A Mountain Home in the Colorado Rockies

The cold arctic air continues to dip down into the Colorado Rockies and sprinkle us with snowfall. One thing that is different for me from most people is that I live five miles from a paved road. Much of this dirt road is private and does not get plowed by any government entity. So anyone that lives on this road is responsible for keeping it passable in the winter months. My husband typically plows about a mile and a half of steep treacherous terrain with his sturdy Ford F150 and an attached snowplow. The other three neighbors pitch in for the remainder. That is another thing that is different for us. We really do rely on our neighbors.

Many of you know I live in a remote off-grid home and I thought I would share a bit of my lifestyle with you. There is too much to talk about in one post so I will try to mention just a bit at a time. If any of you have questions, please ask. I may even do a post about your question.

Stellers Ridge Snow
A winter wonderland of snowy pines greets me when I walk down my mountain top drive in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
get purchase information for this photo

Snowy Home
This is a textured artistic interpretation of my off-grid home on a snowy winter day.

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Spring Snow in Colorado

I usually do a Sunday Morning Gallery post and I had one prepared for today, but because many of you know I live in the foothills of northern Colorado, and may have heard of our intense spring storm I decided to post some photos. It has been a crazy few days.

It snowed all night Thursday and all the next day and through the next night too. Our landscape became surreal as the heavy wet snow clung to everything. The giant ponderosa pines, which normally can handle heavy snows, were swaying like drunken sailors with the heavy weight.

Then the snapping and popping like a rifle shot started as the tops, branches, and whole trees came crashing down around us unable to sustain the huge weight. I started to wonder when it would stop by that time and listened for house groans, but none came. Our post and beam construction held strong.

I am very happy to get this moisture after a very dry winter here in Colorado, but when it comes all at once it can be challenging. But now the road is plowed, the fire is stoked, and dinner is cooking away. All is cozy, safe and warm on a spring day on Stellers Ridge.

Seven Things You May Not Know About Me

I have been "tagged" by Beholden to Nature to share seven things you may not know about me. So here we go.

1) For the last ten years I have lived in an off-the-grid home. We have our own solar power system, a deep rock well (literally) with water that tastes like snow, and no utilities except propane for hot water and back up heating. Our main heating is with wood from our 40 acres of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir trees. We are official forest stewards through the Colorado State Forest Division and manage our thinning of the forest with moderation and care. Contradictory to popular impressions of this lifestyle, we do not lack any modern conveniences nor do we use kerosene lamps.

2) I actually grew up in Ohio. But my love for the West goes way back!






















3) My photo of our golden retriever, Champ, was featured in the Sierra Club's Daily Ray of Hope.

4) I lived in a van by choice for three months with my husband and three year old daughter in the summer of 1980. We traveled over 3,000 miles.

5) From 2000 to 2007 my husband, Ric, and I collaborated on the first blog to ever appear on DenverPost.com. We called it "The Colorado Journal" and it documented our daily life living off-the-grid.

6) I am a voracious reader. I love award winning literature, pulpy genre fiction, and nonfiction equally depending on my mood.

7) The best friend I ever had was a dog. My forever girl, Keota.

Neighbor in the PInes

It was a dark and snowy day for a walk. I didn't expect to find anything to shoot in the low light. And then around the corner there was my neighbors house seeming to glow in the gloom.