| The south
compound - home of the Barnhouse, Homestead and Stagecoach Inn - was
carved out of the edge of a hay field. Its placement has the least
impact on wildlife, leaving large expanses of meadow and willows for
grazing and browsing. That was fine for the moose, elk and deer, but in order to
improve the habitat for birds and other small critters, several "wild zones" have
been established around and between the three cabins. In addition to
large conifers, there are mountain ash, native and golden willows, Rocky
Mt. maples and many other shrubs and berry bushes, as well as a sprinkling
of colorful flowers - providing food
and cover for the birds, and a brilliant color show in the
fall.
In the pictures you
will notice fences around each zone. We would have preferred no
fencing, but long years of experience have made it clear that only
with such barriers will the trees survive. We have very particular herbivores
in these parts - they have a nose for the upscale browse and
tender pine tips at Alta Meadow - preferring them above all other such flora in
the vast wilderness next door. So we have fences. Hopefully, they will
soon disappear in the tall grass.
These pictures were
taken in September 2002, only a few short months after the trees were planted. The weather was kind,
giving them an excellent start - and the "wild zones" were an
instant success. The
birds flock in, fawns nap in the tall grass, and guests enjoyed the
beauty and sense of privacy these trees bring to their
vacation homes. In can only get better, and we'll keep track of the
progress on this page as the years go by.
|
