Yurts on the Big Sur: This is Not a Flashback
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.06
Post Ranch Inn at Big Sur comes complete with astronomer and telescope
We usually avoid posts about yurts, domes and the like, reminding us as they do of our days at the commune. This is different: an off-grid 16 yurt resort in, as Henry Miller described it in 1957, "a region where one is always conscious of weather, of space, of grandeur and of eloquent silence."
The New York Times says:
It took 20 years for John and Corinne Handy to secure the permits and capital to build Treebones — named for an old lumber mill at the site — but the result is a comfortable yet unobtrusive way to enjoy the stunning seascape. The yurts, circular tentlike structures similar to those used by Central Asian nomads, are updated here with modern amenities, including polished pine floors, French doors, reading lamps, colorful quilts, pillow top mattresses and clear domed roofs for sunlight by day and stargazing by night. ::Treebones Resort via ::New York TImes
I love Yurts. Round houses are so much more comforting and inspiring to me.
Problem is I have yet to see a way to sustainably cover one. The only options I've seen for serious coverings (which I'd need to use since I live in a snowy Northern climate) are vinyl, wool, and plastic coated canvas. Vinyl is obviously right out for it's uber-non-treehuggeryness. Wool is out for me too, since I'm not a big fan of enslaving other animals for my own benefit. And plastic coated canvas isn't terribly sustainable sounding either.
Anyone know of any options for coverings for yurts that are more treehugger and compassionate?
I'm thinking how much better the view would be if it was unobstructed, homes on cliff sides (even yurts) are an obnoxious presence in a wilderness setting.
Instead of creating an area suitable for low impact camping, the space is now occupied by people in the position to wage a 20 year campaign to secure property rights to an abandoned mill site. When the land could have reverted to public lands for wildlife and the occasional hiker.
Turil - You know what the Mongolians hang up to cover their yurts? The skins from their slaughtered yaks. Sorry to be so forthright, but maybe you'd be better suited in a warmer climate, such as Arizona where you can cover your yurt with simple linen, cotton or silk (sure, that's from an animal, but maybe you can handle that one).
I actually stayed at Treebones last March. I had the feeling they were still getting things up and running, but it was quite nice. It's a ways down the road from any of the park areas, and not visible from PCH. The road leading into it is unpaved, and the whole complex is pretty quiet about its presence. More land for campsites and parks is always good, of course, but this is far cry from someplace like the Post Ranch Inn, and it's also on the inland side of the road.