Help out with natural building projects just outside Glacier National Park, USA

Infos

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  Description

  For many years I've worked as a historic preservation carpenter in Glacier National Park, restoring and maintaining cabins, fire lookouts, and chalets. A few years ago I settled on a one acre plot outside the park, started up a small, laid back lodging operation and began building a small house for myself. I also started hosting on workaway that year, seeking help on those projects and others. So far I've hosted over two dozen workawayers from all over the world. It's been an amazing experience and I look forward to making some wonderful new connections this year.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Glacier National Park is the big draw to this area, and if you enjoy hiking, backpacking, and generally being outside, there are few better places to do it. I can testify that if you spend 2 or 3 months here, you won't feel like you spent too long in one place and lost an opportunity somehow to see or do more elsewhere. I've been here over a decade and it hasn't gotten old. The mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests offer endless opportunities to explore, reflect, and relax. I know the area well and can point you in the right direction for whatever you're looking for as well.
  
  While the work days will be spent on my quiet property tucked up against a forest, you also will not feel isolated. The area has a youthful energy in the summer as people come from all over the world to work and vacation. Though it's not really a hostel scene it can almost feel like it sometimes if you go into the local bars and restaurants; you'll hear languages and accents and meet people from all over. The social environment has been a draw for me over the years nearly as much as the natural environment.
  
  These are all great reasons to come to this area generally, but why come volunteer with me specifically? I've been here over a decade and I know the area and the people well; for those of you who are on the road and are looking to stop for less than an entire summer in Glacier, I can give you the insider scoop and help you hit many of the highlights it took me several seasons to cover. And if you're interested in a longer stay, my local knowledge plus the extra free time you get from the workaway commitment will allow you to be immersed in the summer in Glacier in a way that few people have the chance to, myself included.

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  Aide

  (new info current as of March 2022)
  
  As another season winds down and I look toward 2022, there are a lot of unknowns, both worldwide and within my sphere, but I'm certainly counting on another busy summer. A priority for this summer is to be execute a very well planned and managed garden. This is something I’ve been dabbling with the last few years with admittedly limited success. I would very much welcome and appreciate volunteers with a high degree of knowledge and/or enthusiasm for growing food.
  
  There will plenty of opportunity to work the land in other ways as well- both landscaping/ beautification and clearing/thinning trees, slash, and brush, plus cutting and splitting firewood, etc.
  
  I'll be looking to get into some fun building projects like making some more sheds or covered areas for storage and the like; improving the outdoor kitchen setup; finishing the small log cabin I've just begun working on; finishing the living roof on my small house; possibly getting started on a sauna; perhaps setting up an outdoor gym; looking into building a treehouse or crow's nest type structure; etc. etc. etc.
  
  If that sounds like a lot, I admit that it is indeed probably much more than I can realistically expect to accomplish in one summer. The above should be read more as a primer on the type of things I'd like to work on and how I go about things (haphazardly and driven by the whims of the day) than as an actual to-do list. That said, the "whims of the day" tend to encompass the interests and abilities of the workawayers, friends, and others available to help on a given day. I believe the best work is done by people who are truly engaged and inspired by the task at hand, and so that is an ideal that we aim for. In reality of course, there are usually more menial sub-tasks necessary to accomplish the larger goals, and these are spread out evenly. I have found that even things like digging big holes in rocky soil can be rewarding if undertaken with a positive attitude, which is also something we do our best to promote.
  
  Please be sure to point out if you have any specific interests or skills you'd like to explore or develop if you come to volunteer. I enjoy the opportunity to learn from and with workawayers as much as I like to share the knowledge and experience that I have to offer.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
  
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  Hébergement

  I can provide a camping style set up, but with all the modern convenience of running water, electricity, wifi, etc. You may be provided with a large tent, a small pull-behind camper, or perhaps even an outbuilding you help to construct. I also have an "outhouse" with a flushing toilet, an outdoor hot shower, and an outdoor kitchen. I also run a small lodging operation with two glamping units so there are typically paying guests on site, but the homesite and workaway area are separate from the rental spaces.
  
  As for food, basic staples will be available to you, and naturally the longer you are around, the more input you will have on what's inside the pantry and how it's prepared. I don't have any dietary restrictions myself but of course they can be accommodated. Dinners and sometimes lunch and even breakfast can be a family syle affair, with the crew taking turns cooking for everyone else and hopefully showing off. If it's my turn you can expect some good Mexican food or perhaps something from the crock pot; beans, lentils, stews, etc.

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  Autres infos...

  While you are welcome to travel to my place without a car (and I applaud you for doing so!), you should know that the area is rural and without much public transportation. I have bikes you can use and there is a shuttle service within Glacier National Park, which is seven miles from my property.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Cet hôte a de la place pour les vans.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Please be sure to point out if you are traveling with a pet and tell me a bit about your companion.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  20 to 25 per week

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