The Friday after Thanksgiving we planned an “overnighter” to work on the lot. Our plan was to stay in Fairplay, getting some work done Friday afternoon and more work done Saturday morning/early afternoon. It’s been almost a month since we’ve been to 179 Sanderling Court.

This time we took the trailer and my ATV, “The Griz.” Order of the day was to haul the last of the slash to the burn pit, then stage some firewood that could be picked up on a subsequent trip. The Griz would be used to pull the trailer into the lot and park closer to our work area, cutting down the distance we would have to haul stuff.  This plan actually worked pretty well!

Here is a shot of some of the slash loaded and ready to head for the burn pit:

Load of slash for the burn pit.

This was the 2nd load of the day. First load was bit more impressive but for some reason  I didn’t take a shot of it. The burn pit trips were made on Friday afternoon, and were all that we wanted to get done for the day (dark coming around 5:00 p.m. as it does). We packed up our gear and headed to our motel in Fairplay for the night.

Saturday morning we drove into downtown Fairplay at 7:00 a.m. looking for a place to eat breakfast, and ended up at the Valiton Hotel restaurant. Nice place, with good food and 1920’s ambiance with large windows, wood floors, friendly hostess, and fast service. We learned the place had a reputation for being haunted by “Julia” and a few other spirits. A hot meal and local history — a good start to the day.

The first order of business when we arrived at the lot was to  hook the trailer to the ATV and pull it into the lot. We needed  to cut down the distance we were hauling logs by hand, as that task really takes a lot of energy and time. I was able to move the trailer to within a few feet of where we wanted to start our dead wood removal.

The Griz pulled the trailer to our work area.

Pam is pulling down a small dead tree by hand. She did a lot of that on this trip! (And felt it the next day with aching shoulders and forearms.)

The next several hours were spent cutting standing dead aspen and salvaging some of the stuff already on the ground. Better wood was hauled out to the road, decomposing wood was piled for a future trip to the burn pit. The end result was a cleaner spot in the aspen grove, some wood staged to haul home and cut for firewood, some slash stacked for the burn pit, and a real sense of accomplishment.

Gathering the little energy we had left, we decided to end the day by cutting a Christmas tree to take home. With Pam leading the way, I grabbed the bow saw and we headed for the upper part of the lot. I handed the bow saw off to Pam, which she needed to cut a few boughs here and there for holiday decorations.  After a bit of uphill hiking we spotted a tree in the spruce grove that looked OK, cut it down, and began the slow process of hauling it out (downhill). We had been joking about keeping our footing on the uneven and rocky ground when Pam’s foot caught a stump and she took a tumble. Thankfully she was OK and the dog thought it was a new game, but I decided to carry the bow saw after that.

Pam took a tumble when helping carry out the Christmas tree

We took our time as we carried the tree down to the road. Pam had brought along twine to “bundle” the tree so it would fit under The Griz on the way home. I loaded The Griz on the trailer, slid the tree underneath, and packed the rest of our gear into the car for the four hour drive back to DeBeque.

“Artsy” shot of us taking a break

Wood staged to the left, Christmas tree under The Griz, we are ready to hit the road for home.

You can see there is not much color this trip, but there was no snow, either. We were surprised by this lack. The locals we spoke to indicated “no snow” is not normal for this time of year, and the trend was looking to be dry weather into January. While this could mean more scheduled work days for us in December, the lack of moisture also means – potentially – a higher risk of high country fires next summer. We would like to see some snow hit the area.

Next trip over will be to bring home the firewood we staged this time. We’re not sure when that will be, but probably not for a few weeks. Next at-home task is to put up our Christmas lights.

Oh…the tractor…parts were sent Delivery Confirmation, and I was not there to sign for the box, so no tractor parts this weekend. Darn.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Our lot at Sanderling Court (“the lot”, from now on)  is located in Park County. Here is a bit about the County from a travel web site:

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Park County

Park County, with its spectacular views, rich history and challenging climate was established in 1861. It is home to the nation’s highest incorporated town, gold mines, mountain passes and rare plant communities. Forty-five miles wide from east to west, and 60 miles long, it encompasses 2,166 square miles and includes more territory above 9,000 feet than any other Colorado county. Federal lands comprise about 51 percent of Park County’s landmass. Primary population centers include Fairplay, Alma, Bailey, Como, Guffey, Lake George, Hartsel, Shawnee, Grant and Jefferson.

Several named mountain ranges define the perimeter of Park County, including the Mosquito Range above Fairplay and Alma. This spectacular range includes four of Colorado’s peaks higher than 14,000 feet. Despite the harsh climate, or perhaps because of it, this landscape is home to a number of botanical rarities and truly unique biological communities. The high mountains and broad valleys that comprise Park County are an integral part of its heritage and appeal. While mining and ranching are a remnant of what they were historically, the influence of these traditional industries on the local culture is apparent.

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This past Friday I took half a day off and drove to Toby’s place. I delivered several boxes he had stored with us, and we went through them to see what he wanted to take to Indiana. Some items he kept, some went into a “donations” bag, and some went into a “disposal” bag. I brought a few things home, but not much. We still have a few boxes of his “stuff” in DeBeque, mostly kitchen items, that he may need later (even though his new place is supposed to be fully furnished). Toby will let us know if he needs anything from these boxes and we’ll [gladly] ship them out.

After taking Toby to dinner, I headed out. The plan was to stay in a small hotel in Grant, a small town not far from our lot. I checked into my room and went to sleep early as Saturday was going to be a busy day for me.

It was 38 degrees when I woke up Saturday morning. After a trip into Fairplay for breakfast, I took on my first task for the day: how to dispose of the brush pile we have been accumulating in our driveway clearing. Good news on that bit: our homeowner’s fee ($40.00 annual) pays for access to a burn pit. I stopped at the community center, filled out a form, and was given the code to the burn pit gate. The next trip over will see us hauling loads of brush to the pit. This will help clean up the non-firewood stuff such as branches and semi-rotten wood.

Next up was to “flag” more of the driveway. Armed with my 100-foot tape, I measured from the property line and set out more flags that outline the driveway path further into the lot. Visual aids really help; it is becoming clearer where the drive will go.

After a trip “up” to Pam’s Pavilion Point I began the major work of the day…removing more trees from the driveway path. There was one major clump to go through, consisting of 20+ trees and quite a bit of dead stuff on the ground that needed to be removed. Five [pretty steady] work-hours later I was done for the day.

While that doesn’t sound like a lot of trees to get out, keep in mind I had to cut the trees, limb them, then drag the trunks about 160 feet down to where we could get at them with the trailer. It is the dragging and going back and forth that takes the time and most of your energy, particularly at that elevation. By the end of 5 hours my legs were just about done in.

After that it was time for one more trip up to “the point,” a quick call to Pam, and just sitting for a few minutes in the sun while taking in the view. I didn’t want to leave for home, but finally had to get going.

On our next trip over (Monday) we have a couple of tasks: first, to fill out our driveway permit application with the County, second, haul brush to the burn pit, and third, finish with loading the trees I cut to bring home to cut into firewood for Kathy Hall. It will be a full day.

I’ll close with a few photos from this trip. The first is a group of mountain goats spotted near the road. These animals are reclusive and we have only seen them a couple times over the years, never in a group this large. *Correction* Larry in his coments is indeed correct; these are young and/or female Bighorn sheep. Thanks for the correction!

Bighorn calves and ewes near Red Hill Pass

For you “aspens turning color” buffs, here’s a “fall color” scenic view looking north from Red Hill Pass (on Highway 285 between Fairplay and Como, on our way to the lot):

Fall scenic from Red Hill Pass

Last but not least, the driveway in progress. Trees have been cut and stacked but top branches still have to be removed:

Trees gone, tops remain

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

The paperwork has been signed.  A “dream” realized.

Yesterday, September 14, we closed on our lot, 179 Sanderling Court. Closing was set for 12:00 noon and we were done by about 1:00 pm. There was a bit of drama the day before, though. The title company handled the closing, and part of the process included a transfer of funds from our savings account into their account. Since both accounts were within the Wells Fargo banking system we did not have to do a wire transfer, which saved us a few bucks, but the title company had trouble finding the money. I finally scanned the bank receipt and e-mailed it to the closer assigned to this transaction, and at about 4:50 pm I received a call informing me they had found the funds. Our down payment had come in as a “memo transfer” and the title company had been looking for a wire transfer. Oh well, they did find it and we were good to close.

After the closing Pam and I ate a quick Subway lunch and headed out to the lot. We wanted to get started laying out a driveway path and to begin some clean-up of dead trees and wood. 2 hours of steady work just about did us in for the day. We are not used to working at that elevation, and (due to our desk jobs) we are not in the best physical condition to begin with. Still, we enjoyed working on our lot, have a better idea of where the drive will go, and we ended the visit by hiking up to Pam’s Pavilion Point.

The two of us on Pam’s Pavilion Point

We love the views from up there. The Fall aspen color change is further along than last week but peak looks to be a week or so away yet.

Tomorrow we head over with the chain saw with the intent of removing some of the larger trees in the driveway path.

Green flags indicate driveway path

Flags in foreground indicate where the right edge of the driveway will be. Look to the left side, near fence, and you will see the flags that indicate the left side of the drive. Trees in the path proved to be a challenge for a bow saw so are now candidates for the chain saw. Pam’s clipboard, the white item in the foreground, is holding a plat map of the lot.

We are excited to be owners after 2 years of looking for mountain land to call our own. Now the reality kicks in: Getting there, lot clean-up, planning improvements. It will be hard work but very rewarding.

We did call the local porta-potty place. Jeez…$110.00 a month for bi-weekly clean out, $120.00 a month for weekly clean out, and in winter, an additional $6.10 per clean-out for the anti-freeze solution they use. (It has to be biodegradable.)  Plus a $40.00 set-up fee. Pam is looking at an Incinolet…

Our clean-up and trips will be the subject of a few more posts over the next few weeks. There is already fresh snow on the higher peaks, so it may not be long before we get snow on the ground up there, but we do hope it holds off for several weeks yet.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

(Click on photos to open  larger images.)

Finally.

After 2 more trips in July to view properties, we have found the lot for us. We had been to this lot twice before and, after walking more of it on our 3rd visit, decided to make an offer.

The lot is on Sanderling Court, and if that rings a bell, you may remember we first visited Sanderling and posted a couple pictures in late spring. Snow was still on the ground. (Remember snow? Frozen white stuff that falls from the sky?)

Here are what we consider the pros and cons.
Pros:
In our price range.
Access is from a county maintained road, plowed in winter.
Lots of aspen and some pine.
Lower part is fairly level and has a good building spot.
Views from upper lot are great, from house site very good, from end of driveway where it joins the county road the views are spectacular.
Lot is in a saddle between two ridges, seems protected from wind.
Quite a varity of wild grasses and flowers. No cactus!  (Seriously, some lots had cactus.)
No looking over a neighbor’s roof.
High enough to be significantly cooler in summer than at the house in DeBeque.

Cons:
No driveway into lot. I have contacted a local excavating company and am waiting on a driveway installation estimate.
Entrace to lot would go down a slope, making winter access something of a concern.
Back of the lot is s-t-e-e-p.
No cell phone coverage. (This may be a Pro, depending on how you feel about getting away from technology for a while.)
Currently open range so we would have to build some type of fence to keep roving cattle off the property.
It is a bit further out from civilization than we would like. Closest gas station or convenience store is about 20 – 25 miles away in either Fairplay (west) or Jefferson (east.)  Fire station is 6 miles away (EMTs!).
No mail delivery. Must get a P.O. Box in either Fairplay, Como, or Jefferson. Como, closest, is about 15 miles away.
Access road is gravel.

Here are a few photos of Filing #4, Lot # 174 (address is 179 Sanderling) :

Driveway would go through here.

Driveway would go through here and pass to the left of the For Sale sign.

There are plenty of aspen to remove. The dead trees would become firewood. We would thin the living trees to allow for better growth for the rest.

Driveway would have to be cut into the hill at left, slope down, then curve right into the flatter part of the lot.

Slope into lot is fairly steep.

This rock outcropping is at the back of the lot. I’ve named it Squirrel Rock due to it’s shape. The realtor and I walked the lot’s perimiter and found all the corner stakes so I know this rock is part of the 7 acres that make up the listing.

Rock outcropping at the back of the lot.

Views from Squirrel Rock:

View #1 from the back of the lot.

View #2 from high point of the lot.

View from the cul-de-sac where driveway would meet the county road. (Taken last spring with a telephoto setting.)  I am standing where the driveway would meet the road.

Pam on cul-de-sac near proposed driveway.

The view from the bottom of the lot is not bad, either.

View from the bottom edge of the lot.

Over the last 2 years we have looked at hundreds of lots. Some were flat, some steep, some pleasant, some over our price range, some we wouldn’t buy at any price. Some had houses, some had buildings, some with no views, some with spectacular views. This one is the best all-round lot we’ve found.

How do we feel? We are convinced this is a good lot for us, and are looking foward to owning it. We have already planned out where the driveway would go, where a house would sit, where my shop would be, and have visions of the lot with the trees thinned and the dead wood removed. Lots of work, yes, but very satisfying work. I can see us on the lot, smelling the warm pine, looking out over South Park to the distant mountain range, and sipping a beer between jobs. 🙂

Pam’s brother Larry had an interesting suggestion: Mount a camera on Squirrel Rock and pipe the view into the internet. Call it Pam’s Cam. Have access to those views any time we want without the steep uphill climb. Good idea!

There are plenty of details to plan out with an empty lot, including how to get power, telephone service, garbage pick-up, and just carving out a place to park a car. Off-grid may be an option for power. It remains to be seen if Pam and I are up for all the challenges developing this property will bring.

The next post should be, I hope, announcing that our offer has been accepted and a closing date set.

We are excited. Finally we can move forward in our plan to acquire recreational land, a goal we set 2 years ago and are now almost there!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!