What follows is part one of a several part series that documents the true story of Mr. David Wightman of Galena, Alaska, and his ”logs to lumber” experience of building a cabin in a remote part of Alaska. The story is written in Mr. Wightman’s own words and originally appeared on the Logosol forum. We will continue to post new segments roughly once a week until the story is complete. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cabin Building Day 1
Sunday, December 26, 2010

Well after 10 years of wanting to build a cabin with an M5 in a remote location in Alaska the adventure started off today. I transported the foundation beams, sill logs, sill tops, and the floor joist that I cut with my M5 at my house to the cabin site today with a snogo and sled. Eventually when I get the foundation done and floor deck completed I will be bringing the mill out to the site for the rest of the lumber making. Here are the pics and updates for the project. 

picture 1 of 8x8 beams for foundation and sill logs

picture 2 of 8x8 beams for foundation and sill logs

Bull Moose taking a look at the lumber on the way out of town. Small spike fork with a large body, would have been a good eater!

Bull and Cow moose inspecting the progress on the way out of town.

Cabin site looking in from the lake.

Cabin site looking out over the lake.

Load #2 true 2x6 floor joist cut with M5 in town, loaded and ready for a ride. 10 miles out of town one way via snogo.

Be sure to check back next Thursday for Part 2!

Building a log home can be very rewarding, but it can also be complicated and dangerous if not done correctly or with the right training under your belt. If you're considering building a log home, we highly suggest you search out training from a qualified school or builder. Alaska Log Structures up near Anchorage, Alaska offers a comprehensive 10-day course that covers everything from safety to purchasing materials to hands on training in the actual building process. For more information, please check out their website. Bailey's offers a wide variety of woodworking and log handling tools to help log home builders, too. 

Happy scribing this holiday season!
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