narrowing the choices

After considering our basic criteria for where to buy, the following areas warranted further inspection:

Cle Elum

• Kittitas County, Washington
• Population: 1,872
• Drive time from Seattle: 1.5 hours
• Popular area for camping and other outdoor activities
• Average high: 80 / Average low: 24 / Average snowfall: 65.2 inches
• Number of sunny days: 201

Lake Chelan

• Chelan County, Washington
• Population: 3,890
• Drive time from Seattle: 3 hours
• Sits on the southeast tip of Lake Chelan
• Average high: 85 / Average low: 24 / Average snowfall: 32.7 inches
• Number of sunny days: 196

Methow Valley

• Okanogan County, Washington 
• Population: 5,144
• Drive time from Seattle: 3 1/2 hours (summer), 4 1/2 hours (winter)
• Popular spot for cross-country skiing and hiking
• Average high: 82 / Average low: 13 / Average snowfall: 122.1 inches
• Number of sunny days: 190

Mt. Baker / Glacier

• Whatcom County, Washington
• Population: 211
• Drive time from Seattle: 2.5 hours
• Awe-inspiring views of Mt. Shuksan, one of the most photographed mountains in the world
• Average high: 76 / Average low: 25 / Average snowfall: 42.7 inches
• Number of sunny days: 158

where to start?

We came to the idea of building a cabin in the woods after spending lots of time and money vacationing in other people's cabins. We wanted a place to get away to that we could call our own. With the exception of a few house remodelling efforts, we had never done anything like this before.

Living in Seattle, we had a number of different places we could look for land. We started by identifying criteria for an acceptable lot:

• Outdoor Activities - we wanted a place where we could easily enjoy both summer (running, hiking, biking) and winter (running, xc-skiing, snowshoeing) activities.

• Proximity - we anticipated using the cabin as weekend getaway, so we wanted to be able to drive there within 4 hours.

• Weather - we wanted a place where we could experience all four seasons, but we especially wanted hot summers and snowy winters.

• Lot - we wanted to make sure the lot afforded plenty of privacy. And we wanted a view of something (mountains, river, lake, etc.).

• Small Town - as much as we wanted to be in the woods, we also wanted there to be a small town close by so that we could have some access to creature comforts (it's important to remember that we're city folk).

the beginning

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle our efforts to build a cabin in the woods.  The project will consist of purchasing vacant land, designing the cabin, constructing the cabin, furnishing the cabin, and hopefully, with a little luck enjoying the cabin.