It had been my dream to live in the forest since I was a boy, and in the Spring of 2019 I purchased 33 acres of heavily treed property with the hopes I could realize said dream.
So, much of this adventure has been arriving in the form of questions, How will you get to from the property? How will you get food and water? Is the cabin on the property going to livable during Winter? What’s around the property? How will you take care of your dogs while off the grid? How will I maintain contact for emergencies? How long do I want to stay? Will I have enough money to stay the year or longer break you desire from work?
But the main question is not only, How to survive this adventure, but how can I find joy amidst all the required work?
For my Spring Break, I traveled to the property with a realtor and left thinking this is the one. Well after arriving the 1300 miles to first check on the property with it not covered in 4 feet of snow, I found that I had purchased my dream. The creek babbling me to sleep, the hawks circling overhead, the deer grazing feet from my door, and my dogs happily snoring after a hard day chasing squirrels and smells were medicine for my soul, and set for me the new goal, leaving my career to stay here full time for a year or two or…
First week was one of cleaning and moving in. Getting my trailer up the switchbacks to my cabin was almost met with disaster as the ground slid away under the weight of my trailer nearly dropping it and all supplies in the creek! Was this a sign of the difficulties to come? What the hell did I sign up for!? I park the trailer and proceed to the cabin for the first time, my hand grasping the small 9mm pistol, the memory of my neighbor describing being attacked in his kitchen by a bear still fresh in my mind. Rabbits hop along the overgrown grass and ease my worries, as I take in the beautiful sights around me. I make my way to the front door, and open it to find the musty smell of the rodents who had once called my cabin home. Queue me having to clean up thousands of rodent turds and multiple long dead rat corpses is varying states of decay. Startled by a noise outside, I peer through the doorway to find mule deer standing less than 15 yards away. Again my spirits lighten, now with the idea of bow hunting season in my very own forest. Initial cleaning complete, now with the wood stove in full swing, the cabin feels like home and smells like that with which candles can only hope to recreate, bed bath and beyond you can contact me here to develop a partnership.
Over the next 6 weeks, I organize, host friends and family, build a kitchen, plant some apple trees, hike for miles along my property and the neighboring public lands, buy a jon boat, take the dogs swimming in the nearby lakes, and christen my boat with its’ first rainbow trout, all the while dreaming how I can quit my job and make this my new full time lifestyle.
I winterized the cabin, drive me and the dogs all night to Seattle to meet my father and brother by 5am to go salmon fishing, and after hours of cruising the Puget Sound catch my first giant King Salmon, approximately 3 feet long and 30 pounds! Then that evening after sharing half the fish with my nieces, mother and father, brother and his wife, I can feel a deep sense joy. Joy for what I’ve gotten to experience this summer, but also of the possibilities at hand when I make a permanent relocation to Washington. To live my forest off grid dream, and to spend time with my family, and eventually start a family of my own.
I tried to take some notes about what all needed to be done to make this place full time livable… Big questions being like how do I store water and keep that tank from freezing during the 6 months of snow covered winter? How do I design and install a solar panel system? How do I get my truck ready for serious solo off-roading in potentially giant snow storms with guarantee of no cell reception or assistance? And this is where I now find myself. Preparing for a 2300 mile winter road trip with my dogs to my property and to learn the lessons of winter off grid and get a feeling if I can make this life happen, not only in the easy days of summer, but in the depths of a solitary harsh winter.
www.OffGridVenture.com 