One thing that is pretty common in the rural areas of Alaska is the food cache, usually a small building on long log legs, so that it is high up in the air, with a wooden ladder that can be leaned up against the cache to climb up into it…
Alaska Food Cache
Picture By K. Fields
It’s original use is for food storage. Keeping food up away from living area (tent, cabin, etc) helped lessen the chance of invasion of wild animals forging for food. Bears, wolverine etc… A long wooden ladder usually lies on the ground next to it, when the cache isn’t being used.
Cache-tiny door, metal covered legs, peaked roof
Picture by K. Fields
The wooden food cache is capable of holding quite a bit of food; depending on the size, most are approximately 4ft. X 4ft X 4ft in size, with a peaked roof with 15 to 20 ft tall wooden legs. It usually had a small door as the only entry way into the cache. They are usually located within 100 feet of the owners living area.
Larger Food Cache, with thatched roof
Picture by K. Fields
They also have metal bands near the top around each leg so that squirrels cannot get into the cache. If they do get in, they will destroy everything in it, and then start storing their food caches of pine cones, garbage etc. for the winter.
Decorative Food Cache with guide wires
Picture by K. Fields
Some caches are use to store more then food, some have extra clothes, heavy coats and winter wear, and blankets and the supplies for first aid, dry matches and any extra medications, and so if the cabin should happen to burn down in the middle of winter, you have a chance of surviving with the things stored in the cache
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2 comments:
So these are prevalent even in modern day Alaska? Do anybody actually build the whole home up off the ground rather than just the food cache? Oh, and I loved the photos, a great way of hi-lighting your post.
Yes, food caches are still used today; there are many people that live in Alaska in the middle of nowhere, which means no modern conveniences...even in the populated areas they come in handy for storage, to keep animals out.
Some homes in some areas are built on small pillars, some up to 4 ft high, especially in the swampy areas.
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