The Haines House Tour – dpsskisstore
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The Haines House Tour

We crossed the border and arrived at the Haines House late at night on slick, icy roads. Patrik was asleep. Rob was crashed out on his Paco Pad, trying to catch Z's for an early start at helicopter skiing guide school the next morning.

It had been two years since we had seen this house, and it had a sort of a magic feel to walk back into it, and know that it was our new basecamp for missions in Haines.

In reality, the Haines House is a fairly rustic cabin with a good vibe around it. Set a couple hundred yards from Dave and Carol Pahl's house on the Lower School House Road, and beneath the infamously named, Mosquito Lake, the Haines House features a green boarded exterior, handcrafted woodwork throughout, and an A-frame roof that lets off a classic ski bum type of ambience.

At the center of the house, both physically and figuratively, is the wood stove. Equipped with two chords of wet, unfriendly wood to burn by the end of April, and because the Diesel #1 required to run the space heater is ridiculously expensive, the wood stove demands constant attention. The wet wood calls for creative drying and burning techniques, experienced chopping, and maestro-like stewardship. Taking the helm of the woodstove is a big responsibility. Leave it for twenty minutes and your fire becomes exhausted and your buddies are cold and grumpy.

To the north of the wood stove is the kitchen- where the culinary magic happens. It's where Scottish Mike whips up green chili halibut feasts. It's where morning hot cereal is brewed using ancient recipes passed down from a guy named Bob; it's where eggs are boiled and where Oskar and Stephan whip up soups. On late nights, when the waxing cresent moon is just right, it's where Rob and Oskar refine top secret brownie recipes.

To the South is the dining room table. It's often littered with random gear, papers, and various other clutter. It requires constant cleaning for house meals. The table serves as the living room.

To the West of the stove is the de facto living area, which Rob has appropriated as his bedroom. He sleeps between the couch and stereo on the floor between random piles of gear, and closer to the front door than anyone else- just in case it goes bluebird on an Alaskan morning.

To the Northeast, is the bathroom- complete with hot shower and flushing toilet. Through the first two weeks weeks, neither amenity worked due to frozen pipes. Everyone retreated to the outhouse which is located 20 meters behind the main house. Showers? In a nostalgic tribute to Powder Road 1, we went without them.

Just next to the woodstove is a tastefully finished staircase/ladder that climbs to the lofts. World famous photographer, Oskar Enander lives in the north room suite, with myself in the South Side Sauna Suite- named for the shinny chimney that runs through the floor. With a good fire raging in the hearth, the South Side Sauna Suite heats the airspace to sweaty perfection.

Mark lives in the John C. Anderson guest house. This lavishly finished one bedroom cottage sits just to the southwest of the main house and is blessed with a warm southerly exposure and dramatic panoramic mountain vistas.

The Haines House and John C. Anderson guest quarters will be listed at Sotheby's for 4.7 million at the culmination of this trip.