Colorado Yurt Company Customer Stories: Backcountry.com
If you’ve ever worked in a large corporation or call center, you know how hard it is to find a bit of respite in the land of cubicles. The desks, phones and partial walls are certainly a good solution for large organizations to get the work done, but they don’t lend themselves to reflection and creativity.
When backcountry.com customer service center found a need for a meeting space, their creative minds came up with the idea to use a yurt. They decided upon a 706 square feet, 30 foot diameter Colorado Yurt to be placed inside the building among the cubes.
Backcountry.com is probably familiar to most of our customers. Our businesses appeal to the same people: lovers of adventure and the outdoors. Backcountry is one of the premier sources for outdoor equipment and clothing. They’re based in Park City, UT, where they have their corporate offices and the customer service center with the yurt.
We got the call last fall, and we talked them through what options they’d need on an indoor yurt. Obviously, they didn’t need the upgraded snow and wind packages, and insulation wasn’t necessary either. Theirs was one of the most “basic” yurts we’ve built lately.
After the yurt arrived in Utah, they pitched it in the corner of the department- then gave Lexi Dowdall the enviable task of decorating it. Lexi is a marketing writer for backcountry, and she must have a reputation for good taste as well. She was told to “Keep it whimsical. Keep it grungy”. It took three weeks of intense preparation and one week of installation. She chose earthy colors and textures, with a leather sofa, dark wood tables and a leather shag rug. Details include handmade burlap prayer flags, thrift store frames and accents and a crafty version of the backcountry goat logo made of string art on barn wood.
See her photo album of the yurt project here (click through all the pages):
“Besides a notorious hub for naps, it serves us wonderfully as a conference room, classroom and fun meeting space,” says Lexi. “We LOVE our yurt”
The success of this project make us think… there are likely many other businesses that could appreciate a yurt in their midst. Whether a school, corporation, small business or a non-profit- using a yurt as a classroom, exercise space, meeting room or offices- we’ll be happy be the yurt company to choose. We’ll talk you through your options and build the very best yurt to meet your needs.
Making the best better: Product innovation at Colorado Yurt Company
At The Colorado Yurt Company we build our reputation on quality, customer satisfaction and service. We are proud of each handcrafted yurt, tipi and tent, whether it’s pitched in our backyard or across the globe.
A commitment to quality means we are committed to constant improvement and innovation. Over the years, we’ve listened to our customers, added new designs and improved details to make our products the best you can buy.
We’re excited to announce some innovative changes to all of our structures.
Yurts:
We’re proud to launch our Colorado Tall Boy Yurt, with taller walls. The increased height creates soaring interior spaces . These tall walls allow for more creativity with interior design, because there’s more room for furniture and shelves around the perimeter of the yurt and room for a loft in most yurts.
This improvement also makes the entry a full residential sized door to meet building codes. And the addition of an aluminum threshold on every door makes every yurt ADA compliant.
Our Colorado Tall Boy Yurts are still backed by the best engineering in the industry, enabling our yurts to meet building codes and to stand up in heavy snows and winds in all climates.
Window Innovations:
Basic windows: We are now offering a 52” x 34” window designed to go over a counter in addition to our 48” x 48” windows. We’ve always included three windows in every yurt. Now you can mix and match, upgrade to add extras and pick where the windows will be in the yurt.
Operable glass windows: We now offer a curved wood frame operable sliding double pane window. It’s a good looking glass window, and is more affordable than our highest-quality wood casement windows. Glass windows can be opened from inside the yurt, have a more “home-like” feel and insulate better than our basic fabric windows. These new windows are a great way to add a glass window or two, even when you’re on a budget.
Tipis:
We’re thrilled to offer our beautiful handmade tipis in our new 15 ounce (per square yard) Sunforger marine army duck—with or without a flame resistant treatment—in addition to our 13 ounce Sunforger. Both the 13 and 15 ounce materials are 100% cotton canvas with a mineral dye treatment for water and mildew repellence. The 15 oz. Sunforger with the flame resistant treatment is ours exclusively. This fabric is strong, beautiful and breathable. It creates a tipi that pitches beautifully, has a great natural cotton color and texture and will last many years. We’re confident that this is the very best tipi canvas available. Our Tipi Liners and Ozans are now available in 10 ounce Sunforger for greater pitching ease.
Tents:
We’re pleased to offer the same cotton fabrics for our tents. Plus we now have a choice of fly material;you can choose standard 13 ounce vinyl or the 19 ounce ProStructure vinyl fly. ProStructure is the most rugged and durable fly available. It’s the best choice if you have high winds, super-intense sun or other extreme weather conditions. It’s also a good choice for camps and campgrounds.
Color! For a unique tent, you can now choose color for the walls. We offer desert tan or forest green in our 15oz flame retardant Tuff-Star fabric. Pick all four walls in either color or mix and match in any combination. All colorful tents have our 100% cotton, 15oz Sunforger FR fabric on the roof for strength and translucency.
All of these product improvements are available now and are explained on our website. Give us a call if you have questions or just want to know more. We have even more product innovation coming soon. We’re always on the lookout for ideas that will make our structures even better, whether the ideas come from our management team, our skilled crew or our customers.
Yurt Questions Answered: Can You Live in a Yurt?
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Colorado Yurt Company Cimarron Tents at Huckleberry Tent & Breakfast
Sleeping in a tent in the woods… you have a rock wedged under your left shoulder, cold rain drips on your face and you silently curse the person who had this crazy idea…
That’s how some people experience tent camping.
A better way is at Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast in Clark Fork, Idaho. At Huckleberry, guests sleep in our Cimarron Platform tents furnished with luxurious beds and hand-quilted bedding, a kitchen area and even bikes to borrow. Each tent has a sitting area out front to enjoy the views and listen to the sounds of nature. The hosts prepare a fresh breakfast, and share their quaint, family farm with guests. They have gardens, goats, chickens and pets- as well as the local wildlife and scenery.
A tripadvisor review of Huckleberry sums it up:
My husband and I just spent a night at Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast, and it was a pure delight! Christine and Tim and their entire, lovely family made us feel very welcome. After expressing interest in their homestead, they even took the time to show us around and talk about how they live off-grid. The tent site was superb. It was quiet and private, and the kitchen was stocked with everything from s’mores ingredients to bug spray. The bed in the tent was comfortable, and by shutting the tent flaps we were easily able to stay warm all night. Breakfast the next morning (breakfast burritos) was delicious. Stay here if you want an unforgettably unique B&B experience.
Christine and Tim became customers of Colorado Yurt Company over 9 years ago. They came to us for our Cimarron platform tents. They are still using those same tents- and their guests love them.
Christine says, “We love Colorado Yurt’s Canvas Wall Tents. They have held up wonderfully for 9 YEARS!! of being in business. High quality and strongly recommended “
Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast was a leader in the glamping movement, (opening before glamping was even a word). For those who don’t know, glamping is defined in the urban dictionary as: Shorthand for glamorous camping; luxury camping.
Our tent orders have grown with the popularity of this concept. Cimarron Tents are perfect for retreats, resorts, bed and breakfasts and camps looking to provide glamping accommodations. It’s a trend that appeals to a family wanting to experience the outdoors without “roughing it” too much. Couples go glamping to get away from the everyday stresses and reconnect.
A Cimarron Tent, a warm quilt, the sounds of nature on the other side of your wall… what are you waiting for? Go Glamping!
Some of the locals at Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast
Colorado Yurts at Peaceful Acres Horses in upstate NY
In 2002, Nanci Beyerl was experiencing grief, loss and trauma after a divorce. She was fragile, frightened and needed healing. Panic attacks and hopelessness plagued her. As she struggled to move forward, she relocated herself and her 4 horses to a dilapidated old farm near Pattersonville, NY. She intended to heal her soul and perhaps help others. She didn’t plan to rescue horses.
Over time, however, her farm and her mission grew. She took in horses from abusive homes. She rescued horses from kill pens, and adopted off track thoroughbreds. She made room for donkeys and ponies, and even brought home a few goats. As the herd grew, she saw how the animals could help to heal people. An abused child connected to an abused horse, and the presence of a horse’s velvet muzzle and soulful eyes calmed a cancer patient. She went back to school and got her master’s degree in social work to further her ability to help others. She was joined by volunteers who shared her vision for horses and healing.
Today, Peaceful Acres hosts workshops and retreats for foster children, veterans, couples in crisis, cancer survivors and others who need the healing power of community and connection. The farm is now 154 acres and home to 65 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys. It costs over $4000 to feed and care for each horse. Fundraising and sponsorships have become as big a part of Nanci’s job as counseling and healing.
As the farm grew, they needed innovative and affordable space for workshops. In 2010, Nanci and a friend stopped by Colorado Yurt Company in Montrose, CO after vacationing in nearby Ridgway and seeing the yurts at Orvis Hot Springs. They toured our facility and fell in love with the space inside a yurt. With the help of a grant from the Charles Wood Foundation, Peaceful Acres added their first yurt in 2011. Last year, they added a second.
The yurts are used for workshops, retreats, dinners and spaces for reflection and meditation. Peaceful Acres rents the yurts to groups and individuals, raising needed funds to feed horses and promote their work. Nanci says, “Offering the amazing space of a 30 foot yurt from The Colorado Yurt company has given Peaceful Acres Horses an opportunity to invite guests and donors to the rescue sanctuary to enjoy events, lunches and meetings in a very unique setting. Most people who live in The Capital Region of NY State have never been in a yurt. Because of our yurts, they now can get a true feel for the space and all it has to offer. We hope to add 4-6 more on the property for accommodations and wellness retreat programs. “
Looking forward, Nanci sees yurts, tipis and tents used for sleeping spaces for the farm. Also, she would like to add a smaller yurt for yoga, and a coffee house yurt. Her fundraising continues, as the vision and need for Peaceful Acres work with horses and people grows.
Yurt Questions Answered: Who Pitches My Yurt?
You want to buy a yurt. You love the look, the feel, the space, the image. You have a spot picked out and you’re savvy enough to build your platform – or you’ve hired a contractor. But, you can’t get past some big questions… Who is going to set this thing up? Is it a daunting task? Can you actually do it yourself?
Most of our customers pitch the yurt themselves with a small group of friends. Depending upon the size of the yurt and the skill of the crew, it takes 3-6 people. We send you a list of tools you’ll need (mostly just ladders, a cordless drill and a few wrenches). With the larger yurts, you will want scaffolding. You should schedule enough time to put it together without rushing- usually a day or two depending on the yurt size and options.
The first step is to have your deck in place. The yurt needs to be on a solid deck that is a circle the same size as the yurt (a “simple” deck) or on a larger deck with a circular raised area that is the size of the yurt. We have plans available on our website. If you want a warmer, four-season yurt, you can add insulation in the deck under the yurt. Utilities—water, drains and electricity—come up through the deck too.
Next, watch for that truck. We ship most yurts by freight carrier. It’s going to be a sizeable load, so it helps to have a forklift or tractor with a fork. If you don’t have access to that, you can hand unload with the help of friends, or you can unpack the crates.
We have clear instructions that work for most people (It helps to read them ahead of time). We also have several videos and slide shows where you can see the process. And, we are available by phone on weekdays- just in case you need to check something with us.
But, what if you don’t want to tackle it yourself?
No problem. You can either hire a contractor or hire our crew. Most economical- if you live far away from us- is to hire a local contractor. Perhaps the same person can build the deck and the yurt.
If you want our help, we are the experts! We have two options: an expert assist or a full pitch.
With the expert assist, we send a knowledgeable and bossy person out to supervise your crew. You get some strong, capable friends and our crew boss will make sure the yurt is pitched just the way it should be.
If you choose to have our full crew- you sit back in your lawn chair with a cool beverage and watch our skilled crew set up your yurt. They’ll do a great job, usually finish quickly- and you’ll have the yurt ready to use.
Call us for a quote and to check our schedule for pitching.
Yurts, Tipis and Tents: Handmade in a World of Mass Production
Handmade. Custom. Uniquely yours.
There are many ways to communicate what we do at Colorado Yurt Company. But, what it comes down to is this: we don’t have a factory across the globe making our products. Instead, we have talented craftsmen and craftswomen who put their hands on each structure, and craft each element. People often ask where our products are made, and are surprised when we answer- right here in Montrose, Colorado. We’re a small business in a small town in a very beautiful spot in Colorado.
Colorado Yurt Company offices in Montrose, CO
In a world where retailers are talking about drone deliveries and products are stacked to the ceiling in chain stores, we are a rarity. We aren’t against modernization and technology- we just prefer to maintain a personal touch- with quality, customization and professionalism in everything we do.
Maya has been sewing in our tipi/tent department for over 7 years
Each of our options is chosen with quality in mind. That means a handcrafted door on each yurt. That means windows placed to maximize the view and breezes on your land. That means hand painting each design on your tipi and each tent fly finished by hand.
Marina cuts fabric for a new tent
We work with each customer to decide what options are best for their yurt, tipi or tent. That’s why we don’t have an online order form. It’s a conversation when you order. We ask where you live, how you are using your dwelling and often learn a lot about you. It’s the start of a relationship in many cases. After that, we schedule the crafting of the structure in our shop.
Brandon works on a valance for a yurt
After the process starts, we build what you’ve ordered. We don’t have inventory of yurts, tipis and tents in a warehouse ready to ship out. We make each one – with your fabric choice, your options and your special requests written on each work order. It has your name on it from start to finish. When there is any question, one of our crew members walks across the shop to the office and asks whomever you talked to on the phone.
Rick (shipping) and Donald (sales) confer on a shipment
We always like to hear from customers after the sale, too. We share feedback with the whole company. Our crew especially likes to hear stories of how the yurt, tipi or tent is being enjoyed. We believe we aren’t just making canvas structures, but we are making dreams come true.
Chris and Jerry start the hand-finish on a door
We understand the culture of bargain hunting that is prevalent in our culture. However, we also believe in delivering the best product possible, at the most competitive prices while giving our valuable employees a living wage and utilizing their unique skills.
Anna has worked in our yurt department for over six years
As another year winds down, we look forward to a growing number of people who agree with us.
Colorado Yurt Company Customer Stories: Two Yurts make Hunting Camp Dream Come True.
This blog is written by a recent yurt customer in Colorado.
A few years ago I purchased some wilderness land in Northwest Colorado, primarily as an investment. I’m a city boy, having been raised in Chicago and never exposed to camping or rugged outdoor adventures. I was surprised to find how attracted I became to the wilderness.
To sate my appetite for my new found love of being in the woods, (hiking and tracking elk herds and deer, discovering grouse leks and the serenity of dense Aspen groves and majestic stands of Douglas Fir), I bought a wall tent. Then two wall tents, then a cook fly, then camping trailers. Well, you get it, I was hooked.
While we ended up with a very adequate hunting camp, I wanted to upgrade so I could easily live and entertain in complete comfort while still respecting the natural beauty and serenity of the land. The obvious choice to me was a rustic but somewhat plush cabin or even a multi-room house.
Factoring in solar power, water, septic systems, lumber, and so many other things, I couldn’t justify putting that much money into my passion. Then, a wise friend suggested the idea of yurts. As they say, “The rest is history”.
While my ignorance was complete, I started investigating on-line and quickly realized that Colorado Yurt Company was by far my manufacturer of choice. My land is high altitude and gets heavy, consistent snows, so I needed a very strong yurt. The Winter Stout Alpine Yurt completely fit the bill. A visit to Colorado Yurt Company headquarters in Montrose, Colorado confirmed my decision.
By working together with Colorado Yurt Company and my family, our plans evolved to joining two thirty foot Winter Stout Yurts- allowing for large kitchen, bath, mud and laundry, plus a private master bedroom along with a charming bunk area.
Colorado Yurt Company designed the connection between the yurts, helped us pitch them, and they have been helpful throughout the process.
Sure, we ended up with an attractive, economical, fully functional and well-engineered structure, but the real reward is the almost indescribable charm and literal joy of what I call the “Yurt experience”. For my money, Yurts are the perfect way to enjoy living in exotic places.
Colorado Yurt Company Partners with Community Options
“Oh, it’s you again.”
When my friend Daniel says this to me, it’s always accompanied by a huge smile. Sometimes he also calls me “Grandma”, Daniel’s idea of a friendly insult. Then, he’ll ask when I’m going to come watch him bowl.
Daniel
Robbie tells me how he’s going to start playing basketball on the Special Olympics team, if his knee feels better. But first, he is wrestling, and he shows off the vinyl and plastic version of a championship wrestling belt he has over his shoulder.
Robbie
These guys are my muscles.
When I am unloading boxes of catalogs, I ask “Can I get some muscles?” The boxes are pretty heavy, and I need assistance getting them into the workshop. Daniel and Robbie are right there to lift them out of my car.
The workshop is the Day Program (Silver Mountain Enterprises), a program of Community Options. Over the years, Silver Mountain’s workshop has done work ranging from sorting feathers for a fly fishing company to cutting shapes for a craft company. The program also places people at different businesses in the community, such as restaurants and retailers for competitive employment.
Colorado Yurt Company began working with the developmentally-disabled adults at Silver Mountain Enterprises over 20 years ago.
Our first employee from Community Options was Joann. When the shop was in Ridgway, she rode the Greyhound bus from Montrose every day to work at our company. Then her family moved to Denver. A few years later, she saw Dan and Emma at an event with six big tipis. Joann was so excited, she actually spoke for the first time in years.
These days we send out catalogs and price lists every two weeks or so, and we need them to be collated and put into mailing envelopes. As our demand for catalogs grew beyond what our office staff could handle, we hired Silver Mountain Enterprises to help us out.
Opal and Jackie put the yurt catalogs together.
For Colorado Yurt Company, it’s been such a great fit. The work is always well done and on time. They deliver the completed envelopes to us, or sometimes they stop by our office for supplies. We appreciate all they do, and we are contributing to their goals.
The muscles are just a bonus.
Good Neighbors: Colorado Yurt Company & YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch
Good Neighbors.
Over the years, our local customers come back time and again for our quality Colorado-made structures. Whether it’s a campground, resort or ski area- our neighbors have come to rely on their “home state” yurt, tipi and tent company- just like customers all over the world.
The past few years, one of our best neighbors has been YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby. Colorado Yurt Company crew makes the yurts for the Y in the spring. Then we load our trucks and trailers, drive over to Granby and a skilled group stays around for a few days to pitch them on site. It’s an assignment that is highly sought after for our crew- a week away from their usual routine in the beautiful springtime weather in the Rockies. If it didn’t involve long days and hard work, some people would call that a vacation.
In 2009, the Y decided to start their yurt village. They developed a master plan to install yurts for guests who wanted a camping type experience, with more comfort than traditional tent camping. Snow Mountain Ranch selected a hilltop site, overlooking the valley, with a view of the Front Range Mountains to the east. Twenty-four yurts are in the master plan- two villages of twelve yurts each. With the addition of the five new yurts we installed this spring, the first village is complete! Snow Mountain’s yurts have been donated by generous families, and completing the second village depends on finding more interested families.
Snow Mountain Ranch has seen a great response to the yurts. Occupancy in the summer is nearly 100%, and they have reservations for months in advance. Guests have left guest book comments about their yurt stays, such as:
- “We liked seeing the stars at night through the skylight! We would definitely stay again!”
- “We enjoyed staying in our yurt as much as we enjoyed saying the word”
- “We were very impressed with the yurt. It was great for the six of us.”
- “Thank you so much for this unique opportunity- I may actually want to put a yurt on my property now! Beautiful!”
Ranch guests aren’t the only ones impressed with Snow Mountain yurts. The press has been intrigued enough to feature them in several articles. The Denver Post featured the yurt village in a 2012 article, and they’ve been mentioned in Outside Magazine and Barrier Free Travels:
http://barrierfreetravels.com/2012/09/cherrie-goes-yurting/
http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/All-Ages-Show.html
It’s been a neighborly relationship for both Colorado Yurt Company and Snow Mountain Ranch. We send some of our potential customers to Snow Mountain to see the yurts via our webpage and personal referral, and some become repeat guests of the yurt village. The Y has been a champion of our company with their site and customer referrals. It’s a relationship built to last. We’ll keep working together toward the completion of the two yurt villages at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in future years.
