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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / Our North Idaho retreat
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wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 18:26
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hi All,

Just was referred to this site yesterday and feel like I am at home. A whole site of like-minded people.
Our cabin is located north of Sandpoint Idaho, in the Pack River Valley. We are 3 miles beyond power lines. No cell service, no tv, no nothing. Just peace and serenity. And moose.
We bought the property in 2005, with just a shell of an A-frame cabin and a toilet chair. We have spent 6 years working on it. We have done some smaller stuff, but we did hire a local artist as we like to call him to do the bulk of the work on the place. We live in Minnesota. It is solar powered, gravity fed water. We have a propane fridge and tankless water heater. Outdoor shower and tub. Our cabin heat is a Jotul woodburner, and the bunkhouse has a matching, but propane fueled Jotul stove. We have running water inside for a kitchen sink, but an entirely outdoor cook center. Our solar and water system is contained in an 8x8 storage shed that is insulated.
This is absolutely my favorite place in the entire world to be. Hope you like it.
original cabin in 2005
original cabin in 2005
A-frame
A-frame
bunkhouse
bunkhouse
both buildings
both buildings


wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 18:28
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some other pics
winter view from above
winter view from above
our "kitchen"
our "kitchen"
interior
interior
shower overlooking the valley
shower overlooking the valley


wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 18:32
Reply 


couple more
inside
inside
deck
deck
solar system
solar system
showering in the snow
showering in the snow


turkeyhunter
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 20:25
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beautiful cabin and cooking shed and bunk house and in moose country as well !!!!!!!!---luv the your set up--looks like a sportmans paradise!!!!!!

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 21:53
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Wow! Very cool-beautiful scenery and cabin(s). How did you end up in Idaho?

neb
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2011 22:14
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Very nice. How much land do you own?

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2011 10:28
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Thank you.
It is a silly story, but 100% true. My wife had a dream that I picked p and moved her to a trailer park in the potato field part of Idaho. She woke up pissed. I am not lying. Having a customer in Boise I knew it was a beautiful place. We took a three day trip in 2001 to the Coeur D' Alene panhandle area. Needless to say, it is one of the most beautiful places in our country. Or the world for that matter.
We have 25 acres there, and another 13 acres south of town that we are looking to sell this year as we no longer use it.

Jeremy165
Member
# Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:06
Reply 


Looks great. I really like how you extended the existing A-frame. Quite a setup - 30 people weekend bbq/camping sounds fun.

BigDuke6
Member
# Posted: 12 Dec 2012 10:29
Reply 


Nice! My place is in NW Montana, so I know where Sandpoint is. I like your outdoor shower, what model of hot water heater do you have? I am always looking for ideas on what i can do at my place.

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 12 Dec 2012 11:34
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Quoting: wakeslayer
showering in the snow

COOL!

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 2 Jun 2013 22:48
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Hey wakeslayer,
How was your visit at your cabin? Hope everything was fine after all winter. Did you have a fantastic time? Hope so!

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 10:44
Reply 


Hey Trolly

Thanks, it was fantastic. We elected to drive and bring our dogs. 1400 miles each way, and we only turned on music for an hour. It was very good down time spent just talking and dreaming, and getting where we were going. The cabin fared perfectly all winter. No issues at all. We saw some friends, met a realtor to re-list our land we no longer use, and just hung out with the dogs.
The only two downers are I have a shattered solar panel, and we seemingly have a pack of wolves in our valley now. Two recent moose kills and a big muley. All three were down to bones and hide only and were not very old. We need to get some folks up there to "smoke a pack a day" as they say... I would normally have tons of pics on my cam and there weren't too many. No moose at all. It will be pretty telling when we go out in July. I have consistently had 2000 pics in that 6 week span for years. 3-4 mama and baby moose sets. Every year.
We spent one day down in Moscow looking at land, as we now have our farm in MN for sale. Hoping to get sold and moved this year. Not sure how that will go.
Haven't been on the site a lot this Spring getting the farm ready. How is your cabin doing? Been up much this year? I cannot wait til I am two hours from the cabin and can go any time.

M

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 15:54
Reply 


The poor moose that is a shame. I hate to hear that!

I'm really glad you had a great time and that all was in good shape, other than the solar panel

I hope you get your other land sold there and your farm sold in Minnesota, too. Will you be traveling all over going to music festivals this summer?

We are making slow, but steady progress at our cabin. We go as often as we can, but always seem to have a lot of family commitments. This summer looks to be a little more open than last, so I am happy.

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 17:02
Reply 


Yep, the wolves are bad news up there. I get that there should be a couple, but they are out of hand. Like coyotes here... Which, surprisingly seem to be a bit more under control this year. Between a little personal control and our new to us 90lb shepherd I think we have a way better situation.
Yes, on the festivals!! Bandit County Fair in WI this weekend, Nippersink in Spring Grove IL in July, Big Wu Family Reunion in August near Albert Lea, MN, and ShoeFest in Manteno IL.

There never seems to be enough time at the cabin. Hope you get the time you need there.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 17:15
Reply 


beautiful place.exciting times.our dogs use to run in the nite i think with coyotes.we were new to the woods in the 70s and would let them run.not good. i know this now.
wakeslayer u can never be at your cabin enough.its just too peaceful and too wonderful.we saw a coyote on the side of the road with blood dripping from his mouth and eating on a deer.

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 17:30
Reply 


I think Emmett's presence alone keeps them pretty far away. He is huge, and if he were to happen upon a coyote, it would be curtains, for sure.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 4 Jun 2013 20:31
Reply 


I know, I understand there is a natural cycle with the moose and wolves....I'm just always rooting for the moose!!!

You have a lot of festivals lined up...gonna be a great summer for you, I'm thinking

Montanagirl
Member
# Posted: 5 Jun 2013 12:27 - Edited by: Montanagirl
Reply 


We've lost many domestic dogs here in NW Montana to those wolves. In a bizarre karma twist of fate, several of them on different occasions have been hounds with handlers out mountain lion hunting. The handlers hear horrbile sounds, rush to their dogs and find nothing left but the head and tail. . . Those wolves fear nothing. Be very careful with your dogs! Wolves are part of the ecosystem, but kill for sport. If you are Facebook check out Fired Up! (people for management and hunting of wolves) there is some useful info there along with a map showing the packs in NW Montana and Idaho. (graphic images)

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 5 Jun 2013 16:55
Reply 


Thank you, however, I cannot seem to find it on there.
Also, there are some guys out that way that have a Facebook page Coyote Control Specialists. Fun to read.

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