~Building a Log
Cabin in Alaska~
One night in the spring of 2004, probably at
2am, Aaron and I were sitting at the computer, each drinking a
beer, and looking for land in Alaska. We couldn't believe it when
we found a piece that wasn't only affordable....VERY affordable,
but was in our favorite area of Alaska. We bought our five acre
parcel of land and started dreaming up what we were going to do on
it. We told our folks we were going to build a cabin; I think my
parents didn't believe me and thought I was a little crazy! Aaron
and I were so excited we just started cutting trees, branches,
anything....oh the feeling of owning your own piece of land! Over
the course of five months Aaron and I drove every single weekend
five hours to our land and gradually a cabin came together.
Aaron's brother, Adam, joined us for 2.5 months; we'd never have
done it without his help! Please take your time on these pages,
click on the pictures to see the bigger view, and enjoy the
building process of a log cabin by two people who have never built
much of anything before! The links above will take you through
each process of the building. Originally all the photos were on
one page, but that was like 300 pictures, so I split the building
process up into six pages.
|
|
Starting Out
l Log Walls l
Roof & Windows l
Winter Cabin l
Stairs l
Cabinets & Porch l
Cabin Living |
| |
|
April
18th-19th, 2004 |
|
Our big purchase...a five acre
slice of Alaska with a million dollar view. |
 |
|
 |
Lots of snow still,
up to the knees, but after cutting some trees down we found some dry land to
walk on. The future cabin site. |
 |
| |
April 28-29th |
|
 |
After moving the logs we cut, we
made sure they were off the ground and started peeling. The bark was
still tight to the trunk, so the first weekend of peeling only produced 5
peeled logs. |
 |
| |
May 4 - 5th |
|
 |
Our typical morning ritual...camped at
the gravel pit below our property, making coffee and oatmeal for breakfast.
Aaron and Kodi watching moose in the creek below. |
 |
 |
After a long day of work we watch
caribou north of our property.
A bunch of new logs for me to peel. Luckily these ones started peeling
without much use of the drawknife. |
 |
| |
May 9-10th |
|
 |
Snowing and 32 degrees...what a way to start working.
Burnt lots of limbs from nearby slash pile. Warmed up to 55 that day.
Peeled 16 logs this weekend. |
 |
| |
May 15th |
|
 |
Hiked into our moose lake to get the
60+ moose rack out we found the year earlier. I ended up hiking 7
miles in socks due to open blisters on both heels. The rack is a
special addition for our cabin. |
 |
| |
May 16-17th |
|
 |
Aaron come-alongs log that is too heavy for us to
carry. We did eventually carry it the last little bit.
After moving 7 logs the first morning I had my work
cut out for me to peel. Peeled 7 the first day. |
 |
 |
Nice pile accumulating of peeled logs.
For the whole weekend we moved 13 logs out of the woods and I peeled 15
logs.
Kodi taking a snooze out of the sun,
behind our big log |
 |
| |
May 23 - 24th |
|
 |
Moved 10 more logs out of woods and
peeled all ten on the first day. Worked until 10:00- sunset now around 1130.
My peeling site. |
 |
 |
After two days of A LOT of wind this
is what I look like. The second day I peeled 5 large logs and 3 gable
logs. This weekend marked us at 60 logs cut, 58 peeled. |
 |
| |
May 30-31st |
|
|
Not a very successful weekend Only peeled 6 and cut 8
logs. Hauled 8 - 80# bags of concrete |
| |
|
|
| |
June 6 - 7th |
|
 |
Bug season in Alaska, and it is only
the start. Mosquitoes are out 24 hours a day in full force.
Digging our post holes. Finished cutting 7 logs and
peeling 9 logs= 75 total cut and peeled. |
 |
 |
Digging second post hole on first
day. Kodi escaped mosquitoes by being buried in the dirt, it also kept in
cool on a fairly hot and humid day. |
 |
|
Hauled in 6 more 80# bags of
concrete. |
 |
Finished weekend with all 8 post
holes dug about 4 feet deep. Plan for 14X18 cabin. |
| |
June 13 - 14th |
|
 |
Hammering in log posts to set up
string to square and level site. Hiked in 10, 80# bags of concrete. Yes, even I know how to level. |
 |
 |
Set up string level, and squared work
site. Pounded steel rods into post holes in place of rebar.
First three concrete posts done .
|
 |
 |
Visiting moose in morning. Finished 7 out of 8 posts, only 1
more six inch post to poor = only two more bags of concrete. |
 |
| |
June 20-21 |
|
|
 |
Our first log, half logs on both short
ends of the cabin. Aaron's
homemade scribe, learning to scribe on our first whole log. |
 |
 |
Sawing the round notch after scribing.
Hauling our center log to the cabin site. This
is our homemade system to move logs. |
 |
 |
Chiseling just one of many to come
round notches. |
 |
|
 |
Aaron's large round notch.
Getting the floor joists started. |
 |
| |
June 27-28th |
|
|
 |
Smokey mountain view, later that afternoon we couldn't
see any of the mountains.
Finally finished the floor joists. |
 |
|
 |
The outhouse hole finally dug, about five feet deep.
The rocks are part of our foundation around the base to make it level and
stronger. Concrete work. |
 |
| |
July 18-19th |
|
 |
Aaron and Adam hauled 70- 2X6s and 9
sheets of plywood the 500yards to our cabin site, it took 9 trips in all.
Adam and Aaron scrubbing some mold off the logs that
were close to the ground. |
 |
 |
Adam and Aaron sawing notches.
We got four logs up this first weekend back from our vacation. We still have
a lot to learn about scribing and notching.
More chiseling. |
 |
| |
 |
Started the floor boards. Adam
wasn't very happy with the way the screw driver was working.
Somehow the drill kept spinning off the screw making lots of little holes in
our floor boards!!! |
| |
|
|
|
Starting Out
l Log Walls l
Roof & Windows l
Winter Cabin l
Stairs l
Cabinets & Porch l
Cabin Living |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
