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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 07:54
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A few years ago after living in the suburbs I knew that If I am going to be able to retire I did not want to do it here. I suggested to my wife about getting like 5 acres and starting a home to retire in when we where ready. She said it had to be on water or our three kids would just be boared ,she also wanted them to have the same memories she had growing up with her grandparents on crooked lake. I said there is no way that we can afford land on a lake but I thought I would humor her and started looking. So after lots of road trips,phone calls and disappointments, we actually bought 1.5 acres of some of the thickest overgrown land I have ever seen. You could not even see the 400+ acre lake from anywhere on the property. Luckily there was a really nice neighbor that showed us around and basically sold us on it. That was about two years ago and I hope to be getting the first section of the cabin up this summer. I have been working on this since we bought it and have pictures from the beginning which I will try to post and show you the journey.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 08:23
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Welcome Patrick. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm from Duluth and love this part of the world.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:01
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Hey Patrick, welcome!! Congratulations! Where in northern Wi? Our place is south of Superior about 11 miles. I sure do remember all those fun trips north in search of land!
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hattie
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 14:25
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Welcome PatrickH!  Keep us posted as you progress! Congratulations on your land.
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PatrickH
Member
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 17:05
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Thanks everyone ,We are around 30 miles south of Superior. In oakland. I also love it up there for me the weather is just perfect. If you could remove some of the bugs in june, other than that I wouldn't change a thing.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 17:11
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We bought the property in late fall and I was able to get about a weeks worth of tree cutting in before the snow and this is how it looked when we came back in the spring to try and start pulling stumps.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 17:25
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After 5 days we where able to drive into the land and see some of the lake
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 17:56
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After we could walk around and actually park a car and camp more easily I started working on the boardwalk to the lake, the lake is fed by the Amnicon river which eventually flows into superior .The lake level fluctuates and the lower part can flood and is generally soggy in the spring and hard to walk through so a walkway was needed I try a link to a video I took which is where the progress is on it to date. I think we are around 180 feet long and need 60 more to complete.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7TDzA4OP-Y
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 18:13
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Now I am building the cabin ,I am not a huge fan of "the tent" and we did try to buy a camper several times and it just never worked out. my wife is very nervous of the storm especially with her babies around so a basement area was a must for her. I have I think one of the very first modern style bobcats ever built and thought no problem i can dig that out. After all I just put in a new 40 h.p. engine .Wow that was about 1000 times harder than I expected. The land has about 1 foot of hard pan on the surface then basically beach sand after that so after i finally broke through the pan the machine sinks and spins the tires in the sand but after 3 weekends 4 belts 40 gallons of gas several blisters 2 close calls and a body that couldn't stop shaking for a day I was down 7 feet.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 18:24
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So now we are up to date this last weekend we poured the footings and started the block we got a truck with a conveyor on it, Awesome took like 30 minutes to pour 7.25 yards of concrete, did'nt even break a sweat. The mix was wet and they would'nt add as much accelerator as i wanted so we got a late start on the block but still got 160 laid only about 800 more to go, SWEET! Im on my own again now so we'll see how this goes I'm going up this coming weekend then takin 2 off and will be up for a week in july hopefully finishing all the block and starting the deck. My wife had to pick me up some braces for my tendonitis in my elbows, the pain is getting rediculous.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 18:29
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These two guys are big part of my motivation, Tommy and Dylan my two oldest boys 6 and 4 and we have another son J.D. only 6 months. I cant wait to do more fishing with these guys( My favorite past time).
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 19:00
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Good for you Dad.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 21:35
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ahhh...you are very close to us...we are in Oakland township also! The 11 miles is by the way the crow flies. Are you on Amnicon Lake or Dowling? I think that also is fed by the Amnicon River. The Amnicon flows right near our property.
Did you have any trouble with permits? Hope not 
I bet your boys are extremely excited! We have a six month old daughter and even she enjoys going to the cabin
I look forward to watching your cabin go up. Be sure to include lots of pictures....we all seem to like pictures here!
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 22:42
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Very nice...looking forward to watching it go up!
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hattie
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 00:01
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Your property is beautiful and your little boys are adorable!
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Purplerules
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 00:22
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Welcome and thanks for sharing.
Keep it coming.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:20
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We are on lyman, but yes all of those lakes are chained together by the Amnicon. Getting the permits wasn't too bad except for the 1200.00 dollars that wasnt too cool. And I also dont really get the seperate zoning fee and the building fee. But what are you going to do,But the inspector has been awesome we wanted to pour the footings this last saturday but everyone was scaring us saying how much it rained so he went out to check on them for us to make sure nothing caved in. then the owner of the cement company gave us his personal cell number to call in the order if we where still going to pour. Everyone up there has been very nice and helpful and really makes the whole project that much more enjoyable.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:41 - Edited by: trollbridge
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I couldn't remember if Lyman was linked also. You are very close to us! What side of Lyman? It is a nice lake-great for swimming and fishing...and loons! Lots of turtles. We go to Anna Gene Park often.
The building inspector, Brian, is awesome as are all the township people. They really bent over backwards to help us get our permits-we had trouble with our bridge permit (county zoning office).
I am a little nervous about all the rain. Our pond was already overflowing over Memorial Day weekend and we haven't been up since. I hope all is well...we will have to beat our way down an overgrown driveway just to get in I'm sure!
I assume you will be on grid? If you need a plumbing contractor Young Plumbing out of Superior was good to work with-also Udeen Trucking, I think, was terrific. Very reasonably priced for gravel, rock, dirt...
Are you from the Twin Cities?
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 17:48
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Yes, from the twin cities we are on the south side of the lake. I love the loons we are across and to the right if you are at Anna gene if your facing the lake. Brian has been awesome I appreciate all the Info, I have got some gravel from undeen very cheap! In my opinion it was wetter last year we have some hard pan and that didnt even have water when we got there, I think you'll be alright other than the grass. Are you from the cities also then? There are also tons of frogs around the boardwalk and there was a fawn hiding underneath when we went up last weekend. The animals use the boadwalk more than we do tracks everywhere around it DNR has no idea what they are talking about sometimes. hopefully the weather will be nicer this weekend lots of block to lay. We will be on grid hopefully this summer power is at the street have the permit and supplies just need to get building far enough along to install everything i dont want to do a temp pole. I use a generator for now sometimes I stay at the sleepy hallow and charge my stuff there.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2013 18:27 - Edited by: trollbridge
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We live in Wisconsin about an hour from St. Paul.
Glad you didn't have any permit issues...did you have to get a permit for your boardwalk? I would imagine all the wildlife does appreciate your boardwalk...I know they use our bridge all the time, too!
Last spring was extremely wet. I hope you are right about the sogginess of the land...it just seems with all the rain it can't possibly be dry. I always imagine the tree roots being in such soggy, mushy ground that they can't support themselves if the winds kick up. Would hate to get there and find a big Ol tree down on the cabin!
Exciting time for you...will you build your cabin yourselves?
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Dillio187
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2013 18:58
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welcome from another Twin Citidiot
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2013 07:50
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Thanks Dillio, Trollbridge I just started building the boardwalk I didn't realize I needed a permit for a 4 foot wide dock after applying for the zoning permit they realized I had low land and sent all this highlighted stuff saying if I'm building a boadwalk I need to pay. So i told them i had already started it and payed them 60 bucks and that was the end of it. Boardwalks are already allowed but lots of criteria not over 4 feet wide, no lights,no railings, not suppose to visable from shore I don't remember everything But basically you pay and no inspections. In my opinion the zoning dept is a bit permit crazy, and it is clear their motivation is to generate revenue .Oh and yes I do everything myself I've cleared the land,dug the foundation,built and poured the footings ,built the boardwalk I do get some labor help here and there but usually solo. I did rebuild a transmission for a blocklayer In exchange for a day of block laying Instruction, It was well worth it. So are you close to Balwin ? I have a friend who has a place in connersville.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2013 15:31
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Agreed...anything to make a buck. I'm surprised the DNR didn't get involved.....but you are lucky!
lotta work doing it yourself but great feeling of accomplishment!
We are further down the interstate. North of Menomonie. Are you in the northern burbs like Dillio?
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 27 Jun 2013 17:18
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We are in Richfield, If you have ever been to the Mall of America we are very close to it. By the new Home Depot if you are familiar with the area. I was paging through your build and was wondering if you could give me some more info on the holding tank you Installed. is that the only size? Where the setbacks the same as a regular privy? Can you just bury the whole thing? How much to pump? We are on the fence as what to do but I really like the idea of a holding tank. BTW the bridge you built is so cool what an awsesome feature for your property.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2013 10:48
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Sorry for the delay getting back to you. I am all to familiar with the MOA....my 9 year old is always wanting to go to The American Girl store. Pricey stuff!
The tank we ordered through Greg Young Plumbing out of Superior. I believe there are different sizes. He has Kittlesons? Out of Rice Lake make them. It isn't their main business, but they mold these out of fiberglass on the side. I love our tank. We buried it, but you would not have to. It is all one piece. No stink if you use the blue stuff sold at Walmart in Superior which I can't recall the name of but will find out. It did require the same setbacks which is silly, but whatcha gonna do? 50 feet. For us it was a no brainer...soil perk test would have cost nearly the same with no guarentees. We haven't needed to get it pumped yet. My husband gives it a stir every year-ick-and we add a tub of creek water once a year too...just to keep enough liquid for the chemicals to work. We couldn't be more happy with it.
The bridge is fun. We had to mow the driveway this past weekend and then I sprayed for weed and grass control. Everything was fine at the cabin after the mowing got done. Our pond was full, but the ground was dry. Skeeters were bad! Screen porch to the rescue! Highly recommended
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2013 19:19
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Thanks for the reply It was a nice weekend learned alot like when its super sunny out white boys need to keep their shirts on! Second dont put huge tarp over your foundation, doesnt look like much but there was over 100 gallons of water and it took over 1 and 1/2 hours to get it removed got super wet and had to change clothes not doing that again oh and ruined a tarp. and third laying block is a ton of work and everything is heavy especially on sunday morning. Hardly any mosquito's for me but lots of those huge fly's I call them horse fly's super annoying tried swatting one sunday night bunch of mortor went in my eye then I got to drive home 3 hours ,sweet! The pictures are not super exciting but if there are any other novice block layers out there that want to try this this is the process it is slow and difficult if you are doing it alone. Couldnt make a good fist this morning after 2 days of doing this. Going to stay away a couple of weeks to catch up with some family things here but then back up for 5 to hopefully get all the block done that would be sooooooooo awesome. And finally onto the framing which Im way more familiar with and hopefully get some electricity there!
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Another view Sunday
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 1 Jul 2013 21:55
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 That cracked me up!!! Let the lessons begin! LOL.......we learned the hard way, too, that tarps aren't very friendly. Ours didn't like going over the top of our cabin before the shingles went up. After the fiasco of getting an almost 50x100 foot tarp up and over 23 feet of cabin height with just 2 people, when neither of us were able to get up on our steep roof in the rain, the winds kicked up to such high gust, it just shredded the tarp anyways. I remember being unable to sleep in our bunkhouse, while we listened to the tarp flap so violently all night long in the wind that by morning I half expected to see the cabin moved 10 feet further to the east!
i hope you have rested up and recuperated some! Framing goes much quicker 
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 22 Jul 2013 20:12
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Well some more progress was made in the never ending foundation, I got to start by moving 350 blocks from the driveway into the hole before the walls got too high.But then you can hardly move around in the hole, thats gotta be like a catch 22 or something. The 18x28 seems ok size when its empty but then you get all the block in there and you're like sweet I'm building a hallway!I must have cut my legs 50 times walking around them this weekend.Then as your standing on scaffolding trying to gently place this super heavy block into the mortar a fly comes and bites you in your brand new cut! But all in all it was agood trip and stayed dry there was some bad weather all around me but i was in a bubble. And the grand total so far 3 walls are 9 courses high 1 wall is seven high and almost all the vertical rebar is in, So hopefully 2 more weekends and I will finish.On a side note on the way home getting back on the freeway a guys boat came completely off his trailer ,i've never seen that happen before and I'm assuming the trooper standing behind him looking like a very disappointed father was going to be writing him a nice ticket.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:39
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Spent another weekend you guessed it laying more block, Pretty sure it rained all day saturday and was cold, very cold sunday morning I was wearing a winter hat. At least sleeping in the back of the truck was better than last weekend. But almost done all the corners are set now so what you see at the corners is the finished height. Have a friend coming to help and a hotel room this weekend so hopefully this will be the last one laying block for a while. I must say my hands need a break.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 30 Jul 2013 08:48
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You're working harder than I do. Someday I'd like to try some of that. I've never tried in my long , long life.
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