The Treehouse
One of the first things to be considered is where we could stay while working on other projects at NLW. I've always wanted a treehouse, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
The first step was to identify the perfect location, between three white pines. The fourth corner at which we wanted to locate the spiral staircase is created with two separate treated poles. A third pole was placed near the center to further support the platform.
From this location, we could see water on three sides. Not far from the tree house we located a good spot for a dock and a small, stepped approach.
From the entrance to the wall tent, you can see the lake easily in winter. Attaching 2x10s with lag screws, we created the frame underneath. This worked for the posts and the largest pine, but we tried something else when it came to the smaller pine trees. I attempted to use a bracket to allow the tree to move, but my specs were too skinny and the bracket pinches the 2×10. The best strategy I have seen is the false limb system utilized by the Treehouse Masters on the Discovery Channel.
Over the frame we used treated, 1 and 5/8 inch decking. This made for an amazing vantage point, overlooking water on three sides. When the lake levels dropped soon after completing the deck, the view from the edge of the forest looked like this:
And the approach to the dock looked like this:
The aluminum canoe is a relic from Dad and my first white-water canoeing experience. It holds up to the elements year round, and is perfect for plunking around NottaLottaWatta.
My father and I chose to build a spiral staircase as we felt it would offer guests (and Calvin the dog) an easy way to access the treehouse, it would be aesthetically pleasing, and it presented an intricate engineering challenge. We chose to have the inner tread brackets fabricated, which cost a bit, but in the end everything turned out pretty great.
Eventually, I purchased a wall tent from Davis Tent and Awning in Denver, Colorado. They sent the tent and the angled pieces for the frame; I cut the poles to length with a saws-all. Before buying the tent I toured their factory (it is great to have family living in Denver!), and did a bit of research. They price their tents well and know what they are talking about. I would recommend them to anyone.
The tent sits on a raised, rectangular, insulated platform. A big mistake was using that white, beaded kind of styrofoam. It didn’t break cleanly, and when cut, loose bits snowed down all over the forest floor. I felt pretty stupid about the whole thing. I originally intended using the extruded polystyrene, but now am not sure I would insulate the floor at all.
After looking at all the large, dead limbs hanging above my fragile, canvas tent, I decided to cover everything with a protective roof. A small, parlor-style wood stove was hauled up and some stove pipe was sent through the roof. All in all, it was a pretty tight little place to spend the night.
Here Calvin and I are suiting up for another day working at NottaLottaWatta. This picture was taken before the wood burning stove was installed. It currently sits where my tockus sits.
Everything was great until the mildew set in. It’s been about eight years, and the tent has held up remarkably well. Due to no fault of it’s own, mildew has attacked several points, weakening the fabric and allowing large holes to develop. I blame myself for not doing enough research to keep the tent in better condition. Now, I’m afraid, it’s time to take her down and think about the next generation of shelter.
What happens next isn’t clear, but we’ll add more here when it transpires. For sure, it will involve lots of screen to allow those sweet nighttime sounds to drift through, and some kind of covering so a small fire can be lit to keep the evening chill out of the air and extend its use into late fall and early spring.
