“Covert’s Cabin”, is one of the most original and expansive Icicle based properties we have the privilege of caring for. Located just below the Sleeping Lady mountain rage, this is an antique structure, lovingly and painstakingly preserved both inside and out. We approached this place as we do with every property—with stewardship in mind. Since 2017, we have worked towards building the character, tranquility and sustainable maintenance back into this homestead. Our design and implementation here can be distilled into multiple maxims and all reflect, honor, and complement the original intent.
On a very foundational level is our use of native sedimentary mountain stone for landscape ledge work. Not only is the stone native, but it was also the same stone used to build the home over a century ago. In a situation where no other would do, historical accuracy gave us a beautiful and strong footing for the finishes. The ability to step down into nature with the same featured masonry rock has allowed us a seamless transition. In order to maximize access and outdoor living, a series of flagstone entrances and patios with hand-cut mosaic detail were installed.
“Placement as art” to increase tranquility and outdoor function has become a reality. Infinity edge landing concepts delineate the orbiting bluegrass lawns. This design facilitates minimalism on a large scale while streamlining the lawn maintenance process. The use of aerospace-grade aluminum edging gives us our infinity-edge boundaries between the turf and all other areas. This amazing hardscape dynamic provides the infrastructure needed to define this panoramic lawn and make it enjoyable to maintain.
As you move outward, you can see the use of indigenous old-growth cedar carpentry as both support for the entry and grape stake screening for the heat pump. This allows the shingle-work in the architecture to translate into the surroundings and unites the home within its environment. The front foundational beds serve as a multilevel showcase for ornamental plantings in contrast to minimal grasses, and original farm-implement yard art. Organic needles and debris from the tree canopy are recycled and directly re-purposed as mulch.
The amazing mountain views are each framed with surviving old-growth Ponderosa Pine and Douglass fir. We are proud to care for both the existing arbor structure and a new generation of both pine, fir, and spruce that have been reintroduced. For proportion, we have reforested portions of the area in 15-foot tall evergreen selections instead of saplings. This large option will ultimately provide a not so distant future full of amazing monarch trees for this property.
And finally, a hybrid infrastructure for irrigation comes from the icicle irrigation canal fed by The Alpine Lakes. The system is fully automated and cleans its own filtration during each watering cycle. Both broadcast and drip applications are invisible and build in-ground with flexible durable poly piping. Low volume water conservation gives precise control over water usage and Wifi allows for real-time connectivity with the timed controller.