We spent the first two days at the property "making wood." Being a born and bred Michigan Yooper that is the word choice I intuitively use to describe the process of sawing trees, bucking logs, hauling, chopping and stacking wood for the utilitarian purpose of warming one's hearth.
As I write that all down, I can't help but think that "making wood" is a much easier way to say how we spent our time. We ended up with a healthy stack of birch and spruce for both the inside stove and the firepit outside. We also sorted through some spruce poles to finish off our log furniture projects.
This is the lowest snow year we've seen in the 6 winters we've had the property. Bryant still managed to cut a path to the top of the hill with the snowmachine. While taking in the view and sunshine from the top, we spent more than a minute or two contemplating the advantages and disadvantages of developing the land further and building the real cabin up on top. It is really hard to say where we stand on that subject at this time.
On New Year's Day, the temperature warmed 20 degrees to a balmy zero and we decided to head out on the trail for a ride. We weren't sure where we were going, but stopped at each intersection and eventually turned the machine in a direction. The lack of snow didn't seem to matter, as Bryant said "trail riding is trail riding whether it is 6 inches or 3 feet. We headed south to Flat Horn Lake, then to the Big Sustina River, circling back along the Cranford Trail, which sends us on the straightest bumpiest route home, in total about 60 miles. Probably more miles than I did all last year especially if I subtract the mileage of pulling the kids up our hill on the sled. We were rewarded with beautiful views of nearby Mt. Susitna and the Alaska Range.
When we got back, I was feeling a little cold and very greasy. I got to thinking . . . we need to build a sauna. Then next year I would be asking Bryant in my Finnish ways to "make water," which is the processes of filling the water buckets needed to bath in the sauna.
For more pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/HappyNewYear
