Our cabin was built on plans that I had in my head for the 22 years that I served in the Army. It finally became a reality in 2009/2010, when I retired and we built our dream cabin in the Wet Mountains overlooking the 14,000'+ Sangre de Cristo mountain range in south-central Colorado. We had bought the land years before after a backpacking trip with the kids because of the solitude and views. Our cabin was built for our relaxation (my wife is still active duty) and our children's enjoyment. I need mountains, and there's a mountain view out of every single window in the cabin; north, south, east and west. The kitchen is fully stocked with all the latest appliances and utensils. The bedrooms are furnished with log beds that accent the cabin feel. The cabin is gently heated with in-floor radiant heat on the first and second floor, electric baseboard heat in the basement. The sauna is perfect for relaxing after a long day's hike. Lined with redwood, it heats quickly, easily seats several adults, and has a changing area nearby. The master bedroom has a beautiful east-facing exterior balcony overlooking the Wet Mountains for enjoying a coffee in the morning. The master bath has a double-slipperfoot tub, glassed in shower, and unique handcrafted vanity from Tennessee with granite countertop and vessel sinks. The main floor bath has a rain shower and heated air jets in the tub. The loft has a 52 inch LED Roku TV with Netflix/Prime/Peacock for watching movies, shows or the DVDs and VHS tapes we have of popular family movies. The kid's playroom in the finished basement has a 32 inch LCD TV with DVD player and Google TV. The 700+ sq ft of covered porch allows you to sit and watch the wildlife in the morning and evening, take in a passing thunderstorm on a summer afternoon, and relax and watch the red sunsets over the Sangres in the evening on the Adirondack chairs.
The nearby cute mining/ranching town of Westcliffe has a grocery store, bowling alley, lots of antique stores, art galleries, restaurants, some nice grassy parks and a great playground for the kids. On Wednesday mornings there is a Farmer's Market on Main St where the locals bring their goods to sell (don't miss the Amish baked goods, especially the large cinnamon rolls). Westcliffe is located in the Wet Valley, which is sparsely settled with very few lights; you will see more stars at night than you had ever thought possible. Of all the places we have lived in the world due to our Army careers, the nights at our cabin were the first time our kids saw the Milky Way galaxy. At the cabin it was easy to teach our kids how to locate the North Star using the Big Dipper, and using a star locator, we have found all the northern constellations, and several of the planets. A short while after sunset it is also possible to see satellites moving overhead, if you know how to distinguish them from aircraft.
We have 15 acres to roam on, with thousands more acres of National Forest and Wilderness Areas just a short drive away. The 100 mile Rainbow Trail along the front of the Sangres, and the trails into the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness can provide the most adventurous with days of glorious hiking. There are valley and mountain lakes for fishing and kayaking, with world famous Arkansas River white water rafting in the Bighorn Sheep Canyon a half-hour's drive to the North, or Class 6 rafting, ziplines and bungee jumping through the Royal Gorge.
The Wolf Springs Ranch has a bison herd, and Mission Wolf, (a wolf sanctuary) are both a half-hour's drive to the south. Your kids can play on our big treehouse that features a cargo net climb, and monkey bars. Day trips can take you to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, the River Walk in Pueblo, the hot springs at Salida, the ghost towns of St Elmo, Tincup and others, Royal Gorge, Bishop's Castle, the historic mining towns of Rosita, Victor and Leadville (the highest incorporated town in North America) the mining/gambling town of Cripple Creek, the Gold Belt Tour roads, Mount Princeton Hot Springs, Joyful Journey Hot Springs, Garden of the Gods Park, and the Air Force Academy. There are literally thousands of miles of paved and dirt mountain roads, clothing optional hot springs in the San Luis Valley, and hiking trails up 14,000+ foot mountains. But don't let the many activities fool you, the cabin is in a very sparsely populated, beautiful, valley where you can relax. Located on a well-maintained dead-end dirt road, there is very little traffic that goes by the cabin.
There is a cell phone tower on the mountain nearby and in town that works with some carriers. There is a Starlink satellite connection you can use for phones, internet and streaming. But the cabin will make you want to shut off the phone and just sit and relax.
Keywords: Relax at our cabin, with top of the line kitchen, beautiful 360 views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wet Mountains in South Central Colorado. Sit on the large covered porches as you watch the deer and other wildlife graze on the land, or listen to the coyotes call at night. Play in the treehouse, relax in the sauna, or just let the stress of life disappear in our mountain retreat. Whether using the double slipperfoot tub with a view, watching movies on the TVs in the loft or kid's playroom, cooking in the beautiful new kitchen, using the large sauna, or just relaxing on the porch, there is enough luxury in our cabin to keep everyone in the family satisfied. Minimum 5 night stay, Maximum two week stay.
