Our wood fired sauna…with a view!
Our HotHouse is a handcrafted wood-fired barrel style sauna…with a view though a half-moon window! Nestled in the forest between Raven’s Roost and Hummingbird Pod, it is open for all of our guests to enjoy private sauna sessions. We can’t wait to have you come and experience it!
Wood fired Sauna Instructions:
How to build a fire :
Lay 4 large pieces of dry firewood on the bottom, in a criss-cross (hashtag pattern), then 2-3 pieces of crumpled newspaper, then a firestarter block and small bunch of kindling sticks and birch bark on top of that. Light newspaper. Close the door part way until you see the kindling catch, then close fully but leave the ash drawer open a bit until the fire catches well, about 10-15 minutes. Close the ash drawer.
How to take a sauna:
It is considered good sauna etiquette that guests take a shower with soap and sit on a double-layer of terrycloth towels to prevent perspiration from getting onto the benches and walls where the oils will accumulate over time. After each use, leave the door fully open for the wood to dry out. Good care should be taken of the wooden bucket and ladle. They should be stored upside down to promote drying.
- Pre-heat your sauna to the desired temperature (usually between 80-100°C)
- While it’s warming up, take a nice hot shower.
- Enter the pre-heated sauna, relax and allow your body to perspire in the soft dry heat. Do not throw water on the rocks during the first part of the session.
- Cool off with a cold shower, bucket of water poured over yourself or a roll in the snow!
- Re-enter the sauna and sprinkle about 1/2 cup water on the rocks. This will increase humidity to about 30% to assist in perspiration. Half a cup every 5 minutes should be enough. Too much water will just cool off the rocks and you’ll get less steam.
- After a 20-30 minute sauna, cool off in the shower or snow.
- Repeat this sauna/cold shower process as often as desired.
- It is important to drink during your sauna session and even have a light snack.
- Like bathing in a hot tub, excessive exposure can be harmful to a person’s health. People with poor health should consult their physicians before using the sauna.