Returning Home Soon
Above pics of EM taken by our son Jaden Burrell in early February, 2023
Mike and I are looking forward to returning home soon to Empty Mountain (EM). We arrived to Deer Park Monastery in late October, and we plan on taking to the open road in our van Olister in about 10-days, bound for Montana.
Given that EM is located in the mountains of western Montana, where spring unfolds slowly, we expect to return to a good amount of snow on the ground. We anticipate needing to put in some good old fashion hard work just to access our hermitage (aka small cabin) and dig out our vehicles. While we did manage to get the wood-stove piped in right before we left, what we did not manage to prep was wood in which to burn. So that will also be a task waiting for us. The gravel road we’re situated on, however, is county maintained (translation: it gets plowed), so we should have decent access in.
While we’re very much aware that things are subject to change, and one never knows what will transpire - ya know, cuz life and things - we do have a tentative plan for EM for the coming year.
The infrastructure building plan:
Set up a fundraiser for a saw mill
Finish the hermitage
Set up a humanure (compost toilet) system
Make a covered storage area to store & dry firewood
Our plans for finishing the hermitage involve fetching first the saw mill, so that we will be able to craft our own lumber in which to fashion the siding, interior walls, and flooring. Ideally, we’ll also get a front covered porch built and added on as well. While the saw mill situation is Mike’s domain, from what I understand, it will be the major workhorse of our operation and a critical member of our EM team. While it has a hefty up front cost, it’s what will allow us not only to finish our hermitage but also continue adding small huts for folks to stay in, and a larger building down the line for group-use & gathering space. The saw mill will enable us to make use of the trees we have on site, verses purchasing store-bought wood. Not only will this save us a lot of money over the long-run, but it will afford us the ability to be more self-sustaining and make use of our local resources.
As our financial resources are limited and finite (we have some money left over from buying the land outright in July 2022, with the money we received from selling our house of 18-years in September 2021, which we’re being very careful & intentional about how we spend), we’ll need to do some fundraising for some of the bigger ticket items we’ll need, in order to help build and grow our vision for Empty Mountain to become a mindfulness practice center, and potential residential community.
The community building plan:
Organize & host a mindfulness day once a month from June-September
Possibly organize & host a summer weekend camping retreat
Be open & welcoming to friends & fam for day visits & overnight stays
Possibly try to arrange some work parties
While I would personally like to see us do a number of other things this year, such as: develop our driveway and parking meadow for better vehicular access (especially for RV’s and camper trailers); figure out an on-site, affordable, weather-proof solution so that we can move the rest of our stuff onto the land and stop paying a monthly storage fee; set up satellite internet; and purchase a large canvas tent of some kind to have a temporary/seasonal community gathering space, I’m aware that when it comes to building & construction, projects often take a whole lot longer than one thinks they will. So we’ll have to see what transpires, and what we have the time, energy & funds for.
In the recent EM chats Mike and I have been having, we’ve identified how nice it is to be on the same page in terms of being at ease with simply starting EM where we’re at. While we have big visions for EM, we’re happy with starting small and rustic and seeing how things unfold over time. We’re happy taking things slow and seeing what springs forth from our heartfelt efforts of living simply, intentionally, and with the practice as our foundational base. It feels good to not be in a big hurry, or too fixed on outcomes or needing to meet particular goals.
In the years leading up to selling our house and buying land, we considered & investigated a number of different possibilities for what would later become Empty Mountain. We researched: how to start a non-profit; whether it would be possible to find people to pool resources & purchase land with; different loan options; whether we wanted to have a steering committee to help us formulate our vision; how to compile bylaws; and a variety of organizational structures. Looking back, and at where we are now, I’m so so glad that we decided to keep things simple and not venture into the world of loans, non-profit status, bylaws, business-like structures, subdivisions, and the like. While we may wander down some of these roads as time goes on, we’re keeping things simple right now and taking things one step at a time.
The slow & steady model also allows us to feel our way onto and into the land we are now inhabiting. As caretakers of the land that is now our dwelling place, we place importance on interacting with our surroundings in such a way that doesn’t involve us hard-charging in with big ideas, bulldozing trees and ripping up the earth willy-nilly. We want to listen to the landscape and involve ourselves with the interplay of the seasons. We want to see what local animals interact with the acreage, and do our best to develop EM in harmony with our neighbors. We want to respect the land and the ecosystem it manifests and supports. In short, we want to be in an active relationship with both the land and the slow-forming organism that is Empty Mountain.
There’s a whole lot of stuff to do, friends. We are super new to this whole living off-grid thing and we have very little on-site in the way of infrastructure. And we still have a lot to figure out in terms of our systems for hauling, storing & dispensing water; storing & hauling trash; taking showers when it’s not summertime; storing food; and optimizing & honing in our solar power system set up.
There’s thrill and also apprehension involved in our upcoming return home to EM. Having moved onto the land on July 1 of 2022, thus far, we’ve only experienced living on the land in the peak of summer and early fall. The royal kingdom of the unknown awaits, and we feel pretty darn sure it will involve the full range of human emotions.
Speaking for myself, I feel as though I’m getting more skilled at greeting and welcoming the landscape of the unknown. Ever since selling our house in Missoula 18-months ago, we’ve been on a steady path of entering into the wilds of uncertainty, in a much bigger way than I’ve ever experienced before. Everything takes practice!
Speaking for both Mike and I, we are genuinely looking forward to seeing what this year brings for EM. And for those of you who have interest in what we’re doing, we hope you’ll continue to follow our journey, and join us in our efforts.
Leaf made & photo taken by Nicole