>>856188Fresh cut logs weigh a lot more than dried ones
They would head into the mountains in winter, make a log pile, and return to the lowlands, continuing to trap out of their tent.
When spring has set in, they head back up and are greeted by a pile of dried logs, weighing less than half of what wet ones would.
These logs were like 150lbs, and a decently strong man in any time period can easily move that to the foundation.
He would then dig out a foundation, and start building. The process of chipping the logs to fit them together would be super time consuming. If the trapper were in a harsh area like colorado, he would most likely end up throwing a ragtag cabin together to get it done before winter. If the trapper knew other cabins nearby, he could winter there and finish it next spring. This is why trapper cabins look like shit compared to Scandinavian cabins, as they had literal neighbors that would house them as they built.
So, are they really strong? No. They are decently strong men, but they cant come close to the level one can achieve with decent amounts of modern nutrition and training.
However, most westerners live sedentary lives, and dont take advantage of what they have at their disposal. so, they are decently strong compared to the average modern person, but weaker than an athlete or hobbyist that keeps healthy.
The american west during and after the Mexican american war up until a little after the civil war is something im sad I missed out on. Somebody somewhere in the future will look back on what I had today and think they missed out, so its all relative I guess. Still, tfw and all that.
