Yahoo! Signed contract in hand!

Started by NM_Shooter, February 22, 2008, 02:53:11 PM

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NM_Shooter

 :) :) :) :)

Fedex came today with a present.  The sellers accepted my contract!!!!  Here is a picture of the upper meadow on the property.  This is a land / hunting corporation, and this picture shows the North East quadrant of the property.  Everything except the top 1/5 of this picture is on the property, and it extends 1/4 mile behind me and 1/2 mile to the right. 


Hmmmm.... where to put that cabin???

For more info and pix, check out their home page:  www.blokranch.com
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

glenn kangiser

"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


peternap

These here is God's finest scupturings! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for this right here!

Ndrmyr

"A society that rewards based on need creates needy citizens. A society that rewards based on ability creates able one."

Willy

Nice you got the Lake in the deal to? How many acres is it? Looks like it is not in snow country unless it was taken at a different time of the year. Mark


ScottA

Grats! Looks like a nice spot. Right where you are standing in the pic looks like a good cabin spot. I see a few dozen other good spots too.  [cool]

MountainDon

Great!  Congrats Frank!!


That is definite snow country...


Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

Thanks folks!

Depending on the time of year, the lake ranges from about 1 acre to 3/4 acre.  There is also about 3/4 mile of river... the west fork of the Rio Brazos runs through this property.  There are at least two other smaller ponds on the property too...the others are more like 1/6 acre or so.  Lots of trout, elk, bear and deer.

Don is right... definitely snow country.  It is probably under 12' of snow right now.  Lowest point on this property is 9990 feet of elevation.  That's the major downside.   This is a late spring through early fall access only. 
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

Redoverfarm

Good catch frank.  You'll have a great place.  Looks like you will probably be off grid.  How many acres is there in the parcel.  Do you know is the pond is spring fed or stream diverted from the river?  Might be a good source for water. But from the picture if that is a factor you will build closer to the bottom.  Nice place from the cameras viewpoint as well.


NM_Shooter

Waaaay off grid.  This will be a vacation / hunting / fishing retreat.  Solar panel, two golf cart batteries, propane tank, woodstove, and I am good to go!

For New Mexico, this property is very, very wet.  The lake is fed by springs that flow year round from the hills that surround that meadow.  The guy who took me out showed me multiple springs on the property, and said that there are upwards of 30 springs on the 1500+ acres.  A few of the cabins are situated below the springs, and the owners build a springbox above the cabin and run a pipe down to the cabin for pressurized water. 

Some of the property is very marshy, and in the summer one of the main roads is almost impassable due to the mud.  Who would ever guess that this much water could exist at 10k' elevation.  It is a bit like a caldera though, so I guess that snow melt sinks straight down.

I am a trout fishing nut, and was excited by the amount of fish that I saw in all the little creeks that run over this parcel.  I didn't see any large fish, but I don't mind (I never caught a fish I didn't like). 

One kinda scary thing though.. when I toured the property, two of the cabins had bear paw prints on the sides where the bears were trying to peek into the windows.  We'll be armed with pepper spray and .45s whenever we visit.  Rumors of cougars too, although none seen in quite awhile.

Another down side is how tough the access is.  It is 12 miles and an hour away from paved road.  Luckily there is cell phone reception from a ridge on the west side.  You have to pass through three private ranches to get to this land.  We'll have to be very careful while visiting, as if you get hurt here you are in deep doo. 

Feels like Christmas.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

MountainDon

#10
Quote from: NM_Shooter on February 22, 2008, 11:35:59 PM
We'll be armed with pepper spray and .45s whenever we visit. 

More than likely the bears will visit more when you are not there. But having said that, we've had bears close around us in our part of the Jemez a few times this past year. Right up close twice, a few days apart, when we were inside the RV (early morning) and once when we were on a hike just a 1/2 mile from our place (afternoon). I have a "dingle bell" on the RV coach door to announce the opening whoever we exit.

We carry .45's and Counter Assault bear spray  The 8 oz. size bear spray will spray a continuous stream 30 ft. for 7 seconds. Research in WY has shown that people who use guns against bears are injured much more frequently than those use use bear spray.  :-\ 

Most of those bears are grizzleys which you don't find in NM, so I'm not sure if the results correlate exactly. But human sized pepper sprays don't usually offer a long enough spray time to be most highly effective against a bear. That's from what I read... I'm happy to report that I've not had personal firsthand experience.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

I've also heard that guns are ineffective on bears too.  We have counter assault spray in our camper, and everybody will be getting one in a holster.  There are also cattle on the property during the summer (bulls).  I am hoping that the bulls will leave us alone when we are fishing.  Existing owners say that the cattle avoid people.

My gun is primarily a weapon of last defense. 

I've been searching for a framing CAD tool, as I want to kit this cabin and bring it up in wall sections on my trailer.  I want to be able to draw out in cad every component on the walls. 

Funny how I am more obsessed now than ever.  I have to have a weather tight structure by Nov 1 of this year.

-f-
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

MountainDon

There are range cattle in our neck of the woods. A few bulls included, but for the most part they stand there trying to look tough, but move away.

I had a look for some computerized drawing tools last year but gave up for various reasons and went back to my old drafting tools, paper and pencils.

My construction plan is to make materials lists for the different stages. Then precut to lengths (and label) various things. Prefabbing wall headers and the like is fine. I'll haul the sticks up there and assemble on site. For me the hauling of prefabbed sections and then raising them in place is simply too problematic.

I may have the lumber dealer in Los Alamos deliver some of the lumber and sheet goods. Depends on his costs vs HD and hauling it myself. I'll decide when closer to build dates but his delivery charges last year were reasonable considering he'd do it in one drop vs my several trips. Of course I have the "luxury" of paved roads for all but 5 miles... only the last 2 miles are rough, second or third rate forest roads.

Also once the end of May comes we can be involved full time with the project. We still have a little land and road work to finish before construction starts, but we should be able to really go at it through June before it starts to get warm/hot in the July afternoons.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

rwanders

I've lived in Alaska for 40 years---we share the land with some really really BIG bears---when it comes to using handguns for bear protection, we sourdoughs usually tell newcomers to always file the front sight off their .45 or .44 magnums---because then it won't hurt so bad when that brownie shoves it up your rear.
Seriously, the preferred "last resort" bear gun here is a 12 gauge, pump or auto loaded with 5 shells---first three should be 1 1/4 ounce slugs and the last two 00 buckshot----they are used at the last to try and blind the bear (if you have time to fire all 5). The ballistics of even a 44 mag are not much better than a 30/30 rifle. Lots of noise while hiking such as bells on your pack and a large bear spray on your belt will usually get you through OK. I have had four friends attacked over the years----two were killed, two severely injured. One old guy of 76 actually managed to kill a large brown bear when he was attacked while deer hunting on Montague Island in Prince William Sound-----sounds impossible but Moe actually accomplished it with his hunting knife as the bear was chewing on him----a VERY tough old bird. Moe almost lost his leg, but instead he has a 9 foot brown bear rug on his wall. Moe had a 30.06 with him but the brownie was on him so fast he wasn't able to bring it around before he was hit by what he described as a hairy brown locomotive (it weighed approximately 800 pounds).

Your land is gorgeous!!!
Rwanders lived in Southcentral Alaska since 1967
Now lives in St Augustine, Florida


glenn kangiser

Thanks for the bear info, rwanders.  I commonly have a bear or two per year here also and never consider using anything but my 30.06, but as you mentioned -- that would be if I get to it first. 

Doesn't seem that remote but -yup - I guess I live in the California wilderness.  A neighbor had to shoot one on his porch last year as it was tryingto break into his house.  I had to shoot one the year before that broke into my chicken pen twice , several neighbors houses and came back the third night.  That was her mistake. [crz]

I was sleeping outside with my 30.06  d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

MountainDon

The NM bears I've seen don't get to be as big as your Alaskan bears, but they are bears nonetheless. It was good to hear someone who's been in big bear country long enough to be called a sourdough confirm the validity of a good bear pepper spray. Thanks. I guess I'll leave the front sight intact and figure carrying the .45 is to discourage two-legged critters.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

glenn kangiser

Wait a minute -- I'm supposed to walk up to this bear and go, "Like excuse me, I don't want to hurt you so I'm going to do the P/C thing and spray you in the face with pepper spray?" ???

I dunno, Don.  That doesn't sound like the way of the white man to me. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

MountainDon

 :-\     ??? 

:) I'm just saying that what I've read is that people who have used bear spray in bear attacks seem to have a better chance of surviving with no injuries than the folks who used firearms. It goes against the grain ya' know... I feel I'd rather let loose with a hail of lead instead of pepper. But even people who don't sell bear spray say it's better. Note that bear sprays contain a lot more pepper than ordinary pepper sprays that are effective against mere humans. They can also shoot a stream 30 feet.  :o I read somewhere that using a people pepper spray on a bear is just like handing them the condiments for the meal, and the meal is you.

Prevention is the best way though... make lots of noise, make your presence known, jangling bells, carry a boom box, don't bathe so they can smell ya' good, that sort of thing.  ;D

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

ditto about the pepper spray.  We have lots of friends who do serious backpacking, and pepper is the preferred bear stopper.  If you are using a gun, you have to hit the central nerves to stop a bear with deadly intentions.  They won't feel the bullet otherwise and just be pissed (it would take them too long to bleed out from a chest hit if you were that lucky. 

The other risk is that if you shoot a bear that was bluffing, wound it and it runs off, that then becomes a very dangerous bear.  Pepper wears off but the bear remembers the pain.  A wounded bear is a serious threat.

I just read that rangers are using clear paint balls in Yosemite to re-learn the bears that people mean pain and aggravation. 

BTW... this is not a purse sized pepper spray.  This looks like a mini fire extiguisher, and the density of the content is way above personal defense variety.  I hope that if I ever have to use it that I am up wind :-\
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"