Cody Bokshowan, a woodworker from Ontario, began a log‑cutting expedition in 2018 that would span eight years. The goal was simple: harvest enough timber to build a self‑sufficient cabin in the wilderness.
He logged 300 trees, a task that required felling logs in sub‑zero temperatures and milling them by hand. No chainsaw, no heavy machinery. He relied on a crosscut saw and a hand plane.
Bokshowan's channel, Trustin Timber, documented each phase, from the first sapling to the final plank. Followers praised his skill, noting how he guided trees to fall without ropes.
The finished cabin, measuring 1,200 square feet, sits on a clearing 30 miles from the nearest road. It runs on solar panels and a biogas digester fed by kitchen waste.
Sustainability experts have flagged the project as a model for low‑impact living. Local forestry officials approved a permit in 2025, citing minimal environmental disturbance.
Bokshowan plans to host a workshop in September, teaching timber‑cutting techniques to aspiring off‑grid builders. He will film a National Geographic documentary in November.