The two-storey cabin in the wilderness of Alaska is a testament to Caitlin's courage and tenacity, as she prepares for the next ten years of building up her dream property.

"I am capable of so much more than I ever thought I was, physically, mentally and emotionally," says the 35-year old sawyer and builder, who is midway through the build of her own home in the crisp wilds of nature.

Equipped with her HM122 Portable Sawmill, Caitlin says the tool has been important for her build, as it's meant she's been able to source her own materials in her isolated corner of the north.

Caitlin and her late husband had been planning for years to buy undeveloped land, away from civilization and off from any roads. It was their plan to use the land to construct their dream homestead and build a life together.

But in spring of 2023, Caitlin's husband passed away in a car accident.

"It is tragic the way I ended up doing this alone, but at the same time it's my journey now and it's something that I'm loving every second of, and I'm incredibly proud of," says Caitlin.

So in the summer of 2024, she made the move to her property and began the process of building her cabin by herself. She would have to cart in all the materials, or source whatever she could from her land.

"I've been building things and creating things as long as I can remember," says Caitlin, adding she grew up on a hobby farm and remembers making sheds and structures as a child.

In about three months, the vacant spot of land in the beautiful Alaska wilds has transformed, and where there was once nothing, there is now a two-storey cabin. It's not done yet, but it's an impressive amount of progress for a completely solo build.

Caitlin started her build by laying down the foundation for her structure. Every single board in the project was made on her HM122.

"One of the big challenges working out here is bringing in materials," she says, adding many off-gridders she's seen online were using a Woodland Mills sawmill, so she decided to give it a try.

Once she got it she had to bring the pieces to her property one at a time to build on-site, but it was all worth it. Now she can source logs from her property and cut them into boards to use for whatever she needs for her project.

Once the foundation was established she started building up the walls. While the walls are made of 2x4s, and her ceiling trusses supporting he second floor were whole logs flattened on the top.

With the first and second stories done, she did the roof, hauling every piece of wood up onto the roof by hand. While it was a lot of work, the results have paid off. The months she's spent building her dream homestead has led to the foundation for the property where she plans to spend decades living.

Not only has Caitlin been sharing her journey with a growing audience on YouTube, via her channel Wildwoman Off Grid, she also shared it to the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community Facebook group, garnering thousands of views and comments.

Many of which were women inspired by Caitlin's ingenuity. The builder says it's great for women to find joy in building and she's glad she can stand as a role model for others.

"Women, get out there and pick up a chainsaw," says Caitlin. "It's the most empowering thing."

As for what comes next, the builder says she's going to be doing indoor projects during the winter months. After that she wants to do a covered porch with log columns, a car port for her ATV and snow machine, as well as an addition to the cabin for storing water and growing plants.

But she has plenty of projects to do after that: a sawmill shed, a firewood shed, a garage and more.

"This is only a quarter of my 10 acre property so I plan to start branching out from here," she says. "This is going to be a development project over the next decade or more of my life."

And she says it's been both physically and mentally exhausting to do all the work to make that happen, but she has the fortitude and the skills to make it happen, so she's going to.

"I have found a strength inside myself I never knew was there and it gives me a lot of hope that I can conquer anything else that ever comes my way," she adds.

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