Idaho is home

[Crossroads]

A couple months ago I posted that we were in the process of buying 20 acres with timber in Idaho. The purchase is complete, I got the house in Oregon ready to sell, I quit/retired from Georgia pacific and have been moving stuff over, rented a backhoe for a week and opened up the homesite, fell a few trees, bought a 5 yard dump truck in Oregon and drove it over yesterday (made a 8 hour drive a 12 hour drive) l looked like the Beverly hill billies with dog crates, ladders and other various items piled on. Last week the rear main seal and  clutch went out of my dodge, so if I get it back this week I have a couple milling jobs to finish in Oregon and I can finally bring the mill over here. Oh, we also accepted an off on the house this week, so even with a few bumps in the road, we're moving forward and trying to settle in. 

[mike_belben]

Good for you man, chase the dream.  

Some days its not all roses but it sure beats spending your whole life wishing you had actually set sail and made a run for it. 

[thecfarm]

Living the dream.
I do it here every day. I dreamt of building a place here growing up. Took almost 30 years of dreaming to do it.

[Magicman]

Thank you for the update.  It certainly sounds like the puzzle pieces are fitting quite nicely.  8)

[firefighter ontheside]

Congrats, but it didn't happen without pictures.

[Resonator]

Good for you, I'm chasing the dream myself. Couple things I've learned: dreams are only dreams unless you work to make them come true. That, and I can always make more money, but I'm only given so much time. Make the most of it, and be grateful for it. Hopefully doing what you love to do.

[Crossroads]

I guess I'll have to take some pictures this afternoon, I've only done video up to this point. Thank you for the encouragement, it's really appreciated.  

[Crossroads]

This is what we're calling home for a while, although it will move to the right side against the bank as soon as I get my pickup back. 




This week I'll start building the 24x40 shop where the dump truck and 2 trailers are. Then the 5th wheel will go in the right side while we build the house. 





The original plan was to dig out the bank where the blue pipe is and set the house back in there with a daylight basement and this road where the car trailer is was going to continue all the way across at the main level of the house. But I'm considering placing the house in the area where the car trailer is because it has a better view and it will be a little easier to excavate. 






When we got here in 8/21 this flat was only 70' wide and 130' long. 

[firefighter ontheside]

Looks like a nice setting.  If I was in that location, I could live in a tent.

[SawyerTed]

That's awesome!  Living the dream!  Sometimes I wonder why some people live like they do - concrete and asphalt, commuting dozens of miles, a view of the other high rise apartments.....it's not for me and obviously not for you either!

Congrats!

[Crossroads]

Looks like a nice setting.  If I was in that location, I could live in a tent.

I have a 12x12 with a wood stove that is quite comfortable. The trailer we started the year with had a limb poke a hole in the roof and it got totaled because of the water damage. I thought for a while the tent might get set up, then we found this 36' 5th wheel with a 12' slide out. Right now we're running off solar and a generator. We're hauling water in a 55 gal. Barrel every couple days and until we can move the trailer closer to the septic tank, it an outhouse show from the original homestead. I wouldn't worry about the shop this year, but the neighbor says that we're going to have 3-4' of snow by January. I guess we have enough elevation gain that the weather trends I looked at for Plummer before I bought this place aren't accurate lol

[Crossroads]

Thanks Ted, you nailed it! I'm not much of a city boy lol 

[Lawg Dawg]

Looks like a great start to a homestead! I'm rooting for you!  Also looks like a nice view in the background as soon as you mill up them trees :D  What elevation are you at there?

[Crossroads]

We're right at 3700'  yes there are a few trees blocking the view, but I would guess by this time next year, that won't be an issue 😉 these trees are all new to me, I think I have red fir and tamarack. 

[Runningalucas]

Awesome job on expanding out the flat area!  I'd agree with your neighbor on the snow.  Up here, it gets cold, and at 3,700', you're going to get used to having snow a little longer than down in the valleys.  We live at 2,900', and usually have snow at least a month, and a half longer than down in town at 2000'. 

If you're on a south facing slope, then you'll probably get lucky as the Sun will aid in melting it off....  On that note though, I went, and looked at a home several years ago, built in a gulch on the north side of a mountain; it was just Autumn, and while all other areas around this home had thawed out in the mid afternoon Sun, this place I was looking at, was still frozen solid. 

The Sun is a major factor up here in the winter lol.  

Also, I think we're scheduled for an El Nino year, usually up here, it'll be little to no snow, and a real dump late winter; one you'll want to get off of things, as it'll be a little wetter, and heavier than is good. 

[Clark]

We're right at 3700'  yes there are a few trees blocking the view, but I would guess by this time next year, that won't be an issue 😉 these trees are all new to me, I think I have red fir and tamarack.

If you're in northern Idaho you have a lot more than 2 species! Western tamarack is a pretty amazing tree, I measured one at 42" DBH and 170' tall! Grand fir, western white pine, subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, western hemlock, doug fir, western red cedar and lodgepole pine all grow in those parts. You will have some learnin' to do!
Clark

[Crossroads]

Yeah the snow has me a bit concerned, plowing the driveway with the little tractor could be a full time job lol  

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear Clark, I was only talking about on my place. Even at that though, I haven't had time to really take inventory of what's here. 

[Crossroads]

The contractor who's installing the septic let me use his excavator to dig out the footing after church yesterday. 






Then today I set up this "portable carport " so I can unload my tools from the white cargo trailer. It will be nice to be able to access some tools since I haven't been able to with them buried in the trailer. 





I had planned on buying bags of quickcrete and mixing it for the footing, but it turns out I can have a truck deliver 5 yards of concrete cheaper than I can have 200-80# bags delivered. 

[crowhill]

Having ready access to your tools will speed things up and reduce stress! 

[Crossroads]

Having ready access to your tools will speed things up and reduce stress!

I think your right, it has been pretty stressful not being able to do little projects because I couldn't get to the right tools. 

[samandothers]

Congratulations on your move and stepping out!  I look forward to your progress.

BTW, time to change your location in your profile. 

[charles mann]

Iv got a couple co-workers that live the next lake north of you, in the sand point area. After visting them or working wildfires in those areas, iv been wanting to move into the eastern wa area or the priest rive/lake area. Gotta be close enogh to a military or va installation to allow the wife to get her remaining 8 out of the 20 yrs for retirement. 

Good job on your forward progress and your move.