Up at our little house on the mountain, we’re about to embark on a big undertaking: more than doubling the size of the house and connecting it to our currently detached garage.

There are a few reasons for this:

• We’d like to each have our own office. Right now, Jena and I swap in and out of the same small office/workout studio.
• We’d like to host more guests than just two people who want to share a small office/workout studio/guest room space
• We need more storage. With all the gear that comes with skiing (multiple kinds!), climbing, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and camping, space is at a premium.
• At night, walking between the house and the garage means running a gauntlet of bears, coyotes, and—most worryingly—mountain lions. We’d rather not roll the dice on an encounter every evening.

I am sure the progress of this project will provide ample opportunity for sharing on this site.

Here are some “before” shots: