homesteading the San Luis valley, co (Pueblo, Alamosa: appointed, hotel, house)

[Gunluvver2]

Just curious but does the Artesian Well fed swimming pool in Alamosa still exist? On a trip to an FFA convention in Montrose in 1962 we stopped and spent a couple hours swimming in that pool. That was one of the best swimmin' holes I have ever experienced.

GL2

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

Just curious but does the Artesian Well fed swimming pool in Alamosa still exist? On a trip to an FFA convention in Montrose in 1962 we stopped and spent a couple hours swimming in that pool. That was one of the best swimmin' holes I have ever experienced.

GL2

There's the The Sand Dunes Pool:

The Sand Dunes Pool is located north of Alamosa near the Great Sand Dunes. The facility includes a large swimming pool, a smaller relaxation pool, decks, picnic areas and a greenhouse lounge. It's fun for the whole family and open year round!

Facility:
Locally known as the "Hooper Pool", the family-owned Sand Dunes Pool's main attraction is a big swimming pool. It's fed by an artesian well that reaches 4,400 feet deep. The well was originally drilled in the early 1930's in search of oil. The water is 118° F at the source. The swimming pool is maintained between 98-100° F. There is a diving board too!

For those that enjoy it a little bit hotter, there is a 25 person therapy pool kept around 106° F. It's great for soothing muscles and joints. . .

[Idunn]

Anyone contemplating homesteading in the San Luis Valley might wish to visit the far southern end of it—in New Mexico.

In the vicinity of Taos. Or more exactly west of there, across the Rio Grande River, in places such as the Greater World Earthship Community. That is the region of Earthship homes, with ever so much to be learned from them. They are doing in practice what many are only hypothesizing. Take a look, some of these are open to the public. The realities of insulation, gardening, water, electric—all off the grid—will become all the more clear.

More than a few of these places can be bought, and often for hundreds of thousands of dollars. One can, with the right provision, live quite comfortably in such a place, even out on the high, dry semi-arid desert. But these are the ones that have, among other features, enough banks of solar panels to allow viable electric use.

Versus, say, the fellow living out of an old bus with one small panel just big enough to heat up his morning coffee. That is fact and reality, too. So for a broader sampling of such a lifestyle one might wish to travel a bit south of the GWEC, via dirt road to Tres Orejas. That is an old subdivision with roads once plowed by bulldozer in more or less straight lines through the sagebrush—and never much officially tended to ever since. Think deep mud in places at times that could swamp a 4x4 if not careful. There are some actual houses out there, and others that have such pretensions and may get there in time. Many are owner built, with seemingly Taos County code enforcement never bothering to get out as far to check up on anything. Or also the abodes more rustic. So a better idea of what living off the land can afford on a limited budget. Hauling water regularly, or the luxury of a cistern, is one aspect.

There are also Earthship homes north of Taos, high up on the flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just at the head of the canyon towards Taos Ski Valley. The late actor Dennis Weaver once lived in a beautiful one there with a fabulous view, before decamping to the vicinity of Ridgway, Colorado. They all have great views, if access up a steep dirt road is challenging. And by and large they are all quite nice, more upscale, as the land cost more and the owners had larger budgets to begin with. But all off the grid, and if large and elegant refrigerators present, most commonly either DC or propane.

There are Earthship homes scattered about Colorado as well. And not only throughout the West and this nation but internationally in such soggy places as England. But as often constructed ideally suited to a place such as Taos. They can be fabulous homes, comfortable and quite whimsical. Also good examples of what many of us might do in making our own homes more comfortable and energy efficient. As well the example that if much might be done with little and some imagination, that having sufficient resources is important. And all the simpler and easier if one could begin with a sufficient budget for the many expenses at the outset.

Simply securing some relatively inexpensive land is but the beginning.


ps. Believe the artesian fed swimming pool just north of Alamosa still exists.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by desertdweller01

Thank you for your view point. Those who agree with you will obviously follow your lead. However, those who are current landowners in SLV should know that there are options. BTW, not everyone who buys land in SLV are "suckered into buying cheap isolated land" as you so eloquently put it.

Looking forward to reading more positive views on how to Homestead in SLV effectively. I'll try to get some current residents who actually live there to participate on this thread as they are in a better position to highlight how they are living day to day.

I will say this, building a greenhouse and a decent Aquaponics system will not cost a fortune. Depending on the set-up well under $2000 for feedinf a single family easily. My 5 acre parcel cost me $2549. There is a well near my parcel and it was drilled at 100ft. At a cost of $55 per ft. not bad. Most people will spend well over $30,000 for what you may consider a decent piece of land (5 acres or more with water rights). Again take the savings and put it into your property. Just my 2 cents.

Yes but have you done it yet? Many talk about building the equivalent of the Starship Enterprise to run an ultra new age tech set up in the SLV and we never hear from them again.

What is the flow rate from your well per hour?

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by lovethehighcountry

If 100x100 is $150 per day, then 50x50 is $37.50 per day, not $75. (It takes 4 50x50 plots to equal the area of 100x100).

Regardless, those are some expensive tomatoes!

Yes, these people remind me of those that spend $10 in gas to save 50 cents.

It always looks great on paper with wells, trucking in water and all these whizbag setups, but for decades thousands of these worthless lots have been for sale and most end up back for sale only to be sold onto the next dreamer. Few I believe have what it takes to make it in that valley or similar regions of Colorado. It is very cold and hostile to most crops/animals and it's isolated living with few conveniences and everything costs big bucks because it is so isolated. I have known very few in my life with the temperament or ability/desire to live in such a way.

Even if you get your whizbag drip feed solar powered wind powered greenhouse going in this dry subarctic climate, the day you go on vacation to visit Aunt Sally in Florida, it all gets stolen as this area has high crime with almost no patrolling law enforcement in these areas and a natural inclination of Coloradans to mind their own business about what is up with their neighbors, that is if there are even any neighbors in sight.

I'm sure you could grow bananas in the Himalayas too with a greenhouse fueled with trucked in water and heated and powered by wind and solar. And after you spend millions you get your bushel of bananas, what do you have? Yes technology can do a lot of things, but that doesn't mean it makes any sense or is profitable to do so for everything out there.

Instead of people pushing a boulder uphill with their nose, if you want to raise lots of crops and animals, move to state like PA that has tons of water and plenty of land where you can grow things and raise animals with no problems at all.

My family has been in Colorado mountain real estate for generations. I've seen it all and heard it all and I'm merely giving people the word of warning before they sink their life savings into such ventures.

[gn3]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Yes, these people remind me of those that spend $10 in gas to save 50 cents.

It always looks great on paper with wells, trucking in water and all these whizbag setups, but for decades thousands of these worthless lots have been for sale and most end up back for sale only to be sold onto the next dreamer. Few I believe have what it takes to make it in that valley or similar regions of Colorado. It is very cold and hostile to most crops/animals and it's isolated living with few conveniences and everything costs big bucks because it is so isolated. I have known very few in my life with the temperament or ability/desire to live in such a way.

Even if you get your whizbag drip feed solar powered wind powered greenhouse going in this dry subarctic climate, the day you go on vacation to visit Aunt Sally in Florida, it all gets stolen as this area has high crime with almost no patrolling law enforcement in these areas and a natural inclination of Coloradans to mind their own business about what is up with their neighbors, that is if there are even any neighbors in sight.

Definitely yes to all this. Especially the third paragraph, which many people fail to consider. Tons of property crime - it is one of, if not the poorest counties in CO, with plenty people willing to steal, and no one to stop them. Everyone I've known having a rural property in or adjacent to the SLV has been burglarized at least once. Don't plan on leaving anything of value there if you ever decide to leave.

I visit family there routinely and love the SLV. Live there, though? No. I like to grow things, it is not a good place for that with all the water issues, despite the huge fields of potatoes. Think of them as mined potatoes. Not sustainable.

Really, the only positive feature of the SLV for self-sufficiency is lots of sun. But really, most anywhere else in CO would be a better choice. And most states offer better situations than CO does for homesteading, owing to the elevation, arid climate and inflated real estate prices. Sure, the land is cheap in the SLV, but that is a false economy, for sure. It is a beautiful place, but sad to drive around and witness everyone's failed "experiments".

[desertdweller01]

Some of you may have seen this operation and in case you've haven't please take a look at what this guy is doing with with Hydroponic and Greenhouse, AWESOME. He has some very detailed videos of his set-up and a lot of it is done with low water usage that is recyclable. Here is his Youtube link: Preparing to Provide - YouTube

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by desertdweller01

Some of you may have seen this operation and in case you've haven't please take a look at what this guy is doing with with Hydroponic and Greenhouse, AWESOME. He has some very detailed videos of his set-up and a lot of it is done with low water usage that is recyclable. Here is his Youtube link: Preparing to Provide - YouTube

That's all well and good that someone, somewhere is doing it, but why would someone want to try to do that in a frigid, dry as a bone, high elevation area with crummy soil when they don't have to?

For decades at the South Pole station in Antarctica they've had a greenhouse and similar set ups to grow some of their own stuff, which is great, but it all costs time and money.

I had relatives that for years tried to grow stuff at 9000 feet(things grow smaller at elevation also) and finally when they were in their early 70's they moved out of Colorado and moved to a state where they could have a proper acre sized garden with good soil, rain and 4 seasons of weather that were more even.

Ultimately things need water to grow. As I asked before what is the flow rate on the well? Many residential wells drilled in the mountains only crank out a few gallons an hour or dry up completely in summer.

When you do it, let us know and blog about it here as I am sure plenty of people will be interested to hear about it.

[desertdweller01]

Originally Posted by DLSavage

I have friends in the area (Lower SLV); they deal with limited electric, hauling water, and high log cordage prices, ($80 per cord, this winter, went through about almost 3 cords per month). This past winter was VERY cold, Arctic cold (30˚BELOW zero with 30 - 60MPH winds). The normal insulation needed to be MORE. There was some serious discussion of why they were there after all these years.
~~Just joshin'~~

DLSavage If you get a chance can you please pass onto your friends the link in this post regarding Waste Oil Heating.

Here is a link of a well done Waste Oil Heater that I found on YouTube: Drip feed Waste oil burning heater completed - YouTube

Here are his step by step instruction on making one of these Waste Oil Heaters.

Waste oil is virtually FREE and can be obtained in so many places as many shop will be happy for you to take it off of their hands.

If anyone knows of a better step-up please feel free to chime in and POST the sources so that others will benefit.

Troy

[DLSavage]

Thanks Troy, I will be more than happy to.