Wren's Nest: Tree culling advice leads to a cozy cabin

Over the last two years, my rural Wrenshall neighbor Burnell Peterson has built a cabin entirely of wood from trees he planted on his property 40 years ago.

Peterson is quick to give Kelly Smith credit for the genesis of the project. “If it hadn’t been for Kelly, those red pine would still be standing,” he said.

Two years ago, he reached out to Smith, who serves as a forestry technician at the Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District, for assistance with planting a native pollinator habitat on his land. While Smith was touring the property, he mentioned that Peterson may want to start cutting down some of the trees that were crowding the upper canopy.

In 1982 Peterson planted the trees and has continued to plant more every spring. They were planted on an open hayfield that was steep and served as poor farmland. The trees did well and grew fast.

“Initially I thought, ‘no way,’ ” Peterson said about first hearing Smith’s thinning suggestion. “I planted those trees. But after talking to Smith, I realized it was sound forest management practice.”

Peterson started culling the pines in 2020. He initially planned to sell the wood to a paper mill or other industry but quickly found that there was little market for the type of pulp the trees provided. So he bought a sawmill and started making boards.

“I found out that there are a lot of people who are interested in having wood cut,” Peterson said. “I’ve met a lot of interesting folks since buying the mill.”

A natural next step for Peterson was to build a cabin. His wife, Ann Carlander, had been operating what is called a Hipcamp for travelers the past two summers. It is a version of Airbnb but with more rustic cabin and camping options. The two figured the new space would serve as a unique space for folks looking to explore northeastern Minnesota.

The two collaborated on the design. Peterson knew he wanted a split-roof design to offer plenty of headroom in the cabin’s loft overlooking the pond on the property. Ann’s father was an architect, and she knew how to fine-tune designs to maximize space and traffic flow.

I asked how many trees it took to build the structure. “A lot more than I thought it would,” Peterson said. “About 70 total, but many of them were pretty thin in diameter — some only 14 inches.”

All the wood is rough cut and Peterson spent the bulk of the past summer and fall building. “With a small exception, I built it myself.” The only items he had to buy were some sheets of plywood. “I did run out of siding when I was building so I went out and cut more wood. It is board-and-batten construction so you can use green wood. The cross wood will hide any contractions in width,” he said.

The space is 16 feet by 14 feet with a loft sleeping area accessible by staircase. When I toured it, there was a fire in the wood stove and the cabin was cozy and bright with plenty of sun shining in. It is sited perfectly with a view of the pond from both levels and a picnic table a stone’s throw distance overlooking Clear Creek, a designated trout stream. The space is totally off the grid with a solar-powered generator, a composting toilet, and an ingenious pulley system that hauls water to the kitchen.

The space has a 1950s feel with teal accents on the stove and sink.

The couple plan to wait until spring to start renting the space. Until then they often find themselves out there in the evenings after dinner to play cards or as an adventure with their grandkids.

What started with a comment from Kelly Smith ended with the Carlton County Soil and Water District naming the couple the area’s outstanding conservationists. They will go to Minneapolis in a couple weeks to represent northern Minnesota and bring the project to an audience.

Annie Dugan writes about the Wrenshall area for the Pine Knot News. She can be reached at [email protected] or 218-310-4703.