Community Driven

Image above: Our newly acquired cat Larch, in the EM wilds

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a little bit about our aspiration for building community here at EM. From the very beginning, Mike and I’s vision for wanting to live on land in the woods was never about just he and I doing a thing for ourselves alone. Our vision always involved the intention to invite others into the mix. 

When we were in land-search mode, a lot of our criteria was based on the fact that other people would hopefully be joining us. Whether to attend events & retreats we’d look to organize & host; visit for the day; stay overnight; or to live part-time or full-time, it was important to us to have land that was both remote & accessible (which was no easy task, especially in our low price range). We saw a number of parcels where had it just been about us getting to & from the land, we may have considered making an offer. But every time we went down an exceptionally bumpy dirt road or a long washboard stretch, our thoughts went to those who would be venturing out to our practice center, and we continued our search efforts. At first, we tried to find land within 30-minutes of Missoula, since most folks would be coming from there and we didn’t want to be situated too far out. But after a long time searching high & low, we were unable to find anything suitable in our price range. So we panned out a little further, until finally landing near Superior, Montana, 60-miles west of Missoula. It’s an easy & lovely drive, with all but the last 5-miles situated on I-90. I wish it were a little closer for folks, but we’re hoping it won’t be too much of a deterrent. 

We were so motivated to get things up & going with the practice community element of Empty Mountain, that just over a month after purchasing the property last summer, we held our inaugural event: a day of mindfulness. We had really nothing in the way of infrastructure yet, other than a pit-style latrine, so we asked folks to bring their own chairs to sit outside on, and bring their own lunch. We borrowed & set up two pop-up canopies for shade, laid a makeshift floor to keep the dirt factor down, and hosted a short day event. We had a lovely time, with a sweet group of 12 of us in total. And afterwards, some of us went to the river for a dip!

As we continue slowly developing our primitive, off-grid set up here in the woods, so much of what we do is geared towards incorporating the presence of others. From gathering supplies to arrange a couple of seasonal places for guests to stay overnight (our van & a large tent with an air mattress) to designing spots for people to sit and hang out, sometimes literally (think: hammocks!), being a place of welcome and refuge for other fellow mindfulness practitioners is a key motivating factor for us here at Empty Mountain. 

Of course, what we have to offer here isn’t for everyone. Those interested in joining us will have to have a bit of an adventurous spirit, or at least a willingness and okayness with things like bugs and being outside and using a compost toilet and not having cell service. We’re a rustic outfit for sure. Over time, we hope to improve some of our systems, build small huts for folks to stay in, and fashion an indoor gathering space for programs, meditation & general common use. Until then, we’re starting where we are and doing what we can. 

As this is our first spring on the land, and we’re still in need of finishing our own 12X14 cabin, that’s first up on the docket for build time this year. Fueled by a community drive, and the insight of interbeing, I see the completion of our dwelling place as a sort of air mask in the airplane situation. Securing our own living space first, is what will enable us to have the ability to focus on crafting spaces to shelter others. 

And not only are we community driven, but we’re also very much community propelled. We have received, and continue to receive, a lot of wonderful support. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it takes a village to build a community, and we are so incredibly grateful that we have one. From words of care & encouragement to people coming out to visit; from those who are financially offering donations to folks who are tuning in to our videos, Facebook updates, and blog posts; and from donations of useful used items to the offerings of services and/or knowledge base, we are supported by a rich, diverse community of friends & family, which we are humbled by and deeply appreciative for. 

And on that note, to wrap up: an update on our first EM fundraising campaign. While we initially set our goal at $10,000, we reduced it to $6,800, on account of being gifted a used ATV, which was originally factored into our ask. The $10k was to cover our portable sawmill purchase (so we can build all the buildings we have in mind), and also to buy a used ATV. As of this moment, we’ve raised $6,538.65! 

We had no idea of what to expect going into this fundraiser. Maybe we’d raise $200 or $2,000 or maybe nothing at all. I had a lot of trepidation. I don’t mind telling you that it was hella uncomfortable for me to ask for money to support our EM endeavors. But I kept reassuring myself what I knew in my heart was true: it takes a village to build a community, and we’re not in this thing for ourselves alone.  

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our fundraising donors:

Rowan Conrad

Nikolay Amirov

Amy Friedman

Suzanne Hendrich

Jeremy Smith

Jenn Troutman

Kate Canrinus

Wendy Paulsen

Matt Myers

Robert Daniels

Kelly Borberg

Mike Cookson 

Jeremy Drake

Nancy Rittel

Tisch Brown

Marko Capoferri

Lindsey Allingham

Miles Schulman

Hannah Carlson 

Soren Kisel

Tim McCormack

Pattie Brown

Shirely Dore

And we had 5 additional donors who requested to be anonymous