Small Cabin Living in the Northern Rocky Mountains

by Wiggy · Published 20/08/2020 · Updated 25/11/2020

Life in a Small Cabin

Living the way you actually want to may result in a departure from a conventional lifestyle.

Over time you realize that you are unusual, mainly because other people mention it.

We live in a small cabin on a remote plot of land in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We burn wood, use solar panels, haul spring water and run a generator sometimes. 8 years later we are still here. It’s a fun lifestyle and has become comfortable.

Life in a Cabin in the northern rocky mountains — *Cabin in the trees*

Cast of Characters – living in the cabin

My boyfriend is good at everything that I feel is important in life. He is a great outdoorsman and an awesome athlete. He built our cabin, runs heavy equipment, can fix a bulldozer, my car, a chainsaw and everything in between. He is capable of doing the work of a carpenter, electrician, plumber, welder etc. He hunts in the mountains and fly fishes. He skis, climbs mountains and can ride a mountain bike better than most. AND, he wants no part of my blog!

Small cabin living with a cook shelter, Carl, cat and dog — *Carl and the critters in the cook shelter*

I am significantly less useful. Maybe if there was a prize for morale I’d win that. Every outdoor skill or athletic accomplishment I may have has been eclipsed. BUT, perseverance, ingenuity and being a good beer drinking buddy goes a long way.

Above the cabin in the mountains with a dog — *Twig and I trying to figure out the GoPro/selfie stick above the cabin*

Twig is an SPCA rescue dog. She’s a 4 year old Australian shepherd type rig, possibly. She’s cute and noisy.

cute dog living in a small cabin in the mountains — *Twig chilling on the cabin deck*

Harley is a good-natured, orange stripey cat. He’s about 9. He is also an SPCA rescue and only has half a tail.

cute cat living in a small cabin in the mountains — *Harley in the cabin loft*

For some reason there are a lot of giant toads around the cabin. We’ve named them all Jeff to simplify things.

toads like small cabins in the mountains — *Jeff and I*

Small Cabin Living – Winters

Our cabin is situated in a cold climate. The temperatures can drop down to -40 C and below. We keep the cabin warm with a wood stove. The outhouse is not warm. This is okay. You have to run fast and not hesitate when you sit. Also, you can grab some wood from the pile on the way back. It’s conveniently located near the trail. See Winter Shower Build video.

cold small cabin living in the winters in the Rocky Mountains — *Cold!*

Solar power is often disappointing during a Canadian winter. Apparently solar works better with more sunlight and NOT covered in snow. Hence the generator. In the summer when you don’t need as much artificial light, solar is the bomb.

Small Cabin Interior

Our cabin is mainly used as a transition zone between doing other stuff.

small cabin living interior — *Inside the cabin*

Here are the most important items:

Woodstove – the giver of warmth and great for drying gear.
Pet beds – just trying to keep everyone happy because these little guys are furniture destroyers
Hangboard and mat – essential for upper body strength and injury prevention
Bookshelf – guide books, maps and a cat bed on top
Nooks and crannies – places to jam all the other stuff

small cabin living getting exercise on a hangboard — *Hangboard pull up*

cat bed in a small cabin in the mountains — *Harley* *in his roost*

Matching furniture, carefully selected wall colour and the whole feng shui thing have no place in our cabin…neither does tidiness, areas that aren’t cluttered and personal space. It’s probably not for everyone. See Autumn Chores.

The Great Outdoors

Out the front door is best described as paradise. Trails, a river, mountains and creeks are right there!

above the small cabin, rocky mountain view — *Trails a river and mountains, still working on the selfie stick*

The dog runs free, the cat does its weird cat things and the trails go on forever. There’s skiing, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, canoeing, mountain biking, trail running and rarely another person around.