Building My First Treehouse

It was spring break of seventh grade back in 1997. As a curious 12 year old who didn't have a whole to do except play video games and hang out with friends while school was in recess, I had found a cool place in the woods a few streets down and behind my neighbor's house. My buddies and I used to walk through the woods throwing rocks and sticks like most kids did back in those days, however on this day we had stumbled across a large stack of old wood that looked like it had been torn off the tree and thrown aside unwanted. Now normally I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but there was this growing urge to build my own home away from home. The thought of having my own spot of refuge to go to when I didn't want to deal with parents or schoolwork was overwhelmingly great.

So it began! Our journey to become treehouse builders could be considered a rite of passage for lot of youngsters especially in the 90's. Of course at the time we didn't have access to the best set of tools. We could only use the tools from home and that required having to carry everything in backpacks or bags to the woods. Well you bet we found a way, even if it meant multiple trips!

It started out simple. We nailed in the smaller boards to the base of the tree to create a ladder. This allowed us to get up to the parts of the tree where the branches forked out in different directions and install the foundation of floorboards. We worked diligently for several days, but by the third or fourth day we had completed the base and some of the walls. Windows were more of an afterthought, considering we were in the wilderness and wanted to enjoy a clear and unobstructed view of the woods and the stream down below. We just left openings between the boards that we could look out of, as well as a doorway to a small staircase leading up to the roof.

Once most of the treehouse itself had been constructed, we decided it would be a great idea to put in a zipline and attach it to the part of the tree which extended above the roof. As for the base, we hooked the other end of the cable to a smaller tree closer to the ground. I remember breaking the handles off one of my old bicycles and creating a makeshift grip to use to glide down the cable. When it came to testing it out for the first time, we were all hesitant since the fall would be at least 20 feet, but my fearless buddy Nathan gave it a shot.

Well it didn't turn out to be the best zipline in the world as you could imagine. Poor Nathan slipped off the handles and dropped a good 15 feet after launching outward for about a second. Luckily he landed on his back in some leaves, so he walked away without a scratch! Eventually we managed to fix the zipline to the point where it was more efficient and we all got a few solid rides out of it.

The treehouse was great, but unfortunately some great things lead to a bad turn of events. I remember my grandmother was staying with me at the time since my family was out of town, so I basically went to the treehouse almost every day of the week. Sometimes I would bring a bunch of snacks and eat while I was up in the treehouse, which was certainly an added bonus, but not the stomach flu that came along with touching that nasty old wood which had been lying on the ground for so long.

I ended up going to Discovery Zone with my buddy Nathan for his birthday and I was sick the whole time. I had to stand under the hand dryer in the bathroom on and off since it seemed to be the only thing that kept me from getting nauseous again. Needless to say, the birthday party could have gone a lot better, but I did end up striking it big on a ticket machine and winning some good prizes!

Spring break was wonderful, and definitely a time to remember in my early life, despite the good and the bad. Eventually the treehouse itself got torn down when the neighbors finally realized some kids in the neighborhood had reconstructed their own childhood dreams. Of course, not everything lasts forever, am I right? Although I was sad to see it go, I must say that building the treehouse and all the events that went along with it, defined one of the most memorable experiences of my junior high school life!