Somewhere in the Wilds of Montana…..

                        This one may seem to be a little out of sequence, so an explanation is in order…. When we were visiting Phillis and Steve in Seeley Lake, Montana we had the opportunity to visit the ‘job site’ of a gentleman who was at first an acquaintance that did a kitchen renovation for them, and then became a friend. We were invited to visit his current multi-year project that is being crafted for a family who will remain anonymous. It is this anonymity that needed to be affirmed, and permission sought (and granted!), before any publication could proceed.         

So, I will now introduce you to Kris Mitchell, Woodworker Extraordinaire, and his current creation of a mountaintop retreat.

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One of the best aspects of traveling around is that we get to meet folks that we never would have had the opportunity to meet. I know that sounds obvious, and it is, but when we come across an individual who has positioned themselves in life to be “Of Interest” and we get to interact with them, then they become one of those “better features” of our travels. So, similar to our meeting Henry and his Hawks back in New Hampshire (June 29th), you will find that Kris excels at what he does…..

                                    So, here for that “I Can’t believe That Someone Can Do These Things” part of your brain, I give you, Kris Mitchell.

                                    Kris has no superpowers, he is just a tried-and-true carpenter at heart, learning his trade from both is father and grandfather. He said, “From about ten years old my Saturday mornings consisted of about ten minutes of cartoons before my Dad announced, ’Let’s go! Job site’s a callin’!”

                                    We came across Kris because he is doing some work for our hosts, the McNeill’s. Kris installed a new kitchen area in the apartment attached to the hanger here at Seeley Lake Airport. They in turn found him when they ordered the new cabinet’s et al, from a local supplier and Steve asked if they knew of anyone that could install them. The guy mentioned Kris’s name and that “he’d probably like the work in the winter ‘cuz his regular project sits dormant until the spring.”

 Well, it’s this ‘regular project’ that we are here to see and learn about.

                                    High up in the mountains, just a little southeast of Seeley Lake, on almost sixty mountaintop acres, sits a collection of buildings designed to honor the past while also being as modern as they can be with regard to functionality and environmental aspects, and of course working in, and honoring, those old aesthetics.

                                    The gentleman who owns this mountain top is the premier concert/event lighting guy in the nation. If you’ve been to any concert or event of late where they need to have total control of their own lighting, then you’ve probably witnessed his work. The owner is smart enough to not only listen to Kris’s suggestions when it comes to how things need to be done, but he also receives Kris’s input on some of those aesthetical parts that bind all of this project together. Kris is uniquely qualified in this area as he has truly positioned himself “off the grid” and while this aspect is noteworthy in itself, it lends a certain way of thinking when constructing buildings for someone who gave Kris this challenge…. “I want to be able to walk fifty yards away and turn around and not ‘see’ anything” No ostentatious clearing of mountain tops for all to see way in the distance for this guy!

                                    Now let’s take a look at these homes and outbuildings. This project and Kris’s demeanor could qualify in this day and age for their own reality show. Not Gordon Ramsey screaming obscenities if he finds a fallen souffle, more like Julia Child smiling as she is teaching us how to make Boeuf Bourguignon.  His crew is as loyal as the day is long and this is crucial, as you may imagine, to achieving the desired results both in quality and timeliness. Many of the crew stay up on the mountain for weeks at a time because commuting is not an option. When the best guys sometimes come from far away, then conditions need to be guided so that results are in fact realized.

                                    That’s why the first building erected up top was a combination garage, storage, dance barn, and temporary bunkhouse for these guys. Kris and the owner knew that in order to complete the rest of the facilities (which include the main house, two guest houses, and a caretaker’s cottage) the all-important workforce and their relative comfort would become a priority. It also allowed them to get some practical experience here on the mountain before tackling the other buildings. That practical experience is the part of this project that Kris is best at. When you see the materials that they are working with your admiration for the accomplishments so far, skyrockets.

                                                They use whole trees.

                                                Not just any tree.

                                                48’ diameter Doulas Firs.

                        The really big ones come from another part of Montana, but the ones used for the ‘regular’ lumber that they mill have come from right here on the property.

                        Then they cut those giants into incredibly large posts and beams and the rest into something that resembles a 4 ish x 12 ish  x 16 ish  rafter, all cut on the premises at the mill that’s set up a quarter mile down the driveway (or road). As you can tell, they cut their wood to the dimensions that work the best for their application. Now, not all of the materials need to be manufactured on site as they are not needed to be. Take the interior walls for example. The white ‘painted’ boards came from a barn in Pennsylvania, while the red boards came from Ohio and one of the floors in here came out of an old wheat barn in somewhere I cannot recall (when they did all of the threshing of wheat by hand). Those planks are over four inches thick, and you can see their wear and tear just by looking at them. This kind of an effect cannot be ‘manufactured’, but it does need to be sourced. Authentic is the watchword of this project.

                        “That’s all well and good Don, but where do they find all of these different kinds of wood and materials?”

            I’m glad you asked that oh great Director of Procurement!

                                    Kris’s next area of expertise is this exact attribute. He has worked all over the USA and has contacts in about twenty-seven states, so this makes it easier to get things done. He travels around and when he finds an old barn for example, one that’s ready to come down, he gets someone to disassemble it, pack it up, and haul it either back to home base or wherever the current project dictates. He has the ability to “store” materials that he knows can be used in current and future projects on his property not far from here. Kind of like Joanna Gaines rummaging through her antiques barn in search of the perfect door hardware.

You get the idea.

            The “Big House” will actually not be very big. It will be rather normal and that is exactly what is wanted. Coming in at a little over 2000 square feet, you can see that it is not a grandiose edifice, but then, it is not wanted to be. Remember that the owners want it to sort of just “blend in”, hence it’s relatively normal size. Instead of a large house with many bedrooms, the property will have two separate Guest Homes for visiting family and friends leaving the main house for the owners. Now don’t go thinking that that main house will not be set up for entertaining the folks staying on the mountain with them because a good part of the 2000+ square feet is taken up with a great room, an awesome kitchen, and ancillary entertainment spaces which will allow the main home to be a gathering place for all. It will even have a two-sided fireplace constructed of the rocks found on the property.

                        While the plans are fairly secure in theory and design already, there is enough wiggle room for the owners and Kris to modify aspects of this design as esthetics and practicality come to light as the project advances. Since this is obviously a totally custom build, there was no opportunity to tour a Model Home and envision how it would turn out. Many a detail and sketches were scribbled on a cocktail napkin during some of the building meetings!

                        The main part of the home was just being started when we were there so I don’t really have any good photos of that to share ….. yet! We cannot wait until next year when we return to Seeley Lake for a visit and with any amount of luck, we’ll be able to visit Kris again and see how all of these “artists” have progressed with their “Masterpiece”!