched by the storm, replacing two twin beds.

With this bed upgrade and additional heating, the Dragonfly Den has now been opened up for rentals this winter. This will keep the AirBnb active and hopefully bring in some bookings to help make ends meet. Revenue from this site during the busy season should also increase.

Due to the storm, the Dragonfly Den now has a single queen sized and very luxurious bed, and additional heat in the space. Now taking reservations!

Jim's workshop needs significant repairs. Ideally, this would happen first, to allow the work on the remaining buildings to proceed more quickly and smoothly. However, the rental income is needed at the earliest possible time.

The Paisley Paradise Yurt may be the biggest challenge of all. Originally, it seemed that the damage spelled the end of the yurt. A phone call to the manufacturer, however, revealed a path to saving it.

Jim has stabilized the structure by placing scaffolding with a wooden "crib" under the ring at the top. He is also milling and fitting the replacement rafters from locally purchased lumber, then will connect them to the center support ring that in turn supports the dome and roof.

This will keep the yurt standing until the repairs are complete. Replacements for the outer roof canvas and the skylight dome have been ordered.

Fortunately, the yurt company representative is sympathetic and is walking them through the process. He has assured them they can do this.

Costs to Repair the Yurt:

Replacement Skylight Dome and Outer Canvas: $5,970

Lumber for Replacement Rafters: $200

Special Hardware and Rivets: $200

Additional costs will be incurred in replacing the interior kitchen shelves, interior roof fabric and wall coverings, new storage, new dishes, and painting the floor.

Estimated total yurt repair cost $7,000+

Costs to Repair and Renovate the Funk House Area

Jim will repair the Funk House kitchen area, rebuilding the roof over the area and repairing the deck. The outdoor composting bathroom will be rebuilt.

 Lumber: $600

 Roofing: $800

 Fasteners: $100

 2 Camping sites and additional parking: $500-$1000 (estimated)

Cost to Rebuild Jim’s Workshop

Lumber, roofing, fasteners, and cement: $5,000 (estimated)

Cost of Rock and Gravel for Multiple Sites

Underlayment for tent sites, parking, Jim’s workshop.

Cost: $600 – $800 total

Cost of Lost Bookings, Repay Short-Term Loan

The extent of repairs needed to Two Frog Bog will take time, especially since Jim will do much of this work on his own. While the intent is to get campsites ready for rental by this spring, 2025, the Paisley Paradise Yurt may take longer and may not realistically be available to rent until summer.

Jim and Elona’s credit union has approved a $10,000 loan. This fundraiser will pay off the loan before interest adds substantially to the total, will purchase materials over and above the $10,000, and help make up for lost bookings. Money from the bookings typically go toward a variety of needs at the bog, but most recently there was a specific goal for that income: Jim’s dental care.

Cost of Dental Care

Jim's dental work is needed in and of itself, but it is also a prerequisite to medical procedures he will need in the near future. The lost AirBnB income was earmarked to cover this cost, which compounds the impact of this storm.

Clearly, Jim’s health is absolutely essential, so we have included the dental costs in this fundraiser.

Cost: $3,000 - $4,000 after insurance.

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In the end, with your help, this creative, talented and loving couple will come back better than before and the sanctuary at the bog will be available again to those who love it.

We sincerely thank you for your support.

An Imbolc celebration in the main house at Two Frog Bog.