Easy Cabin Living in the Colorado Mountains

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Frenchie & Brite~~The Place. The Cabin. The Food. The Life.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains is all about being one with nature. When you unplug, you’ll find complete bliss and wonder in no time.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Fulford Colorado

So, we, Ben and I, and our dear friends Penny and JB were invited to Frenchie and Paul’s cabin in Fulford, Colorado. 

How do you describe the life in Fulford?  Well, during the summer that is because in the winter there’s even fewer folks there because the roads are closed due to being impassable.  So, the only way you get there is by snowmobile, snowcat, snowshoeing or skate skiing (like cross country) in with skins.  

You better bring in your provisions, too, cuz there ain’t no runnin’ out for milk!  In the warmer months after the snow’s melted, and the roads are open, the ‘town’ is bustling. Well, there may be about 100 folks there.  Adventuring in the Colorado high country is exquisite but requires preparation. 

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Since there’s no way to connect with cyberspace, people actually meet up outside and talk.  They sit around fires at night.  They get out on four-wheelers during the day.  They hike and walk and visit each other.  There’s mountain biking and just sittin’ out on your porch.

Basking in the summer sun, breathing the good clean air, and forgetting about anything that woes or worries you.  Cabins range from those built years ago by the homesteaders and still in use to new folks coming in and constructing homes that have lots of modern conveniences, relatively speaking.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Log Cabin Living

Frenchie & Brite. Two eclectic, talented, adventurous friends of ours. Frenchie, an adorable spitball of energy not 100 pounds soakin’ wet, was born and raised in France and came to the U.S. years ago. She journeys back often to see her family who all still live there.  Brite, her Boston born soulmate and husband, fondly calls her ‘Cherie.’  

Brite can do anything from laying stone, wiring a house, and  making something out of nothing to plumbing and roofing.  Both are adventure driven. Travels to Nepal, hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro, rafting for weeks in the Grand Canyon, cycling trips of hundreds of miles, skiing, backpacking, snowshoeing, and more!  

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

And, they love cabins. Finding rundown fixer uppers in remote and gorgeous areas. Brite making these cabins not only livable, but convenient, and Frenchie creating the warm, welcoming ambiance and sharing her French background in most everything from the lace window treatments, old French percolators for coffee to the vintage family heirloom dishes and antiques.

Cabins in Colorado Mountains

We’d snowshoed through this old mining town several years ago as the six of us undertook a hut trip weekend. Backpacking in all provisions, sleeping bags, equipment and vino for a weekend, is not easy because we had about a 10 mile hike high into the mountains.  

We all loved snow covered and frigid Fulford, and come to find out, Frenchie & Brite loved it so much they bought a run-down cabin!  To give you an idea of how remote this place is, in 2010 the official census count was 2!  

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

It’s hard to describe ‘The Place’. Some pictures might give you an idea.  But, there’s no way you can experience the crisp smell of the alpine forests, the cool breezes, the hot sun, the cold nights when the temperatures drop to the 30s even in the ‘summer’.

There’s a ‘fire department’ and there are lotsa folks there in the warm months. No electricity, no Internet, no cell phone service, a few cabins with indoor plumbing and bathrooms. Lots of amazing wildflowers, trails to explore, and quietness that is soul soothing and spirit satisfying.

Secluded Cabins in Colorado

Driving to Fulford isn’t all that difficult (well, that’s a relative term), but the roads do become dirt and backcountry with plenty of potholes and rocks that are indigenous to The Rockies.  You gain elevation as you meander through the mountainous country, and there are no guard rails, narrow roads and drop offs that can almost make you pee in your pants if you’re not careful!  

There’s a ‘phone booth’ place, designated by red paint on a tree. This is where you can sometimes, if you’re lucky, pick up a cell phone signal. Of course, it’s still about 5 miles from town.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Best Cabins in Colorado

When we made the turn into Fulford, it was like entering the valley of hope and goodness.  Wildflowers abounded.  We were enclosed and snuggled in 360 degrees by the magnificence of the Rockies, the New York Mountain Range.  I swear the sky is bigger out there and more brilliant blue.  

As we drove down the bumpy dirt main street, we spotted Frenchie & Brite’s cabin. A steady stream of smoke was coming from their metal pipe chimney. We were close.  We had descended into a place that is reserved for the adventurous, the nature driven, the seeker of clean air and clean living. No pollution, no crime, no nothing but bliss.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Cabin Life

It was evident all the work that Frenchie & Brite had put into this cabin for more than a year.  

So many aspects of the remodel had a story and a history. A beam from Fulford’s old general store when it was alive and kicking during the mining heyday,  salvaged bricks from another historical building in the county, the original ‘Fulford’ wood burning cooking stove that had belonged to the original owner almost a century ago, a new spiffed up outhouse!

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Small Cabin Living

 Then, of course, there was the authentic French touch, feel, smell and ambiance only Frenchie could achieve!  Not big enough to cuss a cat in, the six of us had more than enough room and space. We were together, talking, laughing, eating, drinking, reminiscing, making memories for other times to share, over time, embellish and extend.

Easy Cabin Living in Colorado Mountains

Small Cabins

 

I’d worked several days prior to us heading to the cabin on a dinner menu. Morrocan Meatballs in Sauce, Arugula Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Balsamic Drizzle, Pan Sautéed Fresh Veggies, Peasant Bread. And, Amalfi Coast Raspberry Mascarpone Desserts .  JB was in charge of the breakfast menu, and he was fixing Frenchie’s favorite, his ‘Chuck Wagon Turkey Sausage Egg & Cheese Casserole’.

Then Penny was doing cheese grits with shrimp. There’d be plenty of fresh fruit with lavender & mint, and I’d even packed in some ham hock slow cooked pinto beans with green onions for the morning meal.  Frenchie had slaved away on several appetizers. Lime shrimp and smoked salmon, and I added to that  Sweet & Spicy Saigon Spread.  Our cooler was full of great wines,  specialty beer, and vodka for martinis and cosmos.  There was a free-flowing supply of gallons of bottled water. An absolute essential at these altitudes!

The only way to finish off the homemade crème brulee is the blow torch!

Log Cabin Interior

Before starting the feasting and libations, we all put on our hiking shoes and rain gear and headed out into this wilderness to explore the breath-taking vistas, trek through the dense aspen forests, and experience the feel of life as it may have been, well, to an itsy bitsy level, back in time.

Making a Cabin

As the sun set and darkness descended upon us, Frenchie and Brite lit the oil-burning lamps.  The coo coo clock promptly coo coo’d on the half hour and hour.  We all gabbed for hours after dinner.  

The neighbors built their fire and put their lawn chairs around it.  We drank more libations.  JB sat in the Archie Bunker LZBoy and was snoring by 7:30 pm.  Tashie, the pup, snuggled into her bed by the wood-burning stove for the evening knowing that another adventurous day was ahead of her.

 

 

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8 Comments

  1. I so enjoyed reading your adventures with Frenchie and Brite! Sure sounds like a little bit of heaven, Ally! Your photos are wonderful! Thanks for sharing the mountains, food & memories with all of us! Sure makes me want to visit that timberline in person!!!

    1. My wish for you, Sharon, is that one day you do come visit the timerline and see these amazing Rockies at 14k feet…I so enjoy sharing these unique adventures and having you take time to read and comment makes it ALL worth while!! xo

      1. Gemma Tremblay says:

        Luv the story! My husband served in Ft Carson Colorado. We loved the Cheyenne Mts, The North Pole and surrounding mountains. We own a big farmhouse up in The Enchanted Mountains of Cattaragus NY surrounded by thousands of acres of the MIA multiple use area, deciduous forest. Retired from my nursing career, I watched nature every day. Got a certificate in herbal medicine making. We lived semi sustainable off the land, grew gardens, raised many animals. LIFE has been good. The farmhouse is for sale. It’s an amazing area! Zoar Valley is the spot for all outdoor activities. Kayaking canoeing salmon fishing hiking hunting horse & buggy Amish wildcrafting herbs. Your story is inspiring. I refound my life at the farmhouse. It’s been my healing place after a horrible accident that retired my career of nursing and teaching. God, nature and mountain life nourished my soul. At 61 now, I am ready to sell and let someone else reap the healing blessing. Mountain life has taught me life. God Bless
        Gemma

        1. OH, gosh, Gemma! I’m so inspired and moved by your words. And, a big THANK YOU to your husband for his service (my son is a LT COL in the Army Reserves and has served now for 16 years). Your place in Cattaragus NY sounds exquisite! Yes, watching nature daily does so much for the soul. Just removing yourself from all the commotion of life has a medicinal effect. Then growing and eating all your wonderful food. It’s the grand elixir for life. I’m so sorry for your horrible accident, but happy you found solace and healing in such a gentle place. Your comment is truly awe inspiring! Thank you, my new friend. Don’t be a stranger. You’re a young vibrant spirit and I love connecting! xoxx ~ally

  2. And I thought the place in the Adirondack Mountains where we would go each year was remote! Love your adventurous spirit, Ally. A cabin in the woods with amazing food and dear friends sounds wonderful 🙂

    1. Priscilla! I’m sure the Adirondacks are similar! Yes, our adventurous spirits fuel our lives and make it so much more rich! 🙂 xo

  3. Love reading all about your adventures and love of food. Your recipes are a delight to follow and even more delicious to eat. Thank you Ally for letting us into your life xoxo

    1. Oh, sweet, Beverley! Thank YOU for taking time to come visit and comb through my adventures…I just hope that things like this give you a flavor of places that you may never know of or have the chance to explore! Adore you sooooooooooooo much!! xoxo

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