What the Heck's a Yurt?

So here I am, back in civilization after 3 days off the grid. My little family of 5, plus 1 grandmother and 1 grandfather, returned yesterday afternoon from our stay in the yurts in Colorado backcountry. What's a yurt?... you might ask...In case my last blog entry didn't compel you to immediately google that fun little word (say it out loud--it's rather catchy) let me tell you a bit about yurts.

 One of the two yurts at our little compound

Yurts are round structures made of canvas stretched over a wooden frame. Under the fabric shell that you see in the picture above are walls made of a heavy-duty wood lattice and wooden trusses that support the roof. Their shape and unique design makes them strong & aerodynamic (no, they can't fly, but they are great for windy spots because the wind flows right around them). That's the Cliff Notes version of Yurts 101. If you're interested in learning more, you can visit Pacific Yurts website.

If you're fortunate enough to have a mother who hikes all over and finds cool places like this to stay, you too might be able to visit a yurt. They have more amenities than you find on your average back country camping trip. For instance, there are bathroom facilities...

OK, so it's an outhouse. But I can tell you 

that the setting more than made up for the smell.

And you get to sleep in real beds...

They were pretty comfy, but my 11 year old son can tell you 

that it hurts when you fall out of the top bunk in the middle of the night. :(

And you can cook inside...

Our handy propane cook stove. 

I used it to make "yurtcakes" (you know them as pancakes) our last morning there.

And they even have a heat source (it did get down into the 30s at night, but we just snuggled in under the covers and left the woodstove unlit).

I'm sure this comes in handy for those adventurous souls who stay here in the winter.

But by far, my favorite part of the yurt was the view...

 

It was a great experience and I have lots more to share, but it's rapidly approaching midnight here in the Rockies (I've been here long enough to stop thinking about what time it is at home) and I need to go have a visit with the sandman.

 

I'd love to get some comments from others who've had unique or challenging vacation experiences!

 

Don't be a stranger!

So here I am, enjoying my vacation 10,500 feet above sea level. Yesterday was acclimation day. If you haven't been to high altitude you probably can't relate to the sensation of climbing a single flight of stairs and arriving at the top breathless, feeling like your heart is about to burst. And then there's that strange sensation in your legs when they get the message from your brain that there' a heck of a lot less oxygen to go around and they're just going to have to get in line...But I did start this post by saying I am enjoying my vacation, and despite the lack of oxygen I truly am.

Yesterday had a nice slow pace starting with Coffee over etsy...some reading...hanging with the family. In the afternoon, mom and I walked and took in the scenery and planned and dreamed together. It was so nice to reconnect in that spectacular setting. We talked of plans for the house back east, and the new phase we're heading into as we begin the colllege search for my daughter.

Today will be my last post for a few days as we are heading out into the wilderness until Friday. We are going to experience yurt living in Colorado back country. There will be no electricity and no running water. No wifi or HGTV. Just us, the montains and more sky than I've ever seen in my life.

So I'm off to get packed up and ready to unplug. I'm sure I'll have lots of thoughts, experiences and pictures to share when I return.

Don't be a stranger!