Oct 27 2025
A Cabin in the Woods
Last August, I came off a three-day backpacking trip realizing that my trekking days are over. Oh sure, I can still do short trips but going out for a week or more just isn’t a smart thing for me to do. Carrying 7 days of food or more, hmm… that’s a heavy pack, and my joints are worn out from decades of trail pounding. Besides, I don’t have the stamina I had when I was 50 or even 60. Maybe it’s time to start doing things a little differently.
As long as I can remember, I have dreamt of having a cabin in the woods. But the urge has never been strong enough for me to buy a piece of land, build a cabin on it, and live there. Not really. Then there are the practical considerations. As a writer I could live off the grid, sure, but not as a publisher or bookseller. Even if I had such a place for the occasional weekend getaway, I wouldn’t want the headache of owning and maintaining it. I like to keep things simple.
How about renting a primitive cabin and day hiking from there? I googled Adirondack cabins but couldn’t find anything that wasn’t a drive-up place with full amenities. That’s just not my idea of a backwoods experience. Then my wife Judy found something that might work. This guy Joe has several cabins a short hike into the woods. The smallest, most remote, and most primitive one of them all looked very appealing to me when I met with Joe last month to check out his offerings.
Last weekend I stayed there 2 nights. The cabin is smaller than Thoreau’s cabin was, with no amenities other than a little wood-burning stove. No indoor plumbing and no electricity. Forget about internet connection. It’s over a mile from the nearest road, with the last leg being only the semblance of a trail. Nearest dependable water barely within earshot. Perfect!
The place exceeded my expectations. A deep woods feeling with the luxury of a cozy cabin. Backed up against a wild forest, with plenty of wide-open Adirondack country to explore. And most importantly, solitude. I plan on spending a week there next spring for my 70th birthday. Now that’s something to dream about all winter long.
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