Building from the Ashes. Literally.
The sexy sawmill and a tractor named Peaches & Cream
I would not have been voted most likely to own a tractor. Maybe most likely to build a house by hand using mud and straw. But definitely not most likely to own a sawmill.
But then shit happens and suddenly you have not only built a house by hand using mud and straw but you also find yourself the owner of one enormous orange Kubota tractor and one sexy portable sawmill.
My friend Mark, who helped hold the initial vision for the land I now steward in the wilds of northern New Mexico, first mentioned the idea of buying a portable mill after we lost about 175 acres to the Hermit Peak's Fire in 2022.
Mark had sent me the specs of a mill that could process 16 feet long trees into beams, 2 x 4 boards, 4 x 6 boards – basically whatever type of lumber we needed.
I rolled the idea around in my head for months, wondering if that really was the best use of resources. I was still reeling from the impact of the fire and couldn't imagine adding one more thing to my list.
So I asked for help from the invisible realms.
“Okay, if I should buy the sawmill now, please give me a sign,” I asked one day in late April.
A week later I was sitting across from my friend Jose Stephens, who has a retreat center and ranch north of me, when out of nowhere he leaned forward and said empathetically: “YOU KNOW THOSE TREES ARE NOT GOING TO LAST!”
That night I ordered the mill.
It arrived a few weeks later in two huge metal boxes with approximately three thousand pieces and one very large circular band saw.
It took us about a month for Franklin and Ernesto to assemble the sawmill, and then another couple of weeks to build up the roads so we could drive it up to what we affectionately call Mordor.
Running a sawmill is messy, hard work.
Running a sawmill in the midst of destruction is even more difficult.
Here are the steps, more or less:
Pick which ponderosa pine to cut, then figure out the best pathway to cut it down so it doesn't fall on or get caught in other trees
Cut the tree down with a chainsaw
Trim off all branches and the top
Put branches (called slash) in dips and arroyos on the land to help slow down water and prevent erosion when it rains
Use Peaches & Cream (our Kubota tractor) with pitchfork attached to pick up the log and bring it over to the mill or to the to-process-pile
Dodge other trees, stumps, and rocks on the way to the sawmill / log pile
Use the tractor forks to lift the log onto the sawmill. Get off the tractor. Adjust. Get back on tractor. Move the log to line up perfectly. Repeat until it is in the correct place.
Park and turn off tractor.
Use a bar to jockey the log into the final position on the sawmill.
Clamp the log carefully so it is stable while being cut, but in such a way that the clamps are not impeding the blade.
Turn on the motor for the sawmill. Check fluids.
Measure the height of the blade so it cuts the bark deep enough to leave an square edge, but not too deep so you lose good lumber
Video #1: First cut
Push the blade slowly and steadily over one side of the log
Unclamp, turn the log, reclamp
Run the blade over the second side of the log
Repeat two more times
Video #2: Final cut
Get back in the tractor and carry the freshly cut beam over to the pile
Place shims under the beams to separate and allow air flow so they dry properly
At the end of the day cover and staple down tarp to protect the beams from rain and wind
Over the past six months or so Ernesto has cut approximately 300 beams of various sizes. We've shared the wood with our neighbors: cutting 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 lumber from the larger beams for various projects: a small deck on someone's porch, trim for a trailer, and recently we made beautiful shelves for the kitchen.
At the end of each day Ernesto looks like a coal miner: black dust is everywhere from the burnt bark.
Soon Ernesto, who has been such a big godsend in his love and care for the land, will move the mill for the third time, deeper into the Mordor forest. As it turns out my friend's remark was correct: two years after the fire we are already starting to see trees rotting from the inside out. So now Ernesto is only cutting the largest trees to mill. We will use the smaller trees for erosion control.
One blessing is that the fire burned so hot that the trees are already well-seasoned – after they are cut they are not twisting or warping, as can happen with green wood.
Another blessings is we now have lots of lumber to build with.
Oh, and as the trees are being cut down post-fire we have incredible views all around.
Our first big project is underway: a 12 x 12 x 12 A-frame cabin with a perfectly-framed view of Hermit's Peak out the front porch.
Franklin, builder extraordinaire, designed the A-frame and is now working with Sat and Mary to build it.
Here is how it started, June 7, 2024:
First triangle up, July 13, 2024:
Here is how it is going, as of July 15, 2024:
Our goal is to eventually have four or five cabins spread out along the ridge with that gorgeous view of Hermit's Peak. This first one is an experiment, and we will learn as we go along to create the perfect A-frame template for the land.
When I first bought the land I had a vision of creating little hermitage cabins; I just didn't know that we would be milling our own lumber from torched trees.
Now I sense these cabins will be a place for people to stay as we mindfully run experiments on how to best restore the land.
And they will also be available for what I'm calling “Artist-in-Wilderness” residencies; a place for people to come to the wilds of New Mexico, get off grid, and let the silence and beauty of this land inspire their creative flow.
Because despite the damage the fire has brought, the land continues to be a soothing, strangely beautiful place. As the trees are cleared the gentle hug of the mountains to the west and south, the majesty of Hermit's Peak to the north, and the soft, distant meadows to the east sometimes feels like a well-crafted professional pencil drawing.
And the beauty will only grow as we continue to clear out dead trees, plant trees and flowers and grasses, and create little A-frame houses dotted here and there.
I’ll share more pics as I get them on the first cabin creation!
Keep going for your dreams, dear ones, even when it seems everything has gone up in flames. There are always hidden treasures and new possibilities that will emerge from the ashes.
Share a time you have spread your wings and phoenixed after a burning… or any other thoughts or stories in the comments. I read and respond to everything and love hearing from you.
Wild, Willing, and Wise Release Party July 30th
Join me July 30th to celebrate the birth of my new book, Wild, Willing, and Wise! I’ll be tuning in via zoom live from Edinburgh, Scotland (where I am currently traipsing around the gorgeous highland countryside - current pic below.)
Get the zoom link for the launch party here: wildwillingwise.com/launchparty
The launch party will be epic: surprises, gifts, interactive explorations, readings from the new book, and a few special giveaways. : ) Everyone is invited.
Wild, Willing, and Wise Book Tour
Then on August 1 I fly back to New Mexico and my first live book event will be in Santa Fe on August 6th. Then I’ll be on the road for two-months visiting 25 cities to share the new book.
See the full tour list and get tickets / reserve your space:
wildwillingwise.com
Make haste to yee local bookshop to pre-order Wild, Willing, and Wise now, get a copy and a hug from me on tour, or order online at:
Bookshop.org • amazon.com • Barnes & Noble
This is wonderful and truly inspiring!!! You are true Pioneers!!!! I look forward to the continued adventurebbb
Such hard work! Reminds me of a saw mill my brother built on land I owned with my first husband in my early 20’s. Brings up all my old dreams. So glad yours are blooming out of the ashes!