Townsend Rotary Members Rendezvous At Mountain Silos
Author: MT 43 News Staff Reporter
Townsend Rotary Club Members Rendezvous at Mountain Silos
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
Townsend Rotary Club always treats its members with an outing to an interesting destination once or twice annually. This Thursday members traveled into the Big Belt Mountains to visit the newly opened Mountain Silos retreat. After touring the two cabins, about 30 members enjoyed barbequed ribs and all the trimmings for an evening out.
Tina Homann recently opened the Air BnB at the end of Dry Gulch Road 7 miles from Highway 284. The long-since empty grain silos on the ranch were moved to Homann’s home place three years ago. Her partner Dan Tuxbury agreed they should turn them into living spaces. A daunting project at best. Three years later, the Silos cabins are ready for use.
Dan’s brother Rich, who is a master draftsman, and Jeff Knebl looked over the empty space and began designing circular staircases and windows that showcase the spectacular scenery at 5,300 feet above sea level, right under Old Baldy Mountain’s chin. The two silos with attached cabins are surprisingly roomy, each with a master bedroom, living room, walk-in shower and full kitchen.
Homann said local craftsmen finished the special part of the design and subsequent final completion. Professional woodworker, Ron Salladay, designed and built cupboards and cabinets, some made from Russian Olive trees. The hand railing of the two circular staircases showed his very special talent with wood. “Several of us spent seven hours planning how to make those pieces of wood fit into the twist in the arc of the spiral staircase,“ he said.
Welder Paul Vogl welded the rebar and metal staircase. Another local craftsman, Randy Robertson helped install trim. Dan Harrigfeld designed and installed the bathroom shelves. The showers sport re-purposed metal from the original floor of the silos. Kitchen cabinet knobs are fashioned from petrified wood found near Canyon Ferry Lake by Robertson’s wife Polly. Men in the local Amish community formulated and prepared the circular ceilings of the Silos with tongue-in-groove blue aspen trees. The area is decorated with a pen-and-ink work from Broadwater County artist Lynn Cain.
Homann and her family purchased the place in 2000. It was originally owned by the Pat Pennington family. She raised her three boys there until they sadly lost their home to a fire in 2008. She has subsequently rebuilt her home there along with horse corrals, garden space and equipment sheds, while keeping historic sheds and cabins in place.
For more information find Mountain Silos on arbnb.com or contact Tina at albertinahomann@gmail.com.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Photos Images 1905 and 1909: Nancy Marks photos
Image 1 Caption: The repurposed grain silos and adjoining cabins feature views of surrounding mountains.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
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Image 2 Caption: Owner Tina Homann in the round living room of Mountain Silos Air BnB.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
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