The cabin in the movie was actually a part of a tourist center/museum about the native cultures in Alaska. It was built in a very accurate, traditional method. The native elder in the film Coldwood was an employee at this cultural center.
The most challenging aspect of filming the snow scene was simply finding snow. Several crew members had to search for a location with adequate snow on the ground. Eventually a location was found and the scene was completed.
Although the movie was shot in May much of the snow from winter was gone. The crew had to search for a location with enough snow to make the snow scene plausible. This was found in the more shaded sections of the mountains in Eagle River, AK.
In the diner scene, two female extras can be seen at another table having dinner. It was found of later that they had graduated from rival high schools in Tampa, FL 4,000 miles away. In an odd coincidence the writer of Coldwood and one of the producers attended the same schools.
In the book store scene, one of the books on the shelf is novel titled Class Warrior. It's is the first novel by the writer of the script for Coldwood.