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Description
My husband and I live in the Canadian Rockies on 600 private acres with gorgeous views of the Rockies, Purcells and the Columbia River Valley. We are both very outdoorsy, have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and travel internationally for work.
We live off-grid on 600 private acres in British Columbia in the Canadian Rockies. Our home is a recently built (2018) off-grid solar and solar-thermal engineered log home with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 bathrooms, 2 studies, loft, double-sided wood-burning fireplace (all firewood provided), with a walkout mudroom, 2-car garage, and shop. We have some of the most spectacular views up and down the Columbia Valley - we can see the Purcells to the west, the Rockies behind us, the Columbia River valley below us, and nearly 100 miles to the north and south.
Even though we are off-grid, our house features all modern conveniences and amenities like a regular refrigerator, propane gas stove, dishwasher, clothes washer and gas dryer, WiFi and streaming services like Netflix, Crave, Prime and Apple Plus.
Workawayers can enjoy the 360-degree wraparound deck with two covered deck areas (lovely for shade in the summer); and an outdoor firepit with Adirondack chairs for those quiet evenings enjoying the stars (very little light pollution here.) Our sunsets are second to none and we have occasionally been treated to the Northern Lights dancing above the mountain behind us.
We have access to miles of private trails for hiking/walking and snowshoeing; and the wildlife watching opportunities are endless with our resident deer, elk and occasional wolf and bear.
Workawayers have the choice of either of the two guest bedrooms, each with a queen mattress, duvet, quality sheets; and ample closet storage space with shelves for added convenience.
The Columbia Valley area is know as "the Gateway to Adventure", with countless outdoor recreational activities ranging from alpine and Nordic skiing, skating and snowshoeing in the winter, to hiking, biking and paddling in the summer. We are within easy driving distance of 5 alpine ski areas (Panorama, Kicking Horse Resort, Kimberley, Banff Sunshine, and Lake Louise); next door to Kootenay National Park and one hour's drive from Banff National Park (and 2 hours drive to the town of Banff.) Radium Hot Springs pools and village are a quick 20 minute drive, and the town of Invermere is 40 minutes away. Both Invermere and Radium village have numerous pubs, cafes, restaurants, breweries, galleries and markets. The town of Invermere is located on the shore of Lake Windermere, which offers summer activities like paddling and swimming, and skating on the "World's Longest Skating Track" of 34km in the winter.
We are not located near any public transport and our driveway is over 3km long so sitters must have their own vehicle. Our driveway is maintained and plowed in the winter so access is generally not a problem.
We have two loveable dogs: Roxy, a golden lab/husky cross, and Islay (pronounced "Eye Lah") a black labrador retriever. They both love time out on our trails and we do a daily hike, run, or bike ride around the property. We also have adopted two black cats named Sweep and Bagheera (Baggie) who are ferocious mousers but love to curl up in a lap when it suits them.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Animal Care
House sitting
Interests
Sustainability
Pets
Self development
Movies & TV
DIY & crafts
Books
Gardening
Animals
Adventure sports
Winter sports
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Camping
Mountain
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Cycling
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are located in the Columbia Valley in British Columbia, between the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the Purcell Mountains, along one of the longest contiguous wetlands in North America. Nature conservation, outdoor education, and outdoor recreation are a huge part of everyday life here. Our house is located on the side of Brisco Mountain and is close to the Luxor Linkage - a wildlife corridor that connects the valley with the National Park system to the east. We regularly have wildlife like deer, elk, wolves, bears, coyotes, pine marten, foxes and over 150 species of birds cross our property. We offer the opportunity to experience true unspoiled wilderness and nature in all its glory. We regularly hike or bike our private trails, and in the winter, head out on snowshoes into a winter wonderland.
In addition to being the location of so many natural wonders, the Columbia Valley is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year like Invermere Film Festival in late January/early February which celebrates mountain culture and outdoor recreation. The Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival runs each year in May, with over 100 field and presentation events over the span of one week.
There is a vibrant art community here with numerous galleries and art workshops in Radium Hot Springs and Invermere; and Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere has ongoing art exhibits and projects featuring local talent and local topics.
The valley has been home to the indigenous people for thousands of years, and the Windermere Valley Museum is a great place to learn the local history of the local tribes. It was a wild and rugged land back in the day and there are plenty of stories about the settlers who carved out a living on rugged ranch and farmland. Some of these pioneers have descendants still in the valley, making their living along the fertile river bottom or pasturing cattle along the mountain sides.
Help
My husband and I travel internationally for work and require someone to house and pet sit while we are away. Chores include looking after the dogs and cats (they are all healthy and simply need regular feeding, exercise and attention), shovelling the main deck in the winter, watering the houseplants weekly, or watering/harvesting the garden in the summer.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Our home is a recently built (2018) off-grid solar and solar-thermal engineered log home with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 bathrooms, 2 studies, loft, double-sided wood-burning fireplace (all firewood provided), with a walkout mudroom, 2-car garage, and shop.
Even though we are off-grid, our house features all modern conveniences and amenities like a regular refrigerator, propane gas stove, dishwasher, clothes washer and gas dryer, WiFi and streaming services like Netflix, Crave, Prime and Apple Plus.
Workawayers can enjoy the 360-degree wraparound deck with two covered deck areas (lovely for shade in the summer); and an outdoor firepit with Adirondack chairs for those quiet evenings enjoying the stars (very little light pollution here.) Our sunsets are second to none and we have occasionally been treated to the Northern Lights dancing above the mountain behind us.
We have access to miles of private trails for hiking/walking and snowshoeing; and the wildlife watching opportunities are endless with our resident deer, elk and occasional wolf and bear.
Workawayers have the choice of either of the two guest bedrooms, each with a queen mattress, duvet, quality sheets; and ample closet storage space with shelves for added convenience.
Since we will be away, Workawayers will be responsible for providing their own food for the duration.
What else ...
We are not located near any public transport and our driveway is over 3km long so sitters must have their own vehicle. Our driveway is maintained and plowed in the winter so access is generally not a problem.
Because we are off-grid, we are conscious of our power and water needs and tend to be as conservative as possible (for example, don't leave taps running endlessly and we tend to not use a lot of heat generating appliances like electric kettles etc.). That being said, we live a very comfortable life as our house was designed to be as convenient and modern as possible even being off-grid.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
My husband and I work internationally but also work from home so have made sure our home is well setup for anyone who is working remotely. We have reliable high speed internet and Workawayers are welcome to use the printer etc.
Space for parking camper vans
We have plenty of space to park a camper or motorhome.
Can possibly accept pets
Any pets must be cat-friendly; dogs must be well-trained for recall as we have a lot of deer and other wildlife around. Roxy (our lab/husky) can be quite alpha and as long as the new dog is rather submissive it wouldn't be a problem.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Bagheera
Sweep
Islay (5 years)
Black labrador retriever
Roxy (7 years)
Golden lab/husky
Photos
