In the Forest, in Northern California

I have been in Northern California for about six weeks now, and here are some of the images that I’ve made during that time.


This image may be my favorite. I love the way the light is shining through the trees, and the way the road looks almost like a secret pathway…

  

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Notice the baby ferns popping out of the side of mountain…


And yes, that’s a treehouse on the far right!


And finally, a shot of the iconic Crescent City lighthouse. I shot it from several angles, and then found if I walked out on the jetty just a bit, I liked the angle even better–and since then I’ve seen other photos of it around town, all taken from this exact same angle, so clearly it’s everyone’s favorite spot! Someday I’ll come back when there are clouds in the sky, or it’s sunset, and make a more interesting image of it, but I also like the sunny simplicity of the the one above.

Moving a Tiny House off a Remote Mountain Top

How do you move a tiny house on wheels off a remote mountain top in Northern California? It was a big job! And it required a 4×4 truck to go in reverse for a quarter mile down a steep hill, towing my nearly 7000LB house, on a very narrow and curvy dirt road, where one side was mountain, and the other side dropped maybe 100 feet down to the stream below.

And that wasn’t the end of it… from there the truck was able to go forward, but the road was extremely narrow with tree branches everywhere. Then the house went through a stream, and both the house and the 4×4 truck had to be towed out by a waiting tow truck. Next up were several miles on an old gravel logging road that is now a forest service route, and then finally out onto a twisty and narrow highway, where the cars go 55MPH, and a 10’6″ wide house took up the entire lane, with no room to spare.

I was lucky! I hired the best possible people for the job. Daniel and Sarah of Affordable Towing in Crescent City took such good care of my house. Sarah walked for over a mile, guiding him down the mountain, and moving tree branches and rocks. And Daniel took his time, and was extremely precise with every step–which meant the job went a lot faster than it might have otherwise. I don’t think anyone could have done a better job than they did!

It was an extremely stressful day. I had been dreading it for six weeks. But my house arrived safely, and I’m so grateful to be back on flat land!

My house is on one branch of an old logging road, and my car is on the branch below,  and you can see how steep the hill is between them–and that’s how steep the entire mountain side is.

Hooking up the house. The trailer my house is built on is only two years old, but the ball hitch rusted in the last six weeks, and it was a bit tricky to get the house hooked up and ready to go.

Moving a Tiny House

Pulling out of the side road, and onto the main driveway–the angle was so tight the only way out was to back up down the main road.

Backing up the main road… It looks fairly wide here, and that’s why I was able to get a photo of it. Whenever the road was too narrow, and the cliff was too close, I had to turn away, and not watch. I had visions of my house going off the road, and down the mountain, and taking the driver with it. It was terrifying in a way I’d never experienced before.

At the end of the quarter mile of backing up, the road got wider and there was a tiny parking lot, and the house is almost there at this point!

Finally, going forward! You can just make out Sarah on the left side of the house, holding branches out of the way, and guiding the truck.

is there even a road ahead? Much of the route looked like this–so many trees and an extra-wide house taking up the entire road.

The house is just about to head through the stream. If you take the right Y up, you can go over a bridge, but the bridge only holds 7000 lbs and my house weighs nearly that much alone, then add the truck, and you’d be way over the weight limit–so through the stream was the only way out.

Into the stream! Sarah took the bridge over, and was able to guide things while looking down at the house.

And my house in the middle of the stream. It looks fairly shallow, and it is right now, but I imagine it rushes a lot faster once the rains come, and there was rain in the forecast. So I was grateful to be getting it out before the weather got worse.

This view shows better the angle the house was at, while in the stream.

Yeah, that’s a pretty steep hill to go up, to get out of the stream.

Hooking up the tow truck, to the 4×4 to pull the house out. I was so grateful that several people warned me this might be necessary, and that the tow truck was waiting on the other side.

And the house starts to come out…

Moving a Tiny House off a Remote Mountain Top

And we’re back on the road! By the way, when I look at this photo all I see is that my front window isn’t installed yet–the house will look much better when I can get a window in that big blank space beside the front porch. And the triangular stained glass windows in the gables… And it will look even better when I can do the brackets for my eaves, and then do a fancier roof. But for now, my house is livable, and I’m happy to have it exactly as it is!

Then several miles down a forest service route. This part of the road is gravel, and so much easier to navigate, but still not easy.

Back on a paved road, and about to pull onto the highway. The tow truck took over to towing duties at this point, and the 4×4 became a pilot car to warn other motorists what was coming.

And 3.5 hours later, the house is safe and sound at it’s new parking place! If you’ve ever wondered how tall a tiny house is compared to an RV, you can see how short the RVs in the background look in comparison to my tiny house. As tiny as my house is, it looks massive next to an RV!

Those who inspire us to dream bigger…

Back in 2011, while I was sick and not capable of doing much, I started to follow two blogs, both by women building their own tiny houses: Macy Miller and Ella Jenkins. At first it wasn’t as much about them both being women, as it was me just liking their houses, and enjoying the way they wrote about the building process. But over time, I grew more and more inspired by them both. Neither had any building experience, and both were doing most of the work themselves, with a little expert advice, when needed. Their two houses could not have been more different–Macy’s was artistic and modern, and Ella’s was traditional and a little whimsical–and I loved watching it all come together, over the months, on their blogs.

Since then I’ve become friends with Macy. I help her moderate a Facebook group with over 40,000 members, called Tiny House People, and when I was building my own house, I went to her for advice on the structural engineering, since she’s an architectural designer, and extremely knowledgable on the topic of tiny houses! Her house has been featured in Dwell Magazine and TIME Magazine, and may be the most well-known tiny house on the planet.

 
Then tonight I came across a comment from Ella on a post on Facebook, and seeing her name sparked all these happy memories of reading her blog, all those years ago. So I clicked on her name and the first post on her timeline was a video for a song she just recorded. She plays the harp, and actually included a tiny room for her harp, in her tiny house. I remember hearing an earlier version of this song, “It Ain’t Workin,” several years ago. But this version is more polished, and her voice is amazing!

So I’m sharing that video from Ella, and while I’m at it I also want to share my favorite of all the videos that feature Macy–it was made by the Google SketchUp Team, and it’s pretty great!

I think it takes a certain kind of personality type to want to build your own house, and it takes real guts to actually make it happen, so kudos to anyone who has ever built their own dream house! And special appreciation to the people who inspire us to dream bigger, and do more–and both of these women fit that description for me, and for so many others. Both of them are incredibly inspiring, for so many reasons!

 
And perhaps it’s even more inspiring to see what they’ve done after they built their houses.  Both have continued to dream big, and are accomplishing big things. Macy has been on the road for a year, with her family, in a tiny camper they built–so a second tiny home for the road–and she’s documenting it all. And Ella has released an album, and now a video.

Macy always says “it’s not about the house, it’s about the lifestyle the house provides,” and I agree. I also think that doing something really big, like building a house, even a tiny one, can change your life forever. Make your life bigger and better, and more fulfilling. Give you the courage to go after new challenges… Because honestly? If you’ve built a house, you can do anything!

 

Happy New Year!

The first day of 2018 was gloriously beautiful in Trinidad! The sun shone, and it was good…

Here’s to an excellent year ahead! Happy new year everyone!

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California
This shot looks like an ad for a car, and it made me wish I could get a shot of my own car in this spot? Maybe someday…

Trinidad, California

New Years Eve in Humboldt County

A crowded beach day in Humboldt County...
A crowded beach day in Humboldt County…

Moonstone Beach
Moonstone Beach

Moonstone Beach
Moonstone Beach

Moonstone Beach
Moonstone Beach

Moonstone Beach
Moonstone Beach

Luffenholtz Beach County Park
Luffenholtz Beach County Park

Luffenholtz Beach County Park
Luffenholtz Beach County Park

Trinidad, California
Trinidad, California

Trinidad, California
Trinidad, California

A Rainy Day in Trinidad, California

Looking south...If you come to Trinidad, just know that you’re more than likely going to encounter some wet grey days.

When the sun does come out, it’s glorious!

But you aren’t guaranteed sun every day, or even every other day.

Some days it’s just grey, and wet, and a little dreary…

And if I can find some beauty on those days? Then I know I’m doing something right!
Looking south from Houda Point
Looking south from Houda Point, towards Arcata and Eureka, California.

Ferns and Moss
Ferns and moss on the black rock this part of the California Coastline is known for.

Luffenholtz Creek access to the beach
Trinidad Head is almost completely obstructed by fog–you can just make out the base of it, in the distance. This was shot from the Luffenholtz Creek access to the beach below.

Luffenholtz Beach County Park
Above Luffenholtz Creek access to the beach.

Raindrops on Wildflowers
Raindrops on one of the few remaining wildflowers, even though it’s the middle of winter here.

There are still a few wildflowers left, even in December.
There are still a few wildflowers left, even in December.

Luffenholtz Beach County Park
Luffenholtz Beach County Park

Trinidad, California
Another shot with Trinidad Head almost completely hidden by fog, taken from the south.

Trinidad, California
I think this may be known as Camel Rock…

Carson Mansion and the Pink Lady

The Carson MansionCarson Mansion was built by Northern California’s first major lumber baron, and is arguably the most famous Victorian house in the United States. How many Halloween decorations have you seen, with a haunted mansion that sort of look like they were based on it?

It’s also one of my favorite houses, and I was super excited to see it for the first time, and even more excited to come back with my camera, and finally get some images of it.

Built from 1884-1886, the Carson Mansion is located in Old Town, Eureka, California, right on the water. It was the home of William Carson and his heirs until 1950, when the remaining family left Humboldt County. They sold the Carson Mansion to a private club for $35,000, and the Ingomar Club still exits today, and has done a wonderful job maintaining the house for almost 70 years.

The Pink Lady, sits across the street from Carson Mansion, and was built in 1889 as a wedding gift for William Carson’s oldest son. It too is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture, and is part Queen Anne, with some Eastlake, Italianate, and Stick features, and was designed by the same architects, Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom of San Francisco.

Carson Mansion, Eureka, California

The Carson Mansion

The Carson MansionThe Pink Lady, Eureka, California

The Pink Lady, Eureka, California

The Pink Lady, Eureka, California

The Carter House InnThe Carter House is a replica of the Murphy House, a home built in 1885 in San Francisco, which was lost in the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. The Carter House was constructed in 1982, using the original plans by Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom, which had been discovered in San Francisco. Newsom and Newsom are the same architects who designed both the Carson Mansion, and the Pink Lady, and the Carter House is located just a couple of blocks away, in Old Town, Eureka.

Carson Mansion in 1902
This historical image was shot in 1902, by an unnamed National Park Service employee, and shows how the Carson Mansion looked almost 20 years after it was built. Eureka is still a great place to ride a bike!

Trinidad California, Before the Storm

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Trinidad Head, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Trinidad Head, California.

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Don't Park on the Beach // Photo: Cheryl SpeltsLittle Head, Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Probably the best plan is to just not park on the beach!

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl SpeltsTrinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Little Head is the miniature cousin to Trinidad Head.

Must Love Fishing // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
These guys must love fishing to brave the wind and cold, and later the rain…

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
The pier in Trinidad juts out between Little Head on the left, and Trinidad Head on the right.

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Beside the pier, between Trinidad Head and Little Head is the tiniest sliver of beach…

Windansea // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Ocean Cottage // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Holy Trinity Church // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Holy Trinity Church

Trinidad Eatery and Gallery // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Trinidad Eatery and Gallery

Trinidad Bay Bed and Breakfast Hotel // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Trinidad Bay Bed and Breakfast Hotel

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Looking north, toward Pewetole Island, in Trinidad, California.

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
A very old boat, in Trinidad, California.

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

Trinidad, California // Photo: Cheryl Spelts
Little Head from the pier, looking toward the bay.

December Wildflowers // Photo: Cheryl Spelts

In the Fallbrook Village News…

My hometown paper, the Village News, published this back in June, and I just found it!


Spelts graduates from Trinity Law SchoolSpelts graduates from
Trinity Law School

Last updated 6/26/2017 at Noon

SANTA ANA – Cheryl Spelts of Fallbrook was awarded with the juris doctorate from the Board of Regents of Trinity Law School during commencement exercises held at the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton May 30.

Go to the Village News…
View a screenshot of the page on the VillageNews.com