Thanks, but once you know a few things it's not all that hard.

Thanks, I draw much more complicated stuff for my full time job, and there's much more money involved if I screw up...

I got temporary power installed a few months back from Cherokee Electric. I will get power installed, ut I am considering full solar and a windmill at some point. Between those two and the right set-up I should be able to off the grid.

I did the single sloping roof so I could easily collect the rain water like I'm doing on the smaller cabin. I should get enough off of this roof for us and guests. I am buying a 5000 gallon cistern from an outfit in Georgia for about $1000. If that doesn't work out I can always drill a well, but it will cost a decent amount up on the mountain. It will probably be a minimum of 150' deep, but even if I do I will still use the rain water and the cistern.

Not sure yet, but to get it blacked in I think I'm going to get materials and labor for about $15 per S.F. The cabin is 960 S.F. not including the two lofts.

The crew told me that they feel that they can get it blacked in in less than a week. I'm buying materials.

That is cool, being off the grid and all. Keep posting about it as you progress.

Nice. Be a great place to go, when the SHTF

Congrats on that land. I know what you mean about Western Carolina......that's some fine country.

I have thought about it, but let's hope that never happens...

We love to ride our motorcycles up there and we love the Ozarks too. Both Western N.C and the Ozarks of North Arkansas are fairly remote in most areas still, which makes for some nice riding and getting away from people.

Unless it's a busy day, we just get a few local people drive by our cabin. Almost no one at night unless it's hunting season and then you get some folks hunting the WMA early in the AM.

that's very cool. I had to google "Thomas Jefferson Stairs", and those look very neat. Please keep pics coming.

Yeah me too. I would not want to have to climb them after a couple of drinks.

But it looks great and I hope you keep the pictures coming...

It's basically a ship's ladder with alternating treads so that you have a bigger tread to step on. This is really nice when you are descending the stairs, because as you know coming down a ship's ladder is the worst part.

It all began as I was drawing up the plans and looking at the cross section, I thought, "You know if I just raised the roof up a little bit I could get two lofts up there." Of course then you have to consider access and a normal stair takes up a lot of room, and a ladder is a pain to get up and down, so I started researching online and found the Thomas Jefferson stair... He was quite the designer as well as a statesman.

I heard he liked the brown sugar too...

So we got the foundation poured today despite the lingering rain and clouds... I wanted to be there, luckily my buddy and knife making mentor lives up there and was able to check on the progress and discuss the finer points of the Pythagorean Theorem with the foundation guys...

On to the pics...

This is the North side of my stepped foundation:



This is the South side:



We ended up using about 2 more yards of concrete than I estimated, because they dug the foundation 2'-0" wide instead of 1'-4" wide, because that's the bucket size they got with the excavator... Oh well, it cost more, but I have a pretty decent foundation on some solid rock, so it's all good. The two guys I have doing the work a re great guys and doing a bang up job so far.

The main guy heard me talking to some other guys abotu cutting down some trees to open up the view more and he volunteered to do the work for the same price if he could have the hickory... I was cool with that so now I have twice the view that I had before, plus he pulled me up some of the oak and cut it up for firewood...

I think I'm going to get him to cut a few more trees to open things up a little bit more...

Looks awesome, very impressed

remarkable, irish guy. i will follow this thread with relish.

Irishguy, I climb trees for a living. If you find yourself needing some help improving that view, after all the foliage comes back, I'd be glad to come help you out with some trimming pr topping. Alot of times I can get it to where you can see alot more and keep the treetops you're looking at looking good too. Just a thought.

Thanks. I'll keep you in mind.

Honestly, I wish I could find somebody that wanted all these hardwoods we dropped for firewood...

Man that looks great! Keep up the good work and keep the updates coming.

Looking good Irish!!!! I hope to be able to do this in a few years we are looking to buy the property this year..... I hope.

Keep looking and looking and looking... We almost bought a piece of property before this one and I'm glad we didn't. You will know when you find the right one. You need to look at a lot of places before you finally start seeing the right ones.