| Aspen Ridge Ranch is 300 acres of privately owned land located in Oregon’s Yamsi Valley. It is surrounded on three sides by national forest and is very remote. Yamsi Mountain—-8,200 feet—-rises from the valley floor on the eastern border, and Wild Horse Ridge creates the valley’s western flank. The property consists of about 200 acres of large and small meadows and about 100 acres of ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest. The elevation is 4,900 feet. The region is considered high desert because of its arid climate, however, we get about 12 inches of precipitation each year, mostly in the form of snow. With the Williamson river bisecting the land it is quite verdant. The snowfall begins in November but doesn’t really accumulate until late December. It lasts until early March or even into April. Snow depths vary from 6 inches to 6 feet, depending on the year.
We are looking for a few people to share this lovely land with us, along with the inherent responsibilities that are part of living in a very remote, off-the-grid environment. Dawn owns the land and has called it home for 19 years. Bob has been her partner for the past nine years. We want to spend more time traveling and less time living at, and caring for, the ranch. We want to share the chores and responsibilities of maintaining a large piece of land and the animals that reside on it, with others. We also look forward to sharing the incredible opportunity of living close to nature. We have decided to share this “pioneer” experience with a few others by forming a small community of like-minded people who love nature, solitude, and simple living. We suspect there may be people in the world who want a place in the country to call home, a place to hang up their backpacks for a bit, have their books and music at hand, and grow some vegetables, but that may not have the resources or desire to buy their own land.
Becoming a part of the Aspen Ridge community is a perfect situation for a writer, artist, musician, traveler, or seeker who would enjoy and appreciate the solitude, beauty and wilderness experience that living at Aspen Ridge Ranch offers. We plan to keep this community small, perhaps two to three family units. A family unit might consist of one human and a dog, a couple, or whatever. We are open to having community members who want to travel and not set down permanent roots, but in order to share in the responsibilities of the community and the land we would need you to spend at least 75% of your time in the valley each year. We prefer adults as the situation is not good for children because there are no other kids around for many miles and the only education option would be home-schooling. We aren’t saying kids are out of the question, but we will give preference to adult-only family units.
We are offering this community experience for free in exchange for help keeping the place occupied (safe), the horse, dogs, cats and an other farm animals cared for. In addition you will need to build your own dwelling and help with land and community projects. If someone wants to raise chickens, goats, or whatever, then the community members will decide if this is feasible and how each member might be involved, or not. Pets are welcome including horses or other livestock. We hope to create a large, organic community garden. Though the growing season is short, the land is extremely fertile. Everyone would need to coordinate schedules so that there is always someone at the ranch to look after things. This is NOT an opportunity to build a weekend retreat in a beautiful setting. This is not a vacation resort, though it may seem like one.
As we select various family units it may be that some people want to spend the majority of their time at the ranch, while others maintain a second domicile in a town, or spend 25% of their time traveling for work or play. Our primary objective is to make sure Aspen Ridge Ranch is carefully secure, carefully tended and we hope to develop a tribe that is interested in self sufficiency and a simple, nature-based life.
More About Aspen Ridge Ranch
High desert it may be but the upper Williamson River bisects our property, trees abound, and the meadows are lush from the riparian influence, creeks and natural springs. The river is a lovely, meandering meadow stream that averages 4 ft deep and 25 ft. across. There are several structures on the property: a bunk house that sleeps four, screened in community/dining hall for groups up to 14, two barns, outbuildings, a sweat lodge, etc. At present the only year-round living space is the log cabin that I built 19 years ago and now share with Bob, and the bunk house that doubles as my photography studio and guest house. Our log cabin serves as an example of what others might want to build. It is a small, cozy, authentic log cabin that is 16’ x 16’ with a large picture window overlooking the river, meadow and mountain. A sleeping loft with a king-sized bed adds space. A wood stove is the only source of heat but has proved sufficient during the 17 winters I’ve used it, even when the temperature drops below zero—which it is prone to do most winters. There is also a propane stove/oven for cooking, small kitchen space, dining table, couch, a large desk, and bookshelves jammed with nearly 500 titles. The cabin is off-the-grid (no conventional power) but a solar energy system provides enough power to operate several lights, a laptop computer, printer, satellite Internet system, and a stereo. There is NO running water (unless you run to the river with your pail to fetch it). Drinking water is collected at a nearby spring or brought from town in 5-gallon jugs, or from melting snow. However, we are developing two wells in May of 2009. One outhouse has a lovely view of Owl Meadow and there is a second outhouse out at the “Village”. Plans are in the works to build another “bathroom” with a composting toilet, and drill a well to provide potable water at the Village.
The wildlife is phenomenal. Coyotes, hawks, bald eagles, elk, deer, antelope, swans, geese, badger, bobcat and the occasional bear are the only neighbors. The closest humans who live year-round in the area are about 8 miles away. There are 6 miles of dirt and cinder logging roads leading from the paved two-lane road through the pine forest to the ranch. If the snow gets too deep you have to cross country ski in from the paved road so it is best to have all your supplies in before winter. However, most winters a 4-wheel drive truck will help avoid this situation. There’s an old 4-wheel drive truck at the ranch that could be used on a communal basis. However, it is old and not 100% reliable. It would be best if you had your own 4 x 4 vehicle. We are in the market for a tractor that can be used for farming, logging, and snow removal next winter. The river freezes on occasion and must be kept open for water use by chipping away the ice with an axe to retain access to running water.
Aspen Ridge Ranch is located about 110 miles south of Bend, Oregon and 85 miles north of Klamath Falls. There are two smaller communities that are closer but they have few resources or amenities. Chiloquin is about 35 miles south of Aspen Ridge Ranch and Chemult is about 35 miles north. Chiloquin has two country grocery stores but don’t expect the meat or veggies to be very fresh, and certainly not organic. Chemult has the equivalent of a mini-market.
Even though it takes about 30 minutes longer to drive to Bend, that is the town we frequent. It is much more progressive than Klamath Falls with four organic/natural food stores, dozens of excellent coffee houses, two world famous breweries, two multiplex movie theaters, innumerable cultural opportunities, and a music scene unparalleled for a town of only 85,000. However, Klamath Falls is only an hour and a half away from the ranch, has a 4-year college and you can find some organic and health food products.
Crater Lake National Park lies 40 miles to the west of Aspen Ridge Ranch and offers world class cross country skiing. Ten miles to the west of the Yamsi Valley is the spectacular Klamath Marsh Wildlife Refuge, one of the most amazing bird watching destinations in the country. You will have the privilege of driving across the refuge every time you go to town, or the mailbox, which is 17 miles from the cabin.
Potential Community Member Information
If you are looking for a free place to spend eight months or more while contemplating life, skiing right off your front porch, mountain biking for miles in your back yard, watching wildlife and the cycle of the seasons, or living in a safe, secluded location, then this could be the place for you. You must be healthy and fit, able to cross country ski or willing to learn, and eager for solitude. You should have a lot experience with the outdoors and preferably some farming, construction, and backcountry skills. You must know how to split firewood and have some experience with chainsaws. A love of animals is a must and it helps to have some experience with horses and cows
Because of the distance to any sizeable community there are few, if any, job opportunities nearby. It is impractical during most winters to consider driving out each day and it is highly unlikely that one could find a job in Chemult or Chiloquin, though not impossible. It would be best if you were financially able to stay at the ranch without traveling for work. If you have, or can develop, an Internet based, or telecommuting job (which is what we do) then it is a perfect set up since there is high speed Internet that works well except during the biggest storms. It is a satellite system that uses solar power. Surprisingly, we’ve also set up Wi-fi so you can get online from many locations on the ranch, even outdoors. There is one telephone in the main cabin but cell phone coverage continues to improve, making telecommuting a viable option. If you are an artist, musician, farmer or writer then it is an ideal situation. We’ve had seasonal caretakers stay at the ranch in the past while we’ve traveled and they’ve been able to get by on $500 per month per person, or less, with food being the primary cost. During the month of June we operate a fly-fishing camp at Aspen Ridge ranch to generate extra income. It may be that there are income-generating possibilities from this business, especially if we expand the camp to include bird-watching tours, and body/mind/spirit retreats. We also believe there is some income generating potential in producing sustainable lumber using the ranch sawmill.
The chance to become a part of an Aspen Ridge Ranch community is free but you will need to contribute by building your own domicile and contribute time and energy to the community itself as it develops. We have sketched out some guidelines for building your own home. It must be built from eco-friendly materials and we prefer that it be a log cabin or wood structure built from the forest on and around the ranch. Everyone in the community will have access to our portable saw mill, which can be used to make lumber and siding to build a home (the mill could also be used to make and sell sustainable lumber). There are other options as well including cord-wood, hay bale or sod construction. All structures must be small (no larger than 800 square feet) and eco-friendly in all ways. We will work with each family unit to find a suitable location on the property and plan a structure that fits well with the environment. You will not own this structure, it becomes part of the Aspen Ridge property, but it will be yours as long as you live at Aspen Ridge Ranch. If you prefer to live in a yurt or non-permanent structure then you would be required to provide something extra to the community--be it money or work--in exchange for living at Aspen Ridge.
We will maintain the cost of the satellite Internet service and ensure that Wi-Fi is available. Obviously, there are no monthly expenses for water or electricity, though you will need to provide your own solar/wind energy at your home. No tobacco products or off-road vehicles allowed. No hunting is allowed on the ranch, though hunting off the property would be an individual's choice. We discuss firearm options with each potential member.
Developing a small, simple-living community at Aspen Ridge Ranch is a new venture for us. We don’t have all the details worked out, we don’t know exactly how to structure or run an intentional community. We will be looking at each new member of the community to help shape and improve this adventure. We will be looking most closely at people who have excellent:
1. Communication skills
2. Experience with community living or as facilitators
3. Construction skills
4. Outdoor experience
5. Farming skills
6. Mind/body/spirit backgrounds
7. Adventurous, bold, fun, searching personalities
This is a true pioneer situation on many levels. Please do not apply if you are not up to the rigors and solitude of the remote circumstances, or the community-building demands of such an experience. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Aspen Ridge community please fill out the questionnaire and email it back to us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Dawn & Bob
Email us at dgs at OutsideTheBoxx.net
For pictures go to www.yamsi.com/gallery Status: Forming | |
