Mikee
Yes, my 17 acres was directly west of Fort Collins, at about 7600ft. I built it myself, starting in 1984. Always wanted a real log home. Watched too many westerns and war movies as a kid. Cowboys & Soldiers.
Cut the trees down from a timber buy on the next ridge west, about 9000ft, and hauled them down the mountain, down the valley, up my valley, and up my mountain, all with a 74 CJ-5, and trailer. The trees were standing dead, so kind of easy to peel and prep. Not a large cabin, 22X32 with a large loft. Took 2 1/2 years. I lived in a tent up there the last year and a half, with a cave type shelter over a fire pit for cooking and drinking beer after a days work. OK!, OK!, I started drinking in the afternoon. Enjoyed many years (36) up there. Just had a new roof put on last year, preparing for a day when we would have to sell it due to old age. Had the place really looking good.
There are a lot of fires in Colorado now, over 200,000 acres, but they were at least 20 some miles away. A ember started a spot fire up on our hill, and the fire dept was there to put it out, and had evactd the whole mountain. They left, thinking it was out. A guy who stayed up, found flames and smoke still there and called it in, that was on a Thursday. He took pictures, and you can clearly see flames. No Homes were impacted at that point. But the fire crews did not return till Saturday. By then it was too late, and it had blown up to a major fire. 15 or so homes total losses. Thats a hard pill to swallow.
I'm still in Missouri in the middle of cataract surgery, so have not seen it in real life yet but pics show there is nothing left. Looks like I just finished the foundation, no signs of a house at all.
It hurt a little to pay someone else to put that new roof on, but I'm 72, and figured too old. First time I ever paid someone to work on it. Would have been a super nice chained SS. Besides the fire dept delay, I have no electricity or running water on the property, so no Colorado insurance company would write me a policy that included wildfire, wildfire is hard to get in Colorado, even with elect and water.
Thanks to all
Ed

Last edited by ed773; 10/29/2020 12:19 PM.