At the end of December 2017, R and I (together since 2004, married in 2007) purchased 22.5 acres of raw land in Piscataquis County, Maine. It's about 300 miles from our current home; the total trip length usually amounts to about 6 hours. R and I had talked and dreamed for years about buying some land somewhere relatively remote to build an off-grid cabin, with the purpose of eventually moving there in a few years after my stepdaughter, N, graduates college. We binged watched wilderness shows and kept the dream alive with a small garden and a couple of chickens in our back yard until all the right pieces to the puzzle fell into place. Now, the adventure begins!
Our trusty sidekicks, Tyson the rottweiler and Willow the Grey Ninja *ahem* #adventurecat, are right by our side the whole way having adventures of their own. Our two other cats, Zoey and Sonny, are more homebodies but are nonetheless vital parts of our family in their own ways, and will let Willow take the lead in securing the new land until it is finally The Time for us all go start anew.
It was another late arrival. R worked Friday so we ended up leaving around 6:00 p.m. and did not arrive at camp until midnight. This worked out well though because we didn't hit a lot of traffic, and since I had the day off from work, I was able to stay awake well enough to drive late into the night while R dozed beside me. I also got to test my driving-with-a-trailer skills again because we brought more lumber with us, as we did last visit. It frays my nerves driving with a trailer because you have to watch the lines and make sure the trailer doesn't drift into the adjoining lane, but it was fine. I was ok. We got there safely.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before that R has been collecting lumber from the various construction sites he's worked at for a while now, so our backyard at home is nearly a lumber yard all on it's own, so bit by bit we're bringing loads of lumber up to camp. It's all wood that the construction companies would have thrown away because they used it for temporary purposes and were done with it at the end of a job; there's not much wrong with it other than some nails that can just be removed. We have everything from sheets of particle board and 2x4s, to 2x6s and 2x12s, all of various lengths with some reaching up to 16 feet long. Probably there is thousands of dollars worth of wood that he's collected piecemeal over the last year. One man's trash is another's treasure, for sure!
We awoke around 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning, eager to get going on the day's projects. Our visit was only Friday night to Sunday, so we had just one full day to get done what we wanted to. O how we long for the day that we can spend a week at camp! I started breakfast while R took the first measurements of the day to further reinforce the cabin shell.
Willow the Grey Monkey "helping" R get ready for the morning
I was kindly and gratefully gifted a set of cast iron pans that I'm still learning to cook in. Someone in a Homestead group on Facebook suggested I cook bacon in the cast iron pans at first to help cure them. No complaints here! Bacon, eggs, and toast with some coffee to get us going. My internal alarms made me aware that the bacon smell may attract unwanted wildlife visitors, so my ears were open to the sounds of the forest.
In those sounds we heard some lovely bullfrogs, making their *womp*womp* calls. I found myself a few times throughout the day pausing because I heard what sounded maybe like a person, but then turned out to be the frogs. I chuckled to myself because days before I had finished listening to the audiobook Pet Sematary by Stephen King, read by Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under) which actually takes place about 50 miles from camp. In the book, two characters are walking through a terrifying swamp when one character says to the other, "You might hear voices, but those are just the loons down south toward Prospect. The sound carries. It's funny." I'm pretty sure these were just frogs. In addition to the frogs, we also have a new friend who made its presence known - a chipmunk! When I was little, we had a chipmunk who lived in the stone wall behind our house. My late mum used to call it Charlie, so this one, too, shall be called Charlie.
Charlie the Chipmunk
Something else we took note of were the three-leafed plants growing *every*where. Three leaves leave them be, right? Not always right. Wild Strawberries also have three leaves. If you look very closely you can see the difference in the veins and color. The Wild Strawberries have veins on the leaves that touch together at the center line, whereas Poison Ivy's veins are staggered. I have a hard time telling the difference in quick passing without taking a minute to really look. R and I both have had terrible bouts of poison ivy in the past, and we're terrified of getting it again. Three leaves are *all*over* the yard, though, I think, and all it takes is Tyson or Willow to walk in it and then come in contact with us to spread the oil. Eek!
Poison Ivy vs. Wild Strawberries
Wild Strawberries
While R was working on the cabin, it was my goal this weekend to build Willow a catio at camp. It will allow her to enjoy the outdoors a bit and keep her entertained, but will also keep her safe when I can't watch her. I built two catios at home and all three cats use them frequently year round. I figured I'd start out small to make it a quick job, but I'd design it so I could easily add on to it in the future. Small - yes; quick - no. 😁 I need to get myself a tool belt so I'm not walking around looking for the tool I just put down, and we need to get a second battery operated screw gun because it's impossible to get anything done quickly with two people needing to use the only screw gun we have.
Catio construction underway - 5 feet long x 18 inches deep
While Willow was taking a cat nap for most of the catio's construction, towards the end she started getting curious and I would see her looking out the window. She was thrilled with it!
I can't get over her cute little face, and just look at those adorable little feet..
Willow enjoying her new catio for the first time
She rewarded me with lots of snuggles and Happy Paws that night. ❤ It was a very good weekend.
This visit was quite enjoyable because it was our longest stay so far. The four of us arrived late Friday night, and headed back south Monday afternoon.
We started to cut and install some 2x4s to help support the rickety cabin shell, so I got to use some power tools. A little intimidating, but R gives good instructions.
Rob measured and marked; I cut.
Willow enjoyed time relaxing in the camper looking for mice and bugs that were heard crawling around in the walls. A friend suggested sprinkling whole cloves throughout the camper next time to help repel pests, and then just sweeping them up upon return. Duly noted!
Willow taking a break from her "duties"
Speaking of bugs...they were plentiful. We'd heard of Bug Season but had yet to experience it. It was borderline intolerable but not so terrible that we couldn't get anything done. In moving wood that has not been touched in ages, we came across a few creepies and crawlies. I don't mind salamanders, but spiders give me the willies... I did a quick internet search and I'm pretty sure there aren't any poisonous spiders in Maine. 🤞
We'll most certainly need to bring a lawnmower next time because the grassy area will probably be much longer by then. Ticks are a big concern. Tyson is protected by a topical flea/tick/mosquito medicine, and Willow has a Seresto collar, but that doesn't protect R and I. I keep a lint roller at camp to use after we've trudged through the woods to try and remove ticks that way (a "hack" I read somewhere).
We took our Yamaha Banshee ATV this time. The view from about half a mile away from camp of Borestone Mountain was amazing.
In cleaning the camp area of debris and seeing what we can repurpose, we found a nice pile of aluminum roofing we'll use for something. Score!
We also discovered a gnarly old skeleton near the cabin; probably it's a porcupine. Look at that front tooth! That's what caused all the chew marks inside the cabin shell. Notice the other teeth are flat and blocky. I have to say - as much as I love nature in all its forms - I don't really look forward to the day that we encounter a porcupine.
As I've mentioned in the past, Willow is not much of a cuddle-cat at home, but when we're camping she's all about letting loose and enjoying the company of her humans. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to find her on my pillow next to my head (which is why the picture is off a bit, because it was dark and I lightened the photo a little). I can't get over how freaking cute she is. Can't. Get. Over. Her. Obsessed.
THREE MONTHS. Three months we waited to return to where our souls feel complete, not knowing exactly how much of the snow that had quickly driven us out of there was remaining on the ground; not knowing the condition of the 2 mile trail leading to camp. It was the longest three months EVER!! 😂 I'd talked to some residents in the area and they said that sometimes the snow lasts until June! We were hesitant to make the long drive and run the risk of conditions being poor. Maine, I've heard, has five seasons - Winter, Spring/Thaw, Mud, Summer, Fall. Maybe even six seasons if you count the dreaded "bug season". Many roads and trails are closed during Mud Season to preserve their integrity. Traveling in mud can cause large ruts that dry as such which typically lead to terrible road conditions.
All things considered, it got to the point that we were willing to drive there and back same-day if need be. We'd tackled a longer ride (900 miles) in one day to pick up Tyson from Western New York many years ago, so we knew it was feasible. The land was beckoning sweetly to our souls, and we had to answer it's call. We were powerless to resist at this point.
We left early and arrived to the trail leading in to camp around 10:30 a.m. There was still a little snow on the trail, and thankfully the mud wasn't terrible.
The beginning of the 2 mile trail leading in to camp
As we crawled the truck down the trail, our minds were racing with thoughts of the camp's condition. We left in such a hurry last time that we couldn't button anything up for the winter like I'd wanted to. We quite literally abandoned ship. We are always concerned for robbers but figured that, being 2 miles from the town's dirt road, no one would make the long arduous trek in the snow to our camp. Probably we'd have to worry more about that in the warmer months where the hike would be easier, and accessible by off-road vehicle. We have to figure out a secure way to store valuable items (chainsaw, tools, etc) so we don't have to pack them every time.
While our minds were racing, our eyes were roving, seeking out any millimeter of movement from the forest. We've yet to experience any wildlife other than seeing a few deer and the coyote footprints, and hearing the coyotes calls, in addition to seeing some grouse along our driveway. We assume there would be bear and moose around, but the neighbors have said they haven't seen much bear activity, even though that doesn't mean anything when you consider the wide expanse of the wilderness in Central Maine. We'll keep our eyes and ears open, thank you!
Wait a minute... What's that on the trail ahead? Something of the likes that we've never seen before...
wat?
Holy smokes! It's moose scat! Look at the size of the pile!
Moose poop pictured with my size 7 1/2 foot
If you look at the picture below, you can see it contains hay-like materials. One way that you can identify the type of animal is by dissecting the poop. ...yes, dissecting poop. What you see in the scat is what the animal consumes but wasn't able to digest, and each animal consumes pretty specific food sources. Don't touch it with bare hands, obviously, and try to stay downwind, but poke at it with a stick to see inside. If you are equipped with latex gloves, or if you have a way to wash your hands immediately, you can pick it up and squeeze it - if it's soft and slightly warm, you know the animal was recently nearby. If you're interested, here is a link that describes the different types of scat you may find in Maine - (https://www.northwoodsguides.com/animal_scat_notes.php) I've actually read that in a survival situation you can use moose scat as a very effective fire starter! We looked around but didn't find any prints. Onward ho!
Close up of moose poop
Finally we make it to camp and thankfully everything looks just as we hurriedly left it all those weeks ago. Now that the snow is gone, we can see how much scrap wood the former owner left behind that's been ruined from the snow. We're going to have a lot of burning to do. There is an old rickety ladder and so many 2x4s with nails protruding upwards like dangerous booby-trap daggers waiting to stab their first victim. We work on moving them so Tyson doesn't injure himself. Willow is supervising from the discarded ladder - notice how it's held together by a rope below her front paws? In the background of the picture below, there is [what used to be] a pile of aluminum roofing 😍 and some junk particle boards still covered with the remnants of snow.
After surveying the small cleared area and how it was sopping wet, we notice that the aluminum roofing and particle board are actually lying IN the ditch that seems to have been created for water diversion. Because all of those items are now in the ditch, the water/melt has backed up and is flooding the grassy area. See the little pond formed in the picture below? It shouldn't be standing water - for many reasons.
Willow does not approve
Taking a break, Willow went in to the camper to have a cat nap while R, Tyson, and I took a little walk through our woods.
Willow having a bit of a bath before her cat nap
Black and White Birch
The driveway heading in to camp
The next morning, I snapped this shot of Willow sleeping in between me and R 😻. She slept in my sleeping bag most of the night, as she usually does when we're camping. Usually at home she is a very independent girl and only comes to me at night for 10 minutes of snuggles a few times a week, so I soak up this kitty love.
Me and Willow
On this day, our main goal was to find a property marker and try to get a better feel of where our boundary lines are. The land had been surveyed once in the 80's. It turns out, it's typical for each new land owner to go around the property and re-tag the trees. We were able to re-mark a good portion of the east property line from the water to the trail. Our land crosses over the trail, but we were running out of daylight and marking tape so opted to continue on this venture another day. I love these land exploring days because we get to see the beautiful sights typically hidden within the undisturbed forest.
See the old pink ribbons and red paint swatches on the center trees?
Can you spot the fluorescent yellow ribbons tied around the trees? I see about 4.
So much going on in this picture
Fallen giant
Near the stream; one of the largest trees we've found
The property marker closest to the stream
The three of us hoofed it back to camp. Willow was holding down the fort. I hung some wind chimes that N had gotten for me the previous Christmas.
Willow inside the camper
Windchimes from "N" ♥
R & I were working our way around the shell of a cabin, picking up discarded wood, when R found a 2x4 leaning up against the cabin and noticed something peculiar about it. We took a closer look and realized that the 2x4 had porcupine quills embedded into it! Once again - a sight neither of us has ever seen before! The quills are actually squishy and filled with air. One tip - the tip that embeds itself into whatever it connects with - has a fish-hooked end. The other side has a very sharp point. You could feel the barb as you gently pulled a quill out of the wood, but yet they stuck well enough to the wood that they did not move a fraction when we relocated the wood to take a better picture. Not sure what happened here - contrary to some beliefs, porcupines do not "throw" their quills. They must come in to contact with something to release the defense mechanism. I pray to all the gods that Tyson never encounters a porcupine... We've read that you can cut off the tip of the quill to release the air pressure, which could potentially make it easier to remove, but other resources say not necessarily. However, if left untreated, the body can eventually ABSORB the quills, which can then damage internal organs! I received a referral recently for a good vet, and I should dig that name and number out to keep hand - just in case.
2x4 embedded with porcupine quills
2x4 embedded with porcupine quills
2x4 embedded with porcupine quills
After we recovered from the awe of nature, Willow came out of the camper to relax and explore some more with us as we farted around. We hung an american flag at the end of our driveway.
It was SUCH a WONDERFUL weekend. Our souls feel incredibly rejuvenated since returning to our land, and feel the pull to never leave once we get there. After night fell, we realized we didn't hear the coyotes as we had in the winter months. I suppose that's because they're no longer hunting in a pack, and are able to return to their solitary lives since the arrival of spring and all of it's bounty.
Driveway to the right, trail in the center; our land is bisected by the trail, and begins at the eastern edge of our driveway
It had snowed a couple more FEET since we were last at camp. The snow up in Piscataquis County is no joke - the average annual snowfall of our town up there is 93" (7.75 feet) while the average annual snowfall of the entire US is 26".
Getting stuck in the snow was a real possibility. An off-road recovery/tow would probably cost hundreds, if not more, so was therefore out of the question. One of the neighbors we met said they'd gladly help us out in a bind with their bulldozer if need be, and though duly noted and appreciated, we'd prefer to figure out a way to manage by ourselves. That being said, we creeped and crawled and spun our way cautiously down the trail, hoping that our previously made tire tracks from the other visits would aid us in staying on the trail - incredibly tricky, white-knuckle driving conditions.
The trail leading in to camp
Finally, after about an hour, we reached our land. We thought for sure - hooray! We made it! However, that elation proved to be short lived. We got stuck halfway down our driveway... Seriously stuck. It was around noon that we arrived. Darkness falls around 4:30 p.m. We decided that since we were in it for the night anyway, we would work on making food and gathering firewood. We would tackle the task of getting unstuck tomorrow. The forecast only called for "a bit of snow" so we didn't think that was much cause for worry. How much can "a bit of snow" be?
Sometimes things don't go as planned, so you have to adapt. Surviving is all about adapting. We'll be okay, despite the feeling of desperation creeping into my psyche.
Looking north up the driveway towards camp from the stuck truck a bit behind us
As the evening wears on and we prepare for dinner and bed, we hear in the distance the chorus of a pack of coyotes. Over the course of the night, we could hear them move north across the frozen river, and then back south, parallel to our land to the west. A friend once told me that owls will often "hoot" at the boundaries of their territory. I wondered if this applied to coyotes as well, and if it means they'll stay over there.. We haven't seen any paw prints in the snow on our land, and had only seen deer and canine prints to the west on the neighboring property before we bought the land.
To be honest, the coyotes were a bit unnerving for me. Growing up, I always had this unreasonable fear of the dark, and the things that can come out of the dark to get me that I can't see until it's too late. The only thought which gave me comfort was that the forest had a blanket of snow at least 4 feet deep, so I didn't think the coyotes would come through the woods to get us, and that they would stick to the path of least resistance. So I kept my focus on the driveway whenever I had to exit the tent. And while Tyson is protective of his family, I've heard from multiple sources that coyote packs sometimes send out a female coyote to lure unsuspecting prey away from safety, only for the unknowing prey to be ambushed and attacked by the pack. Coyotes are typically solitary animals, but in the winter they form temporary packs to make hunting larger prey easier - there are few small mammals around in the winter so the coyote's menu is limited.
That evening as we lay in bed, we hear snow falling. As mentioned before, only "a bit of snow" was called for, so we didn't pay it too much mind. Until we kept hearing it continuously snow lightly; like a heavy flurry. It was so cold that every bit of moisture in the air was freezing. AND IT KEPT SNOWING. What is this "bit of snow" they speak of?! We woke up to an additional 4 inches of snow! Knowing we were still stuck in our driveway, 2 miles into the wilderness, 2 miles away from the closest neighbor, we made haste of breakfast, bundled up in our warmest gear, and went out to get the truck unstuck - because let's face it, there was no "try" about it. We HAD to get out!
As we approached the truck, the first thing we noticed was one of the tire chains was missing... MISSING! Where is it?! Each back tire had one! It must have flung off when the tires were spinning as we made a weak attempt at getting out yesterday when we initially arrived. We can't get out without it... So I had to take a shovel, and walk up and down the driveway, jamming the shovel in to the snow, waiting and praying for that "chink" sound of metal hitting metal. After short time, thankfully, victory was mine! I almost wept. I found the tire chain. We're back in business.
Now I had to dig the entire tire out of the snow in order to put the chain back on. It's much deeper than it appears in this picture. Additionally, there is a hazard lying in wait for us - along each side of the driveway, there is - again - deep ditches for water diversion. Those small pine trees line the ditches. But we don't know where the ditches end and begin because of all the snow! If we lose our back end down into the ditch, even a little bit, there's no getting out without help. Incredibly stressful. Incredibly. But R and I stood strong together and pressed forward.
One tire dug out; time for tire chains
Despite the 4 degrees F outside, we worked so hard trying to get the truck unstuck that I was down to a light fleece with a long sleeve shirt and tank top underneath. When we went back to the tent for a quick break, it was a balmy 36 degrees F - so warm it felt that I had to take off my layers until I was in just a tank top until my body acclimated again. I've heard of other people taking days for their body's to readjust after going on multiple day winter fishing camping trips.
Though I'm not amused, you must always stay positive
Looking south towards the trail; the truck is stuck just behind us
At one point, after about an hour, R walked down the bend of the driveway towards camp to get some waters for us. I was at the truck with Willow and Tyson, resting for a minute, listening to the silence of the snow covered forest. It was amazing how quiet it was in the forest. Almost like you have cotton over your eyes, but it's over your ears, muffling sound. A few moments passed when I saw R returning, however this time he had my .22LR and his 12 gauge resting on his shoulders as he trudged his way up through the deep snow. I said, "Good job. I guess it's a good idea to have the guns with us." This isn't your suburban backyard and there are real predators around. He responded with a bit of a start, "You didn't hear the coyotes?" I said I hadn't. I said it's only 1:00 pm in the afternoon. He said that while he was down around the corner about 100 feet away he could hear the coyotes like we had heard them before - starting south of the river, moving north of it, then back south - yipping and howling and making a heck of a racket. I was sitting - in silence - with Tyson and Willow - LISTENING - and did not hear a PEEP. My mind was blown. Not even Tyson or Willow seemed to hear anything.
Willow loves the snow (I think more than Tyson!)
As we toiled away, it kept snowing "a bit." All. Day. It was late afternoon now, and we still were unable to free the truck from it's prison of snow. We'd done a hell of a lot of work, but it hadn't been enough yet. After pausing to catch our breaths, we decided that we *had* to get out of there. We had to leave that night. We could not spend an additional night like we had intended. The snow was not stopping.
At one point, when R was using the snowblower to clear the driveway as best he could (it was rutty which made the going tough), Willow became uncomfortable. She could only hear the noise of the machine because R was down the driveway, and did not like it one bit! She told me, in so many ways if you pay attention, that she was ready to go back to camp, so I started to walk back with her. We got halfway there when R appeared from around the corner with the snowblower going. In the video, that's when she stopped and looked back (after I fell on my ass 😂). She saw it was R and realized there was no threat afterall. After I stopped recording, Willow actually started walking back towards R and the truck, and no longer felt the need to go back to camp. Smart girl. ♥
Let me just say that when we finally got unstuck, after FOUR HOURS of hard effort, I almost wept again. It was such a sweet victory. I don't think I've ever felt so victorious in my entire 34 years of existence. It was nearly dark by then, though only about 5:00 pm. We were OUT of there! We were so physically and mentally exhausted, but we certainly couldn't stay another night. Just because we got unstuck from our driveway, our tire tracks from the ride in were nearly filled in from the "bit of snow" that had continuously fallen over the last 24 hours. It would be tough, but we'd do it. Plus, it was Super Bowl Sunday. I would play The Game on my phone as we drove home to help stay awake.
As we drove out of our road after making it successfully through the trail portion, we laughed because the main streets up there had only one line of sand down the center of the street. No salt, and not both sides of the street. At least there was no traffic. We made it home in around midnight, I think, safely.
That was an experience we will never forget. Now we know what kind of punch Mother Nature can pack up there. If we have any thoughts of visiting next winter, which we do, we will have to acquire a snowmobile. We could park at one of the first neighbors houses and then tow our supplies in on a toboggan with a snowmobile. What an adventure all on it's own! I can't wait!
It takes us about 5 hours, give or take, to drive the 300 miles to camp (plus an additional half hour to get down the trail to our land). We left our home before dawn and arrived at the Kennebunk Service Station at sunrise. It was beautiful (albeit exhausting because I am far from a morning person).
Sunrise at Kennebunk
We had loaded the truck up the night before with a slew of supplies and building materials. This will be our first time winter camping overnight, and our plan is to tarp in an a-frame made from 2x4s with plastic sheeting. We purchased a small wood stove, too. Unfortunately, though the former owner built the shell of a cabin, it appeared far from safe, and we'd yet to inspect it further. We were up for the adventure anyway - experience something we've yet to experience. That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.
Rest stop at Kennebunk Service Station
Finally, we arrived to camp. However, we had one of many trials and tribulations straight ahead of us. While the road is not maintained by the town, there are about four year-round residents at the beginning of the dirt road-turn-into-trail. One of those residents plows the first half mile of road for the others. However, because of the road design with ditches on either side of the road for water run off and melt, and because no one else has ever traveled further down the road than that during the winter months, the resident leaves the plowed mound of snow smack dab in the middle of the road. Thankfully, we anticipated this and brought metal shovels and a snowblower.
Willow supervises as R clears the trail.
After we were able to conquer that obstacle, we were on our way. In the snow, it took us nearly an hour to travel 2 miles. And even though our lifted truck with 35" tires and tire chains is more capable than the average truck, it was still a bit nerve wracking! Without locking differentials on the truck, it's not *true* four wheel drive so in deep snow, it can still get stuck.
Camp is half a mile down and to the left from here
The area of trail in the above picture was actually the worst part because of the field to the left/West. The open field allows for huge snow drifts along this area of the trail. We made it through, but have known a neighbor to get stuck at this point.
The snow bends many of the weak birch trees
Me chopping a low hanging tree down with a hatchet
We made it!
Once we arrived at camp we had to make fast work of getting a shelter up and chopping wood to keep us warm that night. R did great working putting together the shelter for us.
Darkness closes in very quickly in the winter
Almost done..
Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures of the finish product. Work to survive took precedence over taking pictures. We were mostly warm that night even though we had to wake up to feed the fire every few hours. But what a glorious adventure it was!
Before we left we took a closer look at the cabin shell to see how salvageable it is. It turns out, the local porcupines (who I recently learned tend to hang out IN THE TREES!) took a liking to the glue found in the particle board the former owner was using to build. What a sight to be seen! We were wondering why the former owner had started to wrap the cabin in vinyl siding - apparently it may have been to discourage the little buggers from feasting.
Porcupine gnaw marks - right through to the vinyl siding!
There is a whole lot of work to do to the cabin before it's safe enough for us to inhabit. Thankfully we've been squirreling away wood here and there, so pretty much have a small lumber yard in the back of our primary residence. Hopefully we won't need to buy much, if any, wood. I can't wait until I can start hitting up yard sales for camp items!
