January 01, 2009 Progress Report



Ruby’s castle wall is now revealed! This wall
towers above you as you approach the front
entry of our final five-plex residence.

When 2008 ended, we had just experienced one of the heaviest snowfall levels ever seen for the month of December. When the first week of 2009 ended, the snowfall rates had remained high. The 2007-08 winter had been one of the best we’d seen for snowpack in the Flathead River Basin, and we were already on pace to exceed last year by a wide margin.

Then the snow stopped.
And it warmed up.
And it rained.
Then it froze.
Then it warmed up again. A lot.

A veritable epidemic began around Northwest Montana. Rooftops that had survived decades of winters were leaking or, in a few cases, caving in. Eaves and valleys had icicles seven or eight feet long, 12 inches in diameter. Ice dams were building up several feet thick. Our slow economy suddenly led hordes of unemployed young (and not-so-young) men into the field of shoveling roofs.

And through it all, we were able to be staunchly proud of our framing crew (GT Builders) and our roofing crew (Rainmaster), because we were among those whose problems were only minimal. Everything held up structurally, and the problems seen around the area were largely avoided for us.

The whole situation, though irritating and challenging (imagine going up on top of a 14" thick ice dam to try and break it loose… and you’re standing on top of it), was a terrific learning opportunity for us. We were able to determine which areas of our complicated roofline might have problems in the future, and then ensure we were adequately prepared with electrical circuits for ice-melt. We were able to research the products available and find the most effective, energy-efficient, and aesthetically- pleasing ice-melt on the market.


It isn’t cleaned up yet, but the flagstone shown
here in Yellowstone’s living room gives a
glimpse into the character of this fan-favorite.

In the meantime, we continued to move forward in all other areas of the project. Our progress in Boulder and Yellowstone remains on track to be able to focus on the exterior landscaping and fine-touches when warmer weather hits us. By the time summer hits, we hope to have this as our main focus for all of the waterfront buildings. The tile crew of Flathead Masonry and Tile was able to finish all the tile flooring in The Boulder, and the cabinets will be installed in February.

Yellowstone’s flagstone floor has gotten underway, and this new facet is drawing perfectly from the character of the stone columns, plaster, reclaimed timbers and iron hub already in place. This residence is our smallest square footage, with the lowest ceilings and biggest design challenges, and yet it seems to just be alive with a personality that is so unique from the others.

We’ve continued to move forward in The Swan, finishing the stone inside the entryway and stairwell, giving a continuation from the stone on the curving stair tower outside. With a few design details in our stone application, we’ve created a feeling that the entire entryway and stairwell have been chiseled out of a massive, ancient rock outcropping. The plaster above is nearly complete, and we expect this entryway, when complete, to give us our biggest “Wow Factor” seen to date.

Each residence of the five-plex has seen its share of action as well – none of them quite so dramatic in character as the waterfront residences, but still critical steps in moving forward.


The Swan’s upper patio got its wall cap – matching
the one along the entry patio – and the stairwell tower
is now matched on the inside.

In the Missouri, we’ve finished insulation, installed drywall, taped and textured, begun plaster and stained the exposed timbers in the great room.

In the Madison, we’ve finished the insulation, begun hanging drywall, wired the home theater, begun setting stone in the foyer (on the exterior walls – another one of those steps to creating the thick, ancient-looking walls), made a few minor framing changes, and buttoned up some plumbing and HVAC for our fire separation.


Our railings around the cantilevered upper driveways
are now visible for the first time with the completed
ArcusStone underneath.

In the Gallatin, we’ve started installing the elevator (a monumental step for anyone who has taken the stairs to the rooftop patio), finished the tile on the rooftop patio, finished the electrical, sound and security wiring, had meetings about design details, nearly finished our insulation, and worked on the steel for the north deck overlooking the courtyard.

In the Big Horn, we’ve finished our plumbing, worked on our HVAC rough-in, added timber details in a few areas, soda-blasted the new timbers, finished the brick work outside, started the electrical, started the sound and security, and built a fireplace for the master bedroom.


A hint of what’s to come: Ruby’s porch fireplace
and the creative brickwork make the most of yet
another opportunity!

Finally, in the Ruby, we’ve worked on the porch fireplace brick (nearly 23 feet tall from deck to ceiling!), started the plumbing… wow, that’s it??? Wait – we also finished the mammoth stone wall you saw in the picture at the beginning of this report.

Of course, none of this includes finish roofing, storage areas, exercise rooms, snowmelt mechanical rooms, pouring concrete, excavation work, trim material and doors being fabricated elsewhere, and a week-long trip to the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas! We checked our attendance one day this month, and there were 62 workers on site! The parking alone has been a daily challenge! Forgive the almost-bullet-style format of this particular edition, but it helps to drive home the point of just how much is going on around here!

By the time we write another one of these updates, the weather will be turning and giving us hints of spring fever. If all goes according to the master plan (and everyone knows how easy it is to keep a master plan in the construction industry!), we’ll be finishing the interiors of the waterfront buildings just in time to take advantage of the warm summer months and landscape the northern half of the property.


It’s tough to resist including just one more view of Ruby’s western wall. What doesn’t show up too well in the photo is the ArcusStone wall in the background,helping to complete the look of a building that’s been here for hundreds of years.

We know most of the news being broadcast these days is far from positive or optimistic, and whereas we don’t want to sound naïve with regards to the future, we certainly don’t mind saying how grateful we are to be on such a project. In fact, one common element has stayed consistent throughout this project (even at the start when the construction industry was booming): Everyone working on this project has so much pride in what they’re doing, and the excitement to be part of such a project has been contagious. But now this feeling is paired with a new element; all sixty-plus workers (not including suppliers, handlers, delivery personnel, or those contributing elsewhere in a shop) are thankful for every day we get to show up here. This has been a unique project from the start, and it didn’t need any extra help, but today’s economy and challenges add a sobering aspect that will turn this experience into one we’ll tell our grandkids about.