It's kind of like a barn-raising. When you pour a concrete foundation here in the remote far-north, neighbors and relatives join in while the hostess provides drinks and food as a coordinated dance ensues: Pour. Spread. Level. Smooth. Repeat. We hired a few experts, but it was the "show-up-if-you-can" group effort that made it work. … Continue reading The Big Pour
And we're off on the next big adventure! We have a building permit and just passed the first plumbing inspection. With any luck, a 28x36 cabin will be erected at Camp Many Moons this year and will be habitable next year. This is almost as scary as starting on The Great Loop. (To read that … Continue reading The Build Begins
The word "camp" means different things to different people. Loners or groups? Tent or cabin? As with almost everything, the meaning you attach depends on one's personal experience. And the meaning is changing for me. For now, Camp Many Moons remains cabin-less. In the five years since I spent 50K for this 300-foot waterfront lot, … Continue reading Cabin-Less Camp
No, not in a car. On a snowmobile. Yup, stuck. It happens if you go off-trail into dense woods as the snow turns to mush. It happened to us. It started out fun. Two maneuverable little snowmobiles, heading out from Jeff's camp on a spring-like day with him in the lead. I grew up on … Continue reading Stuck in Snow
If snow-shoeing is walking on snow, cross-country skiing is gliding on it. If you're skilled, it's more like a kick-then-glide. (If you're really skilled, you also use a skating style. I mostly glide.) Nowadays, it's considered the best cardiovascular exercise because it works the entire body. In the past, it was considered a form of … Continue reading Gliding on Snow
The trick to walking on snow is the right footwear. When it's deep, snowshoes are the answer -- at least if you want to get into the woods. And why wouldn't you? Snow-shoeing is great for the body and the mind. My urban friends ask me why I come up here to the frozen north … Continue reading Walking on Snow
Most people like to visit the shore in summer only. I'm one of those oddballs that likes it it in winter, too. There's far less wildlife, true. But the silence! The subtle hues! See what I mean? Photos and captions below. The ice is ever-changing on the shoreline of Camp Many Moons on Lake Superior's … Continue reading Winter at the Shore
If a dead tree wraps around a live one and steals the sunshine, cut it out. If a negative habit (or person) wraps around your core and steals your energy, cut it out too. Life lessons from nature continue at Camp Many Moons on Lake Superior's Huron Bay, five years after I purchased this 300-foot … Continue reading Cutting Out The Deadwood
In three months, I might see a tiny sprout. In three years, I might be able to plant it. In three decades, it might look like a tree. By then, I may be dead. But the seeds I've planted will develop roots and grow tall. Eventually, some will create new seeds, and then new trees. … Continue reading Harvesting Seeds
Our first construction project at Camp Many Moons stretches over 90', rises about 10', and is made of local hemlock. Our fabulous new fence! And we put it up all by ourselves. So satisfying. Why a fence when we live remotely, you ask? Because it isn't that remote. Yes, we have 300 feet of waterfront, … Continue reading The Fence
For Many Moons 