Yurt Gossip "Guest Testimonials"

Shane and Meggie Saunders said about their recent stay, "The yurt is awesome!

 

My wife and I had a terrific time. The setup is super comfortable, and we didn't lack for anything. We settled into a nice routine of woodburning stove at night, and a quick warm up in the morning using the propane heater.

 

The kitchen was perfect, the living room tailor-made for reading by the stove, and the library was perfect. My only complaint -- the bed was so damned comfortable that we got a late start on our climbing every day!" 

"The Yurt" Welcome

WELCOME: Hello, I'm "The Yurt". I'm 24 foot across, 14 foot tall, I consider myself spacious, yet cozy..... rustic, yet luxurious..... I love the wide open country, snow capped mountains, and enjoy entertaining company. I consider myself a place for you to Re-fuel, Re-vive, Re-group, Re-lax, and Re-search your next day's adventure. If you're interested in getting to know me better, send me a message. If you've already experienced my magic, please blog about me, so others can read about your experiences, and start planning their own "Yurtcation".

So.....if all this talk makes you want to get to know me a little better, please read on. Don't be shy, I enjoy the attention.

My Profile: As I've said before, I'm pretty hefty, at 24ft diameter (456 sq. ft) with 8ft walls and a 14 ft ceiling. I can comfortably accommodate 4-6 people, or up to 8 people if you get creative and bring your own camp pads and sleeping bags. I have a queen sized bed, a double futon, a single bed couch and a single cot. I'm anchored on top of a round elevated deck, with tongue and groove douglas fir flooring. The floor, walls and ceiling are all insulated to keep your toes warm, and morale high. The structure of my walls are lattice and sheltered by a ballistic nylon outer fabric. My roof comes together at a compression ring which is the strength and stability of my entire being. At the center of the compression ring is a clear dome, to create ventilation and provide you with a unique view point. My ancestors were originally, and still are, used by Mongolian nomadic herdsman, however I've fallen victim to "modernization" over the generations, and no longer need to wear Yak hides. I consider myself "eco-conscious" these days, and try to make an effort to only purchase recycled, enviro-friendly, or sustainable items for myself. I am also dedicated to staying "off-the-grid", using the sun to give me energy, and the earth to compost waste.

"The Sweet Spot" Location and Weather

Location and Weather:
I'm located on 6 acres of pinion pines and sage brush prairie, at an elevation of approx. 7,500 ft. During the winter months it can snow up to 3 ft and drop the thermostat into the teens. During the summer months the temperatures here stay relatively nice, however the surrounding desert areas can be scorching. Road access to my dwelling is off of a graded dirt county road, so it is 2 wheel drive accessible year round. The county will normally plow the roads the morning after it snows, but if you visit in the heart of the winter you won't regret having all-wheel drive, chains, or a 4-wheel vehicle. The prime months for visiting are late February through late May, and late September through late November. However with the higher elevation and great variety of activities, any time of year can make for a fun and exciting trip. Right from my front door window you can see the La Sal mountains of Moab to the North. If you look to the East you can see the mountain ranges of both Telluride (San Juans) and Durango (La Platas), and 15 minutes to the south puts you in the Blue Mountains (Abajos) of Monticello.

"Cracks, Packs, and Tracks" Nearby Activities

Activities:
No matter what your outdoor addiction is, you will not be dissappointed! The world class crack climbing of Indian Creek is literally 25 minutes from the doorstep of the yurt. Moab is a scenic 45 minute drive away, where you'll endulge in slick rock mountain biking and tower climbing until your heart's content. The Abajos are a stone's throw away and offer secluded backcountry and ski touring. The La Sals of Moab are notorious for great winter camping and snow filled activities. You can pretend you're Indiana Jones for the day and explore the ancient ruins found in the nearby areas of Canyonlands, Mexican Hat and Valley of the Gods. In addition, you are 1 1/2 hours from Durango, 2 hours from Telluride, and a short hop, skip and a jump to the Escalante/Lake Powell area, where you will find some of the best canyoneering in the US, hands down. The town of Monticello is 15 minutes away and has a few modern conveniences like restaurants, a golf course, a college, gas stations, and a grocery store. If you're into viewing, photographing or hunting large animals, I'm located in one of the premier Elk migration areas of the US as well. The possibilities are endless, and I hope you take advantage of all of them........except killing an elk.

"The Inside Scoop" Ammenities and Appliances

Yurt Amenities and Appliances:
Step inside, and you'll be amazed at my cozy feel and numerous offerings. I am not just a glorified tent, I am a comfortable and secluded escape from your everyday hustle and bustle. I provide the comforts of your home, yet have stripped away all the nonsense, all the distractions, all the noise and stress. You have now stepped into "The Yurt". Enjoy!

Heating, Cooling and Light:

I am fully insulated from floor to ceiling, so a quick switch to the small propane heater or a couple logs in the wood burn stove, will take the nip off the coldest of days. A ceiling fan will also help circulate the warm air flow and keep your toes warm at night, and the 3 windows and liftable dome can help circulate cool air for the warmer months. I can light up the night quickly with the almighty power of the sun. I'm equipped with a small solar system for basic appliances, including lamps, so you can snuggle up on the couch and read about your next day's adventure.

The Kitchen:
When's the last time you cooked a gourmet meal on a puny, little backpacking stove? Here, the "Iron Chef" in all of us can get creative and use real pots, pans and utensils to impress friends and family. Anything you'll find in your kitchen at home, I have. The freestanding 2-burner stove will allow your culinary skills to run wild, and the beautifully restored kitchen sink hutch will make for an easy and quick clean-up. No more scraping mac and cheese of the bottom of your 8 inch backpacker pan, with a lexan spoon, that's my promise to you.
Sleeping Situation:
When you're ready to catch some Z's, you'll choose between a queen sized bed, a Full Size futon, a single cot, and a large comfortable couch that doubles as a single bed. I have clean sheets, blankets and pillows on the bed for every new guest. You'll fall asleep, stargazing through the clear ceiling dome, and wake up to the snowcapped mountains of the La Sals. It doesn't get any better than that.

Entertainment:
If hanging around the living room and talking about your exciting day is not enough entertainment in itself, you can help yourself to the extensive book library, where you'll find maps, guides, magazines, and a hodge podge of novels. You can also rock out to the MP3/I-Pod speakers, play a movie on the small DVD player, play a game of texas hold 'em with the poker kit, and other board games.

"The Outhouse" Toilet and Shower time!

The Outhouse:

There's no need to worry about where "to go". We have you covered.....literally. An 8 X 5 foot luxurious toilet and shower retreat awaits you just 30 quick steps away from the yurt. With the environment always front of mind at "Yurtcation" we have decided to install an odor-free compost toilet, saving water and the laborious task of building a septic tank. The "Outhouse" is no ordinary, run of the mill state park facility crapper. It's fully insulated, dry walled, and tiled, so you can enjoy every moment of your stay. Heck, it's so comfortable, you might even decide to set up a cot inside and spend the night. The shower d is a super sweet 5 gallon solar bag that can be hung inside the stall. There is a lantern and small heater in the outhouse as well, so you can see what you're doing, and stay warm and cozy the whole time. All soap at the Yurt is biodegradable so you can wash yourself and the dishes guilt free!

"Harnessing the Sun" Solar Panel System

The Solar System:
For all you tech weenies that want to find out more about the solar panel system, look no further. I'm equipped with a simple, yet sufficient solar panel system. Just enough to give you some light to read at night, and a little juice to power up your cell phone, and listen to some tunes.
The Basics:
I have two 30 watt solar panels (located on the south side of the yurt) that feeds into 2 12-volt deep cell batteries, that live inside the yurt. The power from the batteries is then run into a 600 Watt Invertor, where it is converted into AC power. This means that you can now plug basic, small wattage appliances into a power strip, and enjoy this modern technology some genius coined "electricity".
The "Not-So" Basics:
1.The Yurt is equipped with two 30 Watt Solar Panels, 2 12-Volt Batteries, a 6 Amp Charge Controller, and a 600 Watt Inverter.
2.The 30 Watt Panels are charging the batteries at approx. 4 amps per hour of sunlight.
3.The energy goes through the 6 Amp Charge Controller, to the batteries, to regulate how much and at what speed the batteries are charged.
When completely full, the batteries have a combined 220 “Amp-Hours” of capacity. Or approx. 2400 Watts of energy.
4. You never want to go below 50% of this capacity. So, you have approximately a 110 Amp-Hour “budget” to work with, (or 1200 Watts) depending on how much energy you use, and replenish each day.
5.The energy from the batteries is then made available through the Invertor, where you can plug AC appliances directly into, or through the provided power strip.
6.Each electrical appliance has an Amp rating. For example, the ceiling fan is .5 Amps, and a cell phone charger is approx. 1 Amp. Most appliances will indicate both Volts (V) and Amps (A) on a label.
7.The inverter cannot handle more than 600 Watts of energy usage at any given time. To calculate total Watts per appliance use this equation. Volts X Amps = Watts. This means that you cannot plug in larger, high voltage appliances, such as power tools, blow dryers, etc.
8.Each day, you can keep a rough estimate of the amount of energy being consumed, and the amount of energy being replenished into the batteries. Be careful not to keep appliances running all night long, and be conservative with your energy use.
9. A similar way of looking at this, is that the 30 Watt Panel receiving 4 hours of sunlight will give you about 120 Watt Hours to work with each day, in addition to the initial 1200 Watt energy bank in the batteries if completely full. Remember Volts x Amps = Watts, so you can figure out your watt hours each day.

Phew! Did you get all that? There'll be a test on electrical equations before you book your stay :)

"The Dealio" Pricing and Availability

Sealing The Deal: So, you've decided it's time for a Yurtcation. Now, it's just a matter of choosing the perfect dates for your next adventure, and making a quick and painless payment to the Yurt fund. Easy as that! Your generous contributions go toward the ongoing upkeep that it requires to keep the yurt in tip top shape, and allows for us to invest in better ammenities for your stay.

The Pricing is Simple:

2 Persons=$45 per Night

4 Persons=$65 per Night

6 Persons=$85 per Night

Availability, Directions and other Specific Yurt Instructions

Contact: Yurtcation@gmail.com

Remember the prime months are in the Fall and Spring, so book your trip now!

Thanks,
"The Yurt"