A cabin tradition, from the first split to the last ember.
(Don't worry, we'll teach you how to start a fire.)
The Wood
Cut on our lot. Hauled from the valley.
The Work
Split by hand.
Every piece by the stove went through this splitter first.
It starts as a seed.
decades before your fire.
Pine grows next door. Oak grows in the valley.
Forty-some winters later, they're ready.
Timber.
We cut the pine on our own lot, then saw it into rounds.
The oak's an import.
Bought or gathered down in the valley, then hauled up the mountain on our trailer.
Split by hand.
every. single. piece.
Then it waits.
Stacked with air all around it for a full season, so it's dry enough to burn clean.
…and now it's in your hands.
go make it count.
01 / 05
Meet the Stove
An Avalon, cast iron and all business.
01 · The Door
Door handle
Turn it and swing the door open. It gets hot once the fire's going, so use a glove.
02 · The Air
Air control
The rod under the door. Pull it out for more air and a bigger fire. Push it in to calm things down.
03 · The Fan
Stove-top fan
Spins on its own once the stove heats up, pushing warm air into the room.
04 · Just in Case
Fire extinguisher
Right beside the stove. You won't need it, but now you know where it lives.
05 · The Kettle
Cast-iron kettle
Keep a little water in it. It adds moisture to the dry mountain air as the stove heats up.
Three Piles
Know what you're reaching for.
Every armful by the stove is one of these. Learn them once and you'll never build a smoky fire again.
KindlingSkinny pine
SplitsPine · lights fast
KeepersOak · burns long
Small to start. Big to keep it going.
Three piles. Three jobs.
Small wood lights fast. Big wood lasts.
Kindling catches in seconds. Pine splits burn hot and quick. Oak burns slow and steady.
So we stack it small to big.
kindling starts it, pine builds it, oak keeps it.
Dry wood burns clean.
Look for cracked ends. Knock two pieces together: dry wood sounds hollow. Wet wood hisses and smokes.
that's why ours sits a full season first.
Your Turn
Let's build a fire.
1Air out
2Build
3Light
4Latch
5Feed
01Step 1 of 5Open the Air
Air all the way out.
Pull the rod under the door all the way out. More air means a bigger, faster fire, and that's exactly what you want to start.
Tap to check it off, then keep scrolling.
02Step 2 of 5Build It
Big below, small on top.
We call it the log cabin.
Two bigger splits on the floor, side by side. No grate.
Cross the next layer on top, with finger-width gaps for air.
Go smaller as you build up. Kindling on top.
Tuck a crumpled ball of paper into the middle.
03Step 3 of 5Light It
Light the paper near the front.
Shut the door. Don't latch it yet.
A ¼" crack of air for the first five minutes. Stay with the fire while the door is unlatched.
04Step 4 of 5Latch It
Latch it. Let it roar.
Once everything's burning, latch the door. Keep the air wide open until there's a bed of glowing coals.
Fire needs air.
wood + heat + air = fire
Air comes in at the front.
Some sweeps down the inside of the glass, which keeps it clean. Some comes in low, right under the fire.
Hot air rises. Fresh air follows.
Heat and smoke go up the chimney and pull new air in behind them. That pull is called draft.
The air rod is your gas pedal.
Pull it out: more air, bigger fire. Push it in: less air, calmer fire.
start with it all the way out.
Gaps matter too.
Air needs a path through the wood. Pack it tight and the fire chokes and smokes.
05Step 5 of 5Feed It
Feed it oak.
Air all the way out.
Crack the door and pause a few seconds, so the smoke stays in.
Open, add a piece or two of oak, then close and latch.
Tip: wait for a bed of glowing coals before you add oak.
The Payoff
That's it.
You built that. Now pour something warm and put your feet up.
Every fire burns down.
Flames settle into glowing coals.
Coals turn to ash.
Nothing's wasted. It all goes back to the earth, the way the forest always has.
…and the next story starts growing.
round and round it goes.
The Fine Print
House rules. The fun kind.
A few things that keep the fire happy, the cabin standing, and everyone's eyebrows intact.
Rule 1 of 8swipe →
Cabin wood only.
Just the dry wood from our rack. No painted, treated or mystery wood.
No gas. No lighter fluid.
Paper and kindling do the job every time.
ever. (seriously.)
It's not a trash can.
Pizza boxes, wrapping paper and cardboard go in recycling, not the stove.
Paws & little hands back.
The glass gets hot. Kids and pets stay a few steps away.
Give it some room.
Blankets, boots, bags and wet socks stay about 3 feet from the stove.
Latched unless you're feeding it.
The only exception is the first 5 minutes of lighting, and you stay with it.
Creaks, clicks & a hum.
Metal ticks as it heats and cools, and a blower hums on by itself once it's hot. All normal.
That's it. Really.
Follow these and the fire will treat you right.
happy fire, happy cabin.
Lights Out · 01
Winding down? Stop feeding it.
Let the last log be the last log.
Lights Out · 02
Door latched. Let it burn down.
It's fine to head to bed while it dies down on its own. The stove is built for exactly this.
Lights Out · 03
Coals glow for hours.
The stove stays hot long after the flames are gone. Hands off the glass.
Lights Out · 04
Ashes? Leave them to us.
Ash can hide hot coals for days, so please don't scoop or dump it. That part's our job. Good night!
If Something Goes Wrong
Stay calm. Here's what to do.
Stove or pipe glowing red? It's running too hot. Push the air rod all the way in and let it cool down.
Roaring sound in the chimney, or heavy smoke? That could be a chimney fire. Push the air rod in, keep the door shut, get everyone outside, and call 911.
Smoke or CO alarm going off? Get everyone outside into fresh air, then call 911.
Something small catches outside the stove? The fire extinguisher is right beside the stove. Anything bigger: get out and call 911.
Once everyone's safe, let us know too.
~ roll the credits ~
The Blooper Reel
Behind every good fire: splinters, sore arms, and a few swings that didn't quite land.
safety glasses: on. confidence: high.
Chainsaw OperationsNin
timber!!!
Special EffectsGravity
one trailer. zero regrets.
Chief Hauler & Trailer CaptainDad
trailer's full? truck's got it.
Overflow StorageThe truck bed
the office.
Equipment ManagerThe chopping block (undefeated)
form: 10/10. aim: pending.
Head of SplittingDylan
union-mandated break.
Break SupervisorWhoever sat down first
supervising from a safe distance.
Quality ControlThe dogs
the commute to the woodpile.
Snow LogisticsThe kids (and one very good dog)
~ when we're not hauling wood ~
race day.worth the climb.captain on deck.snowshoe summit.that water, though.the whole pack.the long way home.river day.winter commute.sagebrush shortcut.
Some trees were harmed in the making of this fire. They were very well seasoned.
