Where is the best place for a remote cabin? (Seldovia: homes, look for a job)

[jsta_grl22]

I want to buy some land and build a log cabin by hand. What part of Alaska would have the most gorgeous views, and best opportunities for hunting/fishing out the back door? I realize this describes a lot of places, but give me some direction. Thanks for any replies!

[Metlakatla]

Is this cabin to be a primary residence or an occasional getaway type of place?

I see that you're a nursing student. To me that indicates that you may not be independently wealthy and that you probably need to work for a living. The problem with a lot of remote locations is that they're off the road system or otherwise too far away from any employment opportunities.

But "remote" means different things to different people. To some people in the lower 48 it means 25 miles from a supermarket. But Alaska remote is different---way different--from anything you've ever experienced. So first you need to decide what "remote" really means to you, and understand what it means in Alaska. If you need to work for a living and intend on using it as a primary residence, the Alaska version of "remote" isn't going to work out for you.

My advice is to finish your schooling and look for a job in Alaska after you get your nursing degree. Then see as much of the state as you can and give yourself some time to find the place that works best for you.

[Rance]

To build a log cabin by hand your going to need trees. Trees with size. The bigger the log the less you'll need to create a wall. So your going to need a good size chunk of land with plenty of trees to choose from. Once you drop those trees your going to have to drag the logs to your building site then peel and erect them. It is a ton of work even for 3 or 4 people.
I built a log cabin on an island using the much lighter beetle killed spruce and had to transport roughly 95 logs to the island to build with. I 2 sided my logs which meant once I cut them, loaded them on a trailer, unloaded them at the house, rolled them on and off the saw mill, reloaded them on the trailer to bring to the lake, off loaded them at the lake to be drug with snowmachine or boat to the island, off loaded them at the island, then hand carried them and erected them it was in no way worth it. If I ever build another cabin you can bet I'll be framing walls.
This is something you should seriously consider. You can buy property anywhere on a road system and frame up a place in a couple days if you have close enough access to transport building materials. With logs will take a couple months. If your out in the sticks you may only be able to move materials in the winter by sled. If your on a river or ocean it'll be with a boat, on a lake with a float plane. The property won't come cheap if your looking at river, lake or ocean front with mountain views. If you've got the money you have plenty of places to choose from. Prince William Sound, Deshka River, Caribou Island, Caribou Hills, Seldovia are just a few places in South Central Alaska that offer water for fishing as well as scenic views. But it'll cost ya.

[NomadicBear]

View property, whether in Alaska or the lower forty-eight, costs a fortune right now.

[wildchild_to]

Lot of good advice from the folks above. I don't live in AK, but reading and watching youtube on building a framed VS log cabin may change your mind.
Youtube has a lot of great info on Alaska, that is what led me here

[starlite9]

My cabin is remote, like Rance said, building with logs is a lot of work. When you have to drag all your tools and building supplies in, I chose to use a saw mill, cut all my 2x6 boards in town and then hauled them out. Had the cabin framed up in two days. If I had used logs, it would have been very labor intensive hauling logs and scribing them to fit. Even with two sided logs you have your work cut out for you!

Then you need to decide "How" your going to get you supplies out to where you want to build. Nobody made a sled I needed to haul my stuff out, so I built one. In the other video, the sleds the logs were hauled on, hade to built as well for that job. I also had snowmachines and track rigs for use as well. You will need to plan almost a year in advance before you even start your dream cabin, sometimes longer!

Then like Met said, you need to figure out what "Remote" is to you, because what most of us call remote, you might Freak out on!

I've posted this before, but the first video is my short history version of building my cabin, the second is my friend's about 800 yards from mine. He built with three sided logs that were milled in town.


Building in the Alaskan Wild - YouTube


Roughwoods cabin II - YouTube

[Hawknest]

I have built log homes in Wyo, New Mex and Mont, but it's extremely difficult to do alone, whereas, in the Yukon stone is more plentiful than trees. And, that's what we built our current farmhouse with.

[Marty Van Diest]

If you build a cabin using vertical logs you more easily do it yourself. You might want to check that out. If you build completely by hand you better use smaller logs or have a way to haul them.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

If you build a cabin using vertical logs you more easily do it yourself. You might want to check that out. If you build completely by hand you better use smaller logs or have a way to haul them.

There is the "Hudson Bay Cabin" where you put a notched vertical pole every six to eight feet, then put Horz. pole down into the knotches, that is somewhat easier to do by ones self.

[mmmms]

You might want to check that out. If you build completely by hand you better use smaller logs or have a way to haul them.