I've been here a long time and felt my friendships coming and going, to the point that I'm hesitant about how deep I go with people. It is easy to see why some could find living year round at Breitenbush rugged. Miles away from the nearest town, at high elevation where mountain snow and ice storms can close roads, Breitenbush is isolated. With three phones, no television reception and no daily newspaper service, Breitenbush is still some miles off the information superhighway. The lifestyle is rustic.
People live in cabins.
But a significant number of those cabins are elegantly carpentered and refurbished works of beauty. And isolation from media in the age of tabloid sensationalism is a positive attraction for many. If people want to, they can rent videos in Detroit. And when they're in town they can also buy all the candy, coffee and beer they like. And living deep in a Northwest ancient forest by a jeweled river powerfully argues for itself.