Latitude 62

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by MountainMariner, Apr 20, 2015.


  1. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    New guy here from Alaska. I spend 8 months of the year at sea and the other 4 at my cabin. 13 miles as the crow flies from the nearest town, 24 miles by snow machine or foot. I usually helicopter in and out. My cabin has solar, wind and generator. Water catchment system which works great when the cisterns aren't frozen solid. Snow is plentiful most of the year so that's how I get most of my water. Propane stove and refrigerator. Oil drip heater in the cabin and a wood stove in the sauna/shower. Cabin also has a nice detached workshop and detached ATV shed. Outhouse. The cabin foundation is a huge outcropping of rock which the cabin is anchored to with cable. Outstanding views of Mt. Denali and the Talkeetna Mountains. Access and bears are my only major problems besides not being able to spend all my time there.
     
  2. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Sounds like a nice place to hang your hat. Welcome to the monkey tree.
     
  3. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    The best part is it's paid for and the taxes are $500.00 a year. Soon as I can I'll post some photos.
     
  4. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Sounds like a great place to hunt.:)
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  5. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    Lot's of wildlife. The black bears and porcupine are my problems. They like to chew on my cabin and snow machine. I fabricated two coffee cans wired together across the handlebars to guard my snow machine grips from the bears. The seat has to be removed and kept inside or it will be the first thing to be shredded. The cabin, shower/sauna, workshop and ATV shed have stainless metal flashing along the bottom to keep the porcupine from chewing. When I leave I have to put down bear boards on the cabins wraparound deck. (plywood with nails poking up every three inches) Just replaced my plastic oil drum for the drip stove because some agile bear managed to get past my defenses and chew through it. Grizzlies just woke up, saw a few tracks while out snowshoeing last week. Always have to take a firearm with you on those trips to the outhouse...
     
    PapaGrune and kellory like this.
  6. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Well, you ain't alone up there. A couple other snow monkeys in Alaska.
     
  7. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    I was hoping there would be some AK representation here. My closest full time neighbor is five miles away but my immediate neighbor is in and out with his Super Cub about once every week or two. His cabin is on the other side of the lake and behind a large hill. He brought in a LazyBoy recliner on his snow machine a month ago. Quite the feat considering the terrain. A low loaded sled is hard enough to get back in here. I may have to one up him with a sling load operation with the helicopter. (My ATV was disassembled flown in and then reassembled on site.) I do need a new couch. Lol.
     
    kellory likes this.
  8. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    just don't get hurt in the one upmanship.[contract]
     
  9. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    I'm healing from that right now. Large scratch across my face from the tops of spruce trees. I was following his snow machine tracks up a large sidehill on my Tundra and didn't quite make the crest before sliding out of the track at 25 mph. Through the tree tops and rolled about five times. Took me three hours to recover the machine.
     
  10. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Welcome MountainMariner!
     
  11. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Welcome to the Monkey @MountainMariner !!
    It sounds like you have a little slice of heaven up there in AK!!
     
  12. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Couple pictures of my paradise.
     
  13. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    My morning cup of coffee view:

    [​IMG]


    And my black bear damage:
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2015
  14. gregorio

    gregorio Monkey

    "Snow Monkeys"
    [LMAO]
     
  15. gregorio

    gregorio Monkey

    Ok Mariner. Is it appropriate to hate you, just a little bit? That place looks awesome.
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  16. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    Lol. Yes it is.

    My after coffee view:

    [​IMG]
     
    Dunerunner, Tracy, Tully Mars and 2 others like this.
  17. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    Ok last one for today. The ATV shed on the right and the shower/sauna and workshop on the left:

    [​IMG]
     
  18. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Welcome to the Monkey Tree.... Glad to have another SnowMonkey that has a similar lifestyle, to ours. If you are a Mariner, I will assume that you have knowledge of Icy Straights, Cape Spencer area.... I live on the North side of Icy Straights, about half way up Excursion Inlet..... If you happen to be running by, give us a shout on the VHF....
     
  19. Sapper John

    Sapper John Analog Monkey in a Digital World

    Welcome!
     
  20. MountainMariner

    MountainMariner Clearly Ambiguous

    Yes I know where that is but we never come close to that area. I work on a 360' icebreaker, since Oct 1st 2014. Prior to that I worked in the GOM. Almost bought a cabin in Haines on Chilkat Lake.
     
survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7