Can We Raise an Alaska A-Frame in Just One Day?

Can you really raise an off-grid A-frame cabin in a single day? After crossing the Gulf of Alaska, we joined Sterling and Aaron from Second Growth Homes on a remote Southeast Alaska building site with one goal... Build the entire structural A-frame before the day was over. From cutting cedar pilings and timber joinery to raising the first frames by hand, you'll see exactly how these off-grid cabins come together using locally milled second-growth Alaska spruce. Along the way you'll hear why Sterling created this unique building system, how Second Growth Homes is changing remote cabin construction, and meet the future owner whose lifelong dream of an Alaska cabin is finally becoming reality. This is the beginning of an exciting collaboration with Second Growth Homes, and we're happy to bring you behind the scenes of future cabin builds, logging, milling, and off-grid projects throughout Southeast Alaska. If you enjoy off-grid living, timber framing, Alaska cabins, homesteading, sustainable forestry, and life aboard our 80-foot schooner, you're in the right place. Thanks for watching! Audrey & Scott The Alaskan Gypsy Life Second Growth Homes https://www.youtube.com/@UC3LDKPljD3SsGgX-wN_8FNw Chapters below ↓ 00:00 Can we build it in one day? 00:46 The challenge begins 01:34 Back in Southeast Alaska 02:56 Meet Sterling & the project 05:27 Cutting the cedar pilings 09:32 Building the first A-frame 13:14 Timber joinery explained 17:47 The first frame comes together 20:04 Bracing the foundation 30:28 Perfect half-lap joints 33:29 Raising the first A-frame 40:26 Why this cabin design works 48:13 The owner's Alaska dream 56:28 Sustainable second-growth lumber 58:58 Why Second Growth Homes exists 1:00:00 A faster way to build cabins 1:02:29 We actually finished in one day 1:07:35 What's next for the cabin?