Book Review- Diary of a Widerness Dweller by Chris Czajkowski
February 28th 2008 08:14
In the late 1980s, Chris Czajkowski left her truck at the end of a logging road 300 kilometres north of Vancouver and hiked for two days on unmarked wilderness trails to the site of what would become her home. This is her account of building three log cabins, an eco-tourism business and a life beside an unnamed lake 5,000 feet high in the Coast Range mountains (net sourced)
I saw this book at a secondhand stall and thought 'Sounds interesting' so I bought it, came home and started reading. Now it actually takes a lot to impress me but the more I read, the more words such as crikey, flipping heck and very cool sprung to mind. Let me explain, as the intro advises, Chris had a dream and this was to build some eco cabins in the wilderness, so off she went followed by her faithful dog Lonesome. The book opens on 26 June 1988 and after two days hiking along unmarked trails in country she hasn't seen before, Chris remarks 'I must be crazy'
From here onwards, Chris writes her diary, noting things like the weather, local flowers and plants, the struggles with building a log cabin by herself, the good days and the not so good. From the way she writes and by what I have read online, it appears that she has built a cabin before, but to travel into the middle of nowhere and start building a two storey cabin is something else indeed.
I'm pretty outdoorsy and handy with tools but I'm totally blown away by what she managed to build and I checked online and she and the cabins are still there. Google Nuk Tessli Alpine Exprience for the webpage and also take time to look at the photo journals as there are some just stunning pics there!!
This is something I have always wanted to do and books like this are an inspiration for people to take a chance and live their dream. You really need to visit the website to see the pics and it seems I have something else on my to do list now.
Great book, honestly written and captures the beauty of her new found home, a must read for anyone who loves and values the outdoors lifestyle and those uncluttered wilderness places.
kiwiauthor rating 9.5/10
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