My Journey: Trapper's Cabin

“The earth has music for those who listen.” –William Shakespeare

Snow still on the road.

I took the road less traveled last weekend, following a friend of mine out to his remote cabin on the Unalakleet River. It’s an 8-mile journey by river, 12 miles by 4-wheeler, down dirt roads, across tundra, and through creek bottoms and swamps. Since there is still ice on the river, but it’s too soft to drive on, we went the long way, with Denali running alongside.

The journey was an adventure in itself. Driving across tundra is akin to driving down the most pothole-ridden road you can imagine… times ten. When my butt got sore, I’d stand up for a while and let my legs become shock absorbers, reminiscent of a boat ride across Kachemak Bay when a cyclone is moving in.

Several times, I had to ride with my feet up by the handlebars as I gave it maximum speed to plow through the swamp, thick with water grass and deep with black mud.

Tough Tundra Trails

The adventure stopped about a quarter-mile from the cabin. From there, we hiked in on a well-worn path.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” –Albert Einstein

My friend’s a trapper and it’s a true trapper’s cabin, no more than 15x20 with a front deck that spans the length overlooking the river and the mountains in the distance, about four miles away. It sits on a hillside, a steep climb up from the river.

Bear Repellent

The front door is unfinished and solid, having been replaced several times due to bear intrusions. Grizzlies are fairly regular visitors, which is why he keeps an array of “Bear Repellent” (rocks) lined up on the outdoor bench to throw at their rumps to scare them away. The bench sits on a deck 12 feet above the garden area below, which receives plenty of southern sun in the summers.

The shower is on the edge of the porch next to the front door, the only place in the cabin with running water – I use that term loosely, of course. The outhouse is up a fairly steep path out back; notice the rope to help you gain your balance in between trees. Though the path may be rough, the view from the throne is worth a million dollars.

Outhouse

Rope course to the outhouse

View from the Outhouse

Perfect fit for toilet paper!

Outhouse reading material

I couldn't resist a selfie.

“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” –Jimmy Carter

Despite its lack of running water and electricity, other than a generator that we didn’t even fire up while I was there, this quaint cabin was surprisingly modern. A four-burner gas stove/oven was topped with a bachelor’s collection of cast iron skillets. 5-gallon buckets against one wall held fresh river water for drinking and washing – the most crystal clear, freshest tasting water in the world. An eclectic collection of music, movies, and books could be found neatly tucked away in a corner here or a bookshelf there.

Having spent many years as a hunting guide, this two-story cabin boasted much evidence that a successful hunter was near, from pelts and skins to skulls and racks.

We dined on Grilled Caribou Sausages and Skillet-fried potatoes, washed down with a glass or two of whiskey, mixed with cold river water. The scene was complete with Nali sprawled out on the floor and his pup, Penny, curled up on the couch. Sitting at the dining table, sharing stories and enjoying the view, I complete forgot the lack of electricity until the sun went down around 11pm. That’s when he took out the oil lamp – a perfect way to drift toward midnight.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” –John Lubbock

That's a trap on the left.

The loft bedroom in the cabin is spacious, feeling a little like being in a treehouse. The window over the bed looks through the treetops and out to the river. In the corner sits a fly-tying table, of course, and no trapper’s cabin would be complete without an ash tray filled with cigar butts. Those specialty-scented cigars are intoxicatingly delicious smelling and the scent lingered like camp smoke on my jacket the next morning.

We spent the following day sitting on the deck and talking, after having a late breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toasted bagels – all cooked in those same cast iron skillets. The breeze came and went, allowing inch-long mosquitoes to get in few bites before the next draft blew across the deck. A red fox walked gingerly across the river. Ducks swam by along the shore and dove for fish. However, the overwhelming quiet was only broken by the occasional movement of the ice, or a jet 36,000 feet up. Yes, it was so quiet that we could hear the jets high above.

Red Fox on the river.

Nali enjoyed the bird's eye view.

“It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

View from the deck.

We hoped for the ice to break and move downriver, something I’d never seen before, but, as luck would have it, that happened about 30 minutes after I left that evening. Oh well, there’s always next year.

Thank you for indulging in my adventure with me. May there always be enough wind to keep the mosquitoes off of your back and may you always live where you can pee off the deck.