Being lovers of nature, mountains and wildlife, we left the city of Toronto in the '80s in search of a better lifestyle. It was our great fortune to eventually find this gem of a property in the scenic Mayook Valley, in south east B.C. 160 acres of mixed forests, hills, grasslands, and wetlands with a private lake, Ha Ha Creek, several springs, and bordering crown land.
“ It was a haven for wildlife, and we felt like we had found heaven on earth.”
We had always dreamt of having a rustic log cabin by a lake in the mountains, and so we soon built one with all the comforts, by our little remote lake, we named after our daughter Kayla lake at the back of the property. We added a beach and a dock , and it became our wilderness cottage. Eventually we decided to share this special spot, and it became a rental in '92.
In 2001 while walking past the lake I came to a spot that had a beautiful mountain view, a grove of large spruce trees and a pond. I had always liked treehouses, and thought it would be an awesome spot for one. So we made a plan , gathered a group of friends and started building. We built a large platform 5 meters up on 7 trees, and over the next 2 years in our spare time we put together the structure, using our shared creativity, and lots of unique pieces of natural wood I had gathered.
Twisted, curled, gnarly and burled. Sometimes I could see shapes in their form, and as a woodcarver, I enjoyed enhancing them. There are many carvings throughout, and Debbie designed and added many creative touches. It was a labour of love, and was fun building and watching the treehouse evolve.
The lumber we used was all milled from logs I harvested from our forest, so we named it Outathewoods treehouse. It has been a rental since 2004, has been featured in a couple of magazines, and has been appreciated by hundreds of people from all over the world.
In Summer this part of B.C. becomes increasingly popular for folks seeking a getaway from a hectic city life. The highways get busy, as do the campgrounds and Parks.We feel so fortunate that we don't have to look for that getaway.We enjoy sharing our land and water with wildlife and fish. And with like minded people, who appreciate relaxing and staying at our peaceful nature sanctuary in our rustic, private and unique cabins.
Your hosts Mike & Debbie