Postcard from a (yurt dwelling) friend

I recently received this e-post card from Samantha.  I blogged about Sam and her husband Duncan about a year ago when they were just settling into their yurt in the American Southeast.  Now they're settled!  They live in a 30 ft yurt and a smaller yurt serves as a washroom and utility closet. 

 

Dear Folks at CYC,

The last year of living in our yurts has been quite interesting and enjoyable. We added the deck this spring and it has made it a complete and very livable space—more welcoming for guests since there is more room to move around and spread out. We also completed all the inside walls, and finished our main decoration projects, including the wood-burned headboard for the bed. We’re comfy; we added a couch and padded the loft.  We’re living and relaxing without constantly being in "project mode." 

The most surprising thing about being in a yurt is just how cozy it is; at the same time how open, light, and airy it feels. Our expectations were much exceeded.  It’s also amazing to watch just how much we can fit into it with creative use of space and choices of furniture.  Cooling it in the hot weather has been a challenge, mostly figuring out how to put in an A/C unit without a stable window (we got a free standing unit with a flexible outlet tube and set it between the lattice and screen window to vent, and we just rig the fabric and vinyl around it to make it mostly air-tight).  We’re working out a balance between use of this unit and effective use of doors and windows to catch the breeze. Heating has been relatively easy, as it stays cozy and warm in the winter. Also, it fascinates us how many small spaces the bugs and spiders manage to find. It's a good thing we don't mind sharing our living space! We also now have a Great Dane addition to our household, who is a year old now and quite large. So that brings our total to two humans, two dogs, and two cats in a two-yurt setup!

When friends and curious observers come by to visit, they are often pleasantly surprised how nice it feels inside, even if they were a little skeptical before arriving. It's fun to share our place and encourage people to explore yurt living. In response to many requests, we finally made a video tour that we could post on youtube. Eventually we’ll add another yurt to expand our space, and we may try to enclose the space between the two current yurts when we make that addition so we won't have the inconvenience of going into the elements on our way to the bathroom. Overall though, we have been VERY happy with our home and plan to enjoy it for MANY many years to come!

Samantha & Duncan
(& Maracuja, Ivie, Kudzu, and Meremia)

 

 

 

Yurt Yoga for Kids with Special Needs!

We're so excited about one of our new customers we wanted to let you know about her before her yurt's even fully operational.  Krista Zember, owner of BE Yoga, in Washington DC is expanding her operation to Sterling, VA.

 

The centerpiece of her new practice will be a yurt that will host classes for children with special needs.  She writes:

"I plan to teach children with special needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, ADHD, and any other mental or physical challenges, through the Yoga for the Special Child Method created by my teacher Sonia Sumar. I will also hold a few adult classes and some children's classes during the day, for those who homeschool, like me!"

Krista’s plans build from there.  She wants to add family yoga and kirtan (call and response chanting) to the mix.

Krista began practicing yoga more seriously after the onset of fibromyalgia.  Yoga helped her cope with the pain.  A competitive gymnast and dancer from a very young age, Krista is no stranger to physical activity.  Yoga brought her centeredness and a deep connection with others.

Krista is primarily trained in the Kripalu and Integral traditions. Her practice focuses on alignment, energy, and meditation.  She also brings in elements of Hatha, Kundalini, Anusara, and Iyengar yoga.

 

 

In addition to her work as a yoga teacher, Krista is a full time mom to her 6-year-old daughter Willow Prana and 2 and a half year old Nyima Prabhavati.

She’s looking forward to making the yurt fully operational. “…we will be getting some electrical outlets put in and a wood stove installed after the interior floor is oiled.”

 

We’re looking forward to it too! We’ll keep you posted.

 

Daydream about your yurt! Practice with our Color Your Yurt Tool!

 

Growing up Yurt

I grew up playing hide-and-seek between piles of tipi canvas and completed yurt roofs.  Before that I bounced in a Johnny-Jump-Up next to my mom as she sewed. These are my earliest memories because I grew up at the Colorado Yurt Company.

Our first apartment was attached to the tipi shop. The Yurt Co. in Ridgway, Colorado was home base for adventures that would roam by the schoolhouse, past the fire station, loop through Doc’s Candy Store, and reconnoiter at Town Park. 



                                                Ridgway, CO from above (Photo Credit: SoCal L.A.)

When I was in middle school, I got to help out in the summertime. Usually, I’d cut parts for tipis. When my parents (Colorado Yurt Company owners, Dan and Emma Kigar) went out on a yurt or a tipi pitch, I went along. We would haul up to the high-country and spend the day raising a structure. Sometimes we’d go further afield. We pitched tipis and yurts together in New Mexican deserts, Oregon, Upstate New York, Southern California, and the Chicago Hilton to name a few places. 

 

                                                                                      Out on an early tipi pitch

These days I can pitch tipis by myself; though I still can’t raise one with near my parents’ skill and pace.  I picked up other good skills along the way: the desire to work hard and the ability to think methodically and visually.

 

Oddly enough, these skills help me in my current life as a PhD candidate in Islamic Studies at Duke University. (To the question, “How did you end up there?” I usually answer, “Life’s twists and turns.”)



                                     With Satchel the Dog (not pictured) just after arriving in N. Carolina

Now the shop is 30 miles north of Ridgway, in Montrose. (The amazing Colorado Boy Brewery occupies our old space.) And the operation is a little bigger. I’m far away, but the crew is still kind enough to let me back into the fold when I have some time to help out. I mostly work in new media marketing, though I’m always keen to go out on a pitch. 


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Check out some of the awesome places where our tipis and tents live.

 

Winter Stout Alpine Yurt at Monarch Mountain Ski Area

When Monarch Mountain needed a home for their Junior Mountain program, they called us at the Colorado Yurt Company.

Monarch Mountain is an awesome family-oriented ski area that is about two hours from our shop in Montrose, CO. The mountain sits on the continental divide in the Sawatch range, and the elevation at the top of the mountain is 11,960 feet. Monarch has great ski terrain and the most amazing view from the top of the Panorama lift. From there you can see the San Juan mountains sitting way off to the south, and the Gunnison valley stretching out between. On a clear day, it does seem that you can see forever. When you point the boards down hill, it’s a long and exhilarating trip to the base. There are many routes to the bottom, and all of them are prime Colorado skiing. The other great things about Monarch Mountain include: short lift lines, plentiful annual snowfall (350 inches or more), great prices and really friendly staff.

Junior Mountain is a unique part of the Monarch ski school- a program specifically designed for 7-12 year old skiers and boarders. They spend the entire day as a group, starting at the yurt, going out to the mountain, then coming back to the yurt for lunch and other activities. The kids and their families usually had the initial reaction of “What is a yurt?!” But, by the end of the day, the young skiers and boarders thought the yurt was one of the coolest parts of the Junior Mountain experience. They came to see it as their private hideaway- so much more unique and personal than a room in the base lodge. After the first full season of use, the management at Monarch is also very happy with the yurt. Eric Ramsey of Monarch Mountain said, “We are very pleased with the yurt we purchased from Colorado Yurt Company.  It’s been a perfect mix of form and function creating a unique environment that has enhanced our guest experience.”

The yurt at the base of Monarch for their ski school is an Alpine Winter Stout yurt. It’s a yurt that is designed for the extreme conditions found at Monarch- deep unbalanced snow loads. We introduced the Winter Stout several years ago specifically for customers such as ski areas that have high altitude and/or deep snowfall. The Winter Stout can withstand up to 170psf of unbalanced snow loads- which makes it the strongest yurt around. So, when the yurt is filled with kids, the snow piled on the roof is not a concern to the ski school staff at Monarch. They can relax and concentrate on who lost their socks or who will try their best Shaun White impression when they strap on the snowboard. And, that’s just the way we like it.

 

Earth Day at the Colorado Yurt Company

Colorado Yurt is a company that prides itself on being environmentally responsible. We have the solar panels on our roof, we recycle everything we can, use bio diesel in our trucks and try to be conscious of our impact on the environment in our day to day operations and decisions. So, when the City of Montrose started an adopt-a-street program, we thought it was a perfect fit for us.

Our adopted street is Rio Grande Avenue, which runs just east of our shop. It’s a busy road, traveled mostly by locals who use it to get across town a lot faster than on the main drag. It’s not very picturesque, certainly not a lovely tree-lined boulevard. It’s basically a road that runs parallel to the railroad tracks just west of downtown. The shoulders of the road are bare and unattractive with dirt and a few weeds. A large prairie dog colony on the west side is perhaps the most notable feature of our stretch of Rio Grande.

We celebrated a cloudy, cool Earth Day with a barbecue at lunch time, and then we worked on Rio Grande Avenue picking up the trash from Main to 9^th street.

  

Emma and Dan, the owners, cleaning up our street.

We think we made the street more attractive, and we’re proud of the sign that says the street was adopted by The Colorado Yurt Company.

Some of us also got in to the spirit of springtime and Earth Day by spiffing up our campus around the shop.  

Margaret, Ricardo and Anna cleaning up around the shop.

Our jobs included: getting the vegetable garden ready to plant, weeding and mulching flower beds, clearing an area for a platform tent to go on display, picking up trash and washing the yurts. We are also going to replace our tipi’s canvas this spring- so the entire place looks great and ready for spring and summer. After the work was done, we relaxed with a cold beverage from our friends at Ska Brewing in Durango.

Clint, Steve, Jon and Duane enjoying a beverage.

If you are in the area, please stop by and see us. We worked hard to make our campus look nice, and we want to show off a bit. We’ll be happy to spend some time with you- showing you the yurts, tipi and tent. As you drive in, we hope you’ll notice the adopt-a-street sign out on Rio Grande with our name on it. As you cross the tracks and head over to the shop, be sure to wave at the prairie dogs.

 

Our favorite coworker at Colorado Yurt Company

I’d like to introduce you to Arlo. He’s everyone’s favorite co-worker here at Colorado Yurt Company. He’s blonde, mellow, and friendly and does his job like a champ. His job, essentially, is to lie in the hallway sleeping. If you’ve ever been to our offices, you’ve probably met Arlo. He usually greets any visitors at the door. Arlo likes everyone, but he especially likes the people who keep dog biscuits for him. Because, of course, Arlo is a Golden Retriever. He comes to work almost every day with Becky, our purchasing manager.

At first, when Arlo was just a pup and started coming to work with Becky, he wasn’t such an easy guy to work with. His first day on the job, he made a memorable first impression by going back to the shop and pooping on some yurt fabric. Perhaps he was just marking his territory. Because now he thinks he owns this place.

Arlo’s “spot” is between my office and the printer. So, every time I use the printer- I have to step over him. He usually doesn’t even look up unless I say something rude like, “Arlo, move your ass.” Then he cocks an ear and opens one eye. Otherwise, he just stands- er- lies his ground with the confidence of a creature that knows he owns that spot in the hallway.

Arlo’s favorite guy is Lonnie, our contract driver. If you’ve had a yurt delivered in the vicinity of our offices, you’ve probably met Lonnie. He’s retired, somewhat, and has the salty demeanor of a guy who is trying hard to disguise the fact that he’s really just an old softie. A couple of times a week, Lonnie stops by the office to see if we have any deliveries for him. We know he’s really stopping by to see his gal Lee, who works in the yurt fabric department and to see Arlo. Even before I hear Lonnie’s voice, I know he’s here. There’s the thump of Arlo’s tail as soon as the door opens. Then, Lonnie will say, “Hey, Hambone,” and the two old guys start their visit. Usually Lonnie says, “Let’s go visit the bushes, Arlo” and they go outside for awhile. They’ll circle back through the office a bit later, after stopping to get a biscuit from Lee. Then, Lonnie says goodbye to Arlo, and usually doesn’t have a word for any of the rest of us.

We found out last week that our favorite co-worker has bone cancer. Arlo still feels okay most days, and he’s usually still on the job blocking the hallway. But, we’ve all had to face the reality that his days are short. We don’t know when, but we know our office will be missing the best, most consistently pleasant part of our crew. We are all going to miss that big, hairy guy. 

 

Reflections on a year at the Colorado Yurt Company.

The end of another year is here. We often get so wrapped up in the holiday whirlwind, the business end-of-year tasks and the daily responsibilities; we forget to look back on the year that is winding down.

So, on this cloudy Colorado morning, we’re pausing and reflecting on 2010. We’re looking at the things we did right, trying to learn from the things we could’ve done better and looking for opportunities to live more thoughtfully in 2011.

We, like all American companies, started 2010 feeling some trepidation about all the negative economic news. Our sales in 2009 had been steady, if not stellar, but we wondered when the sky would fall (as everyone was predicting). Well, it seems the Chicken Littles were wrong. We had a good year. Our loyal customers stayed with us, and we gained a lot of new customers in 2010.  We sent yurts, tipis and tents out the door all year long. We are now into our “slow” time with a full slate of orders, and work is scheduled into the spring.

The best news: we have kept our crew employed and busy through the year. Awesome, amazing, talented, professional…this is not adequate praise for our skilled crew. We have seasoned veterans (over 20 years) on our crew, and we have some new faces too. But, without exception, the people here at Colorado Yurt Company are a very special bunch. They take pride in every task, from sewing a seam to finishing a door to answering the phone. Quality is our top priority, and each of us takes it very seriously. We love to hear when a customer is happy; it makes us all so proud of what we do.

We had a couple of highlights in the “living thoughtfully” category in 2010.

At the start of the year, we grieved with the rest of the world at the news from Haiti. The photos and news footage made us feel so fortunate for what we have, and moved to help the people who were suffering after the earthquake. Being that we are a canvas company, we were in a unique position to do a small bit to help. We designed and made a tent that was small enough to go through an airport as baggage, but large enough to provide shelter to someone in need. We did a bit of fundraising to help with costs- and we were able to send some tents to Haiti.

We’re always looking at ways to live greener. We recycle, drive the hybrid, use biodiesel and try to make our products as low-impact as possible. This year, we made a bigger step toward being environmentally responsible. We applied for, and received a USDA grant to help defray the costs to install solar power at our shop. This fall, we flipped the switch, and are now proudly generating some of our power needs from the rooftop solar panels.

Innovation and improvement are always on our minds, and 2010 was no different. Members of our crew came up with several product improvement ideas that we implemented in the past year, and we continue to be the quality leader in our industry. In 2011, we have big plans for improvement and innovation. We’re designing and engineering a new canvas structure that we hope to launch in the spring. We are also seeing new ways to make our current product line more efficient without driving up the costs.

In all, life is good here in Montrose. We have a thriving company that sends out products we’re proud of, and our customers often become our friends.

So, from our “family” to yours… have a very happy holiday season and positive and prosperous New Year.

 

Share the Love. Share your yurt, tipi or tent!

Share the love! Share your yurt, tipi or tent!

We are searching for customers with hospitality and (or) a story to share.

We have found the best way to sell our practical shelters is to get people in to them! So many people hear the word “yurt” and their immediate response is, “What’s a yurt?” With tipis and tents, we don’t see the same confusion, but most people have never stood inside a tipi and felt the energy of that space.

One of our slogans is, “Get out in one!”  We want folks to do that all over the country! Not everyone can make the trek to western Colorado to see our display yurts and tipi, which is why we need some help from our friends.

 

 

We have list of yurts and tipis to visit on our website, and it’s time to update that list (and add a list of tents). To help us with this list, we’re putting out a call to our customers. We’re looking for friendly, hospitable people with yurts, tipis and/or tents that our potential customers could come and visit.

Do you have a camp, classroom, studio, shop, guesthouse… that is a good representation of our product? Is it in an easy-to-reach place that could be available most of the time? Yes? We’ll be happy to include you on our list.

Our second project is: telling your stories. We’d like to use our blog to talk about our customers and the creative ways you are using our products.

What are you doing? Bed and breakfast? Yoga studio? Therapy practice? Pool house? Rendevous weekends? Hunting camp? Ski hut? Mountain cabin? Beach house?

There are so many different uses for tipis, tents and yurts. Please tell us your story. Share the details- why did you decide upon your shelter? How did you set it up to meet your needs? Why does our product work for you?

Please help us spread the word about our yurts/tipis/tents. We’ll proudly share your story and show off our products to the world!

 

 

 

We’ve Gone Solar

On Friday, October 1^st, the Delta-Montrose Electric Association literally flipped the switch that completed our solar project!  From now on, nearly a third of our energy use is offset by the sun (the remainder is wind generated). 

As far as we know, we’re the first yurt, tipi and tent manufacturer to do so.

This project was feasible thanks in part to the experts at Alternative Power Energy in Ridgway, Colorado, a USDA Renewable Energy grant covering 25 percent of the total project, a tax rebate from Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) who benefits as our meter runs backward, and our dedicated staff who saw the project through.

Why go solar, in the midst of an economic recession? 

Here are a few reasons Colorado Yurt went green:

1. Solar energy is clean, renewable and good for the environment. Our 5kW PV system significantly reduces our carbon footprint. 
2. We increase awareness and educate others, at work and in the community.
3. We decrease our annual utility costs.  Less money wasted is a great thing!

We believe that living simply is simply better living. Going solar helps us practice what we preach. 

 

I Paint Tipis.

“You paint WHAT?!”

Typical response. Whenever I tell someone about my job, they do a bit of a verbal double-take. Because, actually, my job is a bit unusual. I paint tipis.

When I first took this job, I had done a bit of a life-direction double-take. I left my corporate job with a good company in the Midwest (Hallmark Cards) and moved my family to Montrose, CO. Western Colorado has always been an awesome place to live, but never an easy place to make a living. At first, I was teaching art and freelancing, but these were not really bill-paying-jobs. So, when the opportunity to work for Colorado Yurt Company came, I was happy to have a “real” job. At first, I was intimidated by the size of the paintings (a 28’ tipi is HUGE), and I was a bit (ahem) puzzled by the turn my career had taken.

Now the initial apprehension has faded, and I am having fun. I learn about Native American design and traditions. I get to know our customers and their stories. I still take a deep breath when I see a large tipi spread out on the floor. But, this job is educational, exciting, and, yes, unusual, three years later.

Since I started, the process has changed. We now have an online design catalog, where customers can try out different elements. Even with this tool, I usually customize the tipi with color, additional animals or symbols or logos. And, many people want a unique custom design that tells their unique story.

Some memorable designs:

A customer in Louisiana chose our “Sioux horses” design for his 28’ tipi. There is a different horse to represent each member of his family- and a purple and gold top to pay homage to the LSU Tigers.

A Girl Scout camp in Texas chose to create a memorial tipi for a family that was killed in a traffic accident. The tipi has horses to represent the parents and their three daughters. This design also has the Girl Scout friendship rings at the top. Now, campers enjoy a beautiful tipi, and learn the touching story behind the art.

I’ve done one-of-a-kind pieces of art like a Viking ship, a bear with polka-dotted pants, a pot-bellied pig and a Scottish crest. 

Tipis are very cool. A tipi is a huge personal statement. A painted tipi makes it intensely more personal. Whether you choose something simple or totally tricked out, your tipi will say something about you.

So, let's get painting!

Ivy Fife is our new marketing manager. She's also been our artist for the past three years- and will continue to paint tipis.