Go passive solar!

Moses, what a beautiful setting for a home, congraulations and totally understand why you would want to build a home in the mountains.

I grew up on a small Caribbean island and didn't think there would be anywhere else I'd rather live until I discovered what the mountains had to offer

View from my dream house in the mountains, not anything grand just a very small house with the biggest view I could afford

Summer time
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1380659210.jpg

Winter time
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1380659386.jpg

and both are fun time ;)

Please keep this thread updated with your progress

Beautiful. Just make sure you plan for fire and flood mitigation as much as possible. Have watched several friends lose or sustain severe damage to their mountain second homes in the past couple years.

beautiful!

Fire for certain. Almost a matter of when, not if ..

1 pint-size version for me, please.

Flooding is not a problem. The house sits on the very top of a ridge. It's a gentle slope, but it's at the top.

Fire is a concern. I'm using asphalt shingles and steel roofing materials and treated siding, but forest fires tend to be catastrophic in the Sierras.

Impressive! Maybe we can trade shacks from time to time :)

Nice. 6 inch thick walls. Foam insulation. Geothermal for A/C and hot water.

Stunning, wonderful. This has been a dream for Beth and me. Our first date was skiing at Tahoe. Love it there. Very envious, and good for you.

Of course you're always welcome. Hope to see you there.

Moses that's BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I'm in Reno and ski every weekend ,, also golf let's get together when you move!

Definitely!

Lot of nice country around there, good day hikes all over the place. I like the one up the hill from Emerald Bay. Nice roads too. You could run up to Quincy for lunch, go down Feather River Canyon through Oroville, maybe go up on the Buttes, check out the covered bridge, then go have dinner with Mark in Grass Valley, good loop.

I will have to bring you some tomatoes. peaches or something. You like nectarines?

Yeah, you are going to want a good clear space around the house for fire.

Dig a moat :D

Wow, stunning panorama. I love that area. Are you going to rent it out part time?

Tomatoes, peaches, nectarines... beer. Love them all!

Thanks. Not going to rent it. I'll probably sell my Bay Area house and get a smaller one near Alamo/Danville. Use the rest to pay off the mountain house. Mostly I plan to fly fish, ride my bikes, kayak, ski and play golf. I'll spend my evenings working a barbeque. The great room is almost 30' high. Lots of windows. I'll spend a lot of time watching the mountains.

I designed the house with "forever" in mind. The master. kitchen and living room are all on the ground floor. No need to climb a lot of stairs when I get old. Upstairs are only guest rooms including a bunk room that will sleep 4. The house will sleep 10. I wanted room for kids and grand kids.

Happy for you, Moses. You've earned it. I guess you will still practice a while longer but I begin to wonder since so many Doc's, at least here, are retiring early.. My wife has a lot of flower cuttings which might well take root and live well up there, if you're interested...elevation may be a problem..

No good; he would have to get 10 environmental impact reports to do that.

Simply fantastic Moses, congratulations. I'm a sucker for the mountains as well, I grew up going to the Rockies multiple times each year. There's a certain peace to that setting that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

I agree with Paul's comment about the mudroom, especially with grand kids. You need room for multiple people to be in the room at once, storage for muddy shoes, jackets, gloves, etc. I would also add some space to the garage, at least make it oversized. Remember it's not just cars, that's where you'll store a mower, snow blower, other lawn equipment, ATV, snowmobile, grand kids' go-kart, your bike, grand kids' bikes, tools, and anything else your wife won't let you keep inside. Typically the cars are only a fraction of the space needed in a garage.