Small Beach House in Mexico Breaking Ground

We’ve recently broken ground on a small beach house in Mexico.  The home is organic in nature and designed for outdoor living, as well as situated to bring in the ocean breezes.  Located above the Pacific coast between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, this hillside beach house is about 30 miles (48 km) SE of Zihuatanejo and the beach resort town of Ixtapa in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

North View from the Beach House

Views are wide ranging out to the Pacific Ocean and up and down the coast.  More information, including schematic plans and elevations of the home, can be found on our Mexico Beach House blog post.

The builder is Israel Magna Rodriquez of In-Progsa.  Construction materials for a beach house are quite different from a mountain style home.  The typical cedar siding over wood frame construction in the mountains would quickly rot in a high humid location.  The best materials to use in high humidity climates such as coastal Mexico and Nicaragua are less perishable ones like concrete and native hardwoods.  This home will be concrete with some hardwood trim and finish work.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain and waterfront architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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Mountainside at Schweitzer

A new residential development, Mountainside at Schweitzer, is starting to take shape at Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, just in time for the start of the ski season in Sandpoint, Idaho. Mountainside at Schweitzer is located just above the base of the Basin Express Quad and the Selkirk Lodge, close enough to the slopes that calling it ski-in/ski-out is almost redundant. Four homes are currently being built by Baker Construction in this new development, one of them will be a private residence and the other three are being offered for fractional ownership.

A unique feature of the fractional ownership will be a concierge type service where someone will completely customize the home to each owner’s preferences prior to their arrival so that everything will be ready for them when they arrive. This service will include filling the refrigerator with food as ordered and getting gear out of storage so owners are ready for action as soon as they arrive.

The new homes that are being built at Mountainside at Schweitzer are employing some green building technologies, and plans call for them to attain some level of LEED certification. Some of the green strategies they will be using include:

• Geothermal hydronic heating and snowmelt
• Structural insulated panels on the Roof
• Reclaimed wood interior finishes
• High Efficiency windows
• Walking distance to the Schweitzer Village and all resort amenities
• Increased development density to maximize open space

The homes in Mountainside at Schweitzer will have excellent views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains beyond. They also look out on Schweitzer’s South Bowl, the Sunnyside lift area, and have exterior decks that look down to the village. The design style of the homes being built at mountainside currently is Modern Mountain Rustic, a subdivision of Mountain Architecture.  Some of the features include large rough sawn timbers, stone veneer, predominantly shed or flat roofs, and lots of windows. All of the homes have garages and indoor gear storage, virtual necessities given the amount of snow that Schweitzer gets.

There are more ski-in/ski-out building lots available at Mountainside at Schweitzer, and also at other desirable subdivisions around Schweitzer, including The Ridge at Schweitzer and The Spires.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect and Tom Russell, LEED AP

Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects in Sandpoint, Idaho.  For other photos, please see previous mountain architecture projects.

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Mountain Biking Around Sandpoint

Mountain Biking in and around Sandpoint, Idaho, as described by Tom Russell, project architect at Hendricks Architecture.

I love summers in Sandpoint. The weather is great, the lakes are warm, and the local events calendar is jam packed with enough festivities to keep everybody busy and active. One of my favorite activities in the summer is mountain biking, and I feel lucky to live in a place that has so much great riding. There is a great variety of mountain bike trails here, and a healthy population of mountain bike enthusiasts to enjoy them. A local cycling club/ advocacy group called the Pend Oreille Pedalers is actively building new trails, so the opportunities for great riding keep expanding.  There are lots of trail guides and they are always looking for new members or people to help with trail building.

Lake Pend Oreille from the Monarchs, with Mineral Point in center background

When I go out riding I am always surprised at how uncrowded and well maintained the trails are. If you have ever ridden in places like Moab or Colorado’s front range, you’ll appreciate the quality conditions and solitude that can be found here, even on the most popular rides. I was in Bend , Oregon a few weeks ago and did a ride that was loose, dusty and rutted from overuse. It was a great trail, but I kept thinking how much more enjoyable it would have been if it was in North Idaho.

From the town of Sandpoint, there are several great rides you can do without ever getting in your car. There is a network of high quality single track trails just west of town in the hills between Pine Street and the town of Dover. Known as Syringa Ridge or Sherwood Forest, the trails there are not well documented, and it is a bit of a local’s secret. Efforts are being made to map it, but I haven’t seen anything public yet. When I first moved here , I enjoyed the adventure of finding my way around there without a map and checking out trails I had never been on. I won’t deprive anyone of the same opportunity by giving away too much about it. If you do go exploring in that area, be aware that there is a lot of private land and access is an issue, so please read the signs and obey parking restrictions.

Gold Hill Trail #3

Gold Hill trail #3 is my favorite. It is a thrilling ride with a sustained 3 mile climb, spectacular views, and a smooth, fast descent on the return trip. There is an expanding complex of trails above the gravel quarry on Bottle Bay Road (another local’s secret area) that connects to the Gold Hill trail #3 and offers a variety of alternatives to explore.

Mineral point has some great trails not unlike Gold Hill in quality and scenery, but noticeably easier on the legs and lungs. My favorite ride there is a 10 mile loop that starts and ends at the fabulous Green Bay beach.

One of the views from Mineral Point

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort also has some great biking, both lift served and self-serve. Ambitious pedalers can get to the resort trails by climbing the 9 +/- miles to the ski area on a fun single track trail that is accessed from several of the even numbered switchbacks on the Schweitzer road. My favorite rides at Schweitzer  are cross country ski trails in the winter. For those who like to compete, Schweitzer has a mountain bike race series every Wednesday evening in August.

New Schweitzer Mountain Resort Trail

Priest Lake is about an hour from Sandpoint, and has some great trials on both the upper and lower lake. Spectacular views, lots of berries, and nice beaches with crystal clear water are all highlights of mountain biking around Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake.

Upper Priest Lake

Faragut State Park between Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene has a lot of mostly moderate mountain bike trails, and it is also a nice place to camp on the lake. It is a good spot for a family outing, especially if cycling is not the only activity you have in mind. One ambitious ride here worth checking out is Bernard Peak.  I think you will agree – the views are well worth the effort.  All About Adventures hosts a mountain bike race series at Faragut every Wednesday in July.

Partial View of the Southern End of Lake Pend Oreille

There a many more great rides in the Sandpoint area, including some big, epic rides in the Cabinet and Selkirk Mountain Ranges. Information on many of these can be found with a quick internet search. There is currently a Falcon guide to mountain biking in the Spokane Coeur d’Alene area that covers some of the Sandpoint area rides. While there is no formal guide to Sandpoint yet, rumor has it a comprehensive guide is in the works.

Tom Russell, LEED AP, Project Architect

Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects located in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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Northwest Mountain Home Developments

As an architect in a mountain resort community, I’m often asked, “What are the big mountain home developments in the Northwest?”  Generally, in terms of mountain homes, I think of the Northwest as Idaho, Western Montana, Western Wyoming, Washington and Oregon.  I won’t include Canada for the sake of keeping the list down.  You can see our recent blog Mountain Home Developments in British Columbia for that, and include areas in Whistler, BC and Canmore, Alberta on the list.  So here are some of the main mountain home developments in the Northwest.

Sandpoint, Idaho is a relatively new community, at least in terms of being known as a resort area.  It is located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, the biggest lake in the Northwest, before it becomes the Pend Oreille River.  Homes and properties surrounding the lake are just starting to be bought and turned into more upscale luxury homes.  The Idaho Club is one example of a private mountain home community in Sandpoint, and has a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, as well as waterfront properties. Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort has a few mountain neighborhoods, including The Ridge, The Spires, and Mountainside at Schweitzer.  Dover Bay, The Crossing at Willow Bay, and Salishan Point are lakefront developments along the Pend Oreille River.

Coeur d’Alene (CDA is a popular abbreviation), Idaho boasts Black Rock and Gozzer Ranch on opposite sides of Lake Coeur d’Alene.  Black Rock is a private lakefront community and has a Jim Engh designed golf course.  The course is often mentioned as one of the finest golf courses in the Northwest, and the Clubhouse is beautiful.  Gozzer Ranch has a Tom Fazio designed course.  Galena Ridge in Kellogg has a mining theme, set on a golf course below Silver Mountain Resort.

Sun Valley, Idaho has been around forever, so there are big mountain homes everywhere, sometimes mingled with smaller homes.  Sun Valley has the original ski resort, and includes the cities of Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey.  Basically the closer you get to Sun Valley Resort the more upscale they are.  A few examples of development occurring on new lots are White Clouds on the northern edge of Sun Valley Resort,  and Independence, located about a mile east and up the hill from Sun Valley.  White Clouds Residences includes 30 homesites at the northern edge of Sun Valley Resort, bordered by the Sun Valley golf course and open space.

In Western Montana, The Wilderness Club in Eureka, north of Whitefish is a big development with a Nick Faldo designed course.  In Whitefish, the area is centered around Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly Big Mountain), and Whitefish Lake.  Iron Horse has been around for a few years and the homes have the rugged, rustic Montana look.  Smaller, newer neighborhoods include The Homestead and Elk Highlands.  Saddlehorn, in Big Fork on Lake Kalispell is another big development.

The Ranch Club, six miles northwest of Missoula, Montana, has a Les Furber designed course, with 198 custom homesites on 343 acres, 72 townhome & condominium sites, and 95 club lodge sites.  In Hamilton, Montana, south of Missoula, is Stockfarm.  Stockfarm has a Tom Fazio golf course among it’s 2,600 acres.  East of there, Rock Creek Cattle Company outside Deer Lodge has 3 to 110 acre homesteads, and a Tom Doak golf course.

Big Sky, Montana is well known for the Big Sky Resort in the Spanish Peaks.  The Big Sky area includes The Yellowstone Club, The Club at Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin, all well known for rugged Montana mountain style homes.  The Yellowstone Club is an ultra-exclusive, invitation only private community with it’s own ski area and Tom Weiskopf designed golf course, all on 13,400 acres.  The Club at Spanish Peaks also has a Tom Weiskopf designed golf course, as well as private ski lifts to Big Sky Resort.    Moonlight Basin is on the north side of Lone Mountain, and the ski resort also accesses Big Sky Resort with the “Lone Peak Ticket”.  Moonlight Basin also includes a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.

Northwestern Wyoming includes Grand Teton National Park, and directly to the north, Yellowstone National Park.  The Grand Tetons are one of the most beautiful, picturesque mountain ranges around.  Jackson, in the Jackson Hole valley, has always been well known for the rustic mountain resort architecture.  Mountain style subdivisions are all over, including Spring Creek Ranch, Topnotch at Stowe and Whitetail Resort. The Bar BC Ranch has 35 to 53 acre ranch sites on 1,400 acres with world class trout fishing, along with views of the Teton Range, Yellowstone National Park, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  The Bar-B-Bar Ranch has ranch parcels starting at 35 acres and up to over 100, with Teton views.  Amangani is a newer development with more contemporary mountain architecture.

Washington mountain style neighborhoods include Suncadia and Tumble Creek (formerly known as Trapper’s Creek) in Roslyn, a town a little over an hours drive east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains.  Suncadia is an eco-friendly resort and is the largest 3-star built-green resort community in Washington State.  The lodge has 254 luxury guest suites and penthouses.  The Methow Valley is also a popular spot for mountain style architecture, and is a very popular cross-country skiing area.  One of the trails stretches for 120 miles, one of the longest XC trails in the world.

In Oregon, Bend is becoming a well know spot for the mountain style.  Bend is the home of Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors.  Jeld-Wen owns several communities, including Suncadia and Galena Ridge described above.  They also own Brasada Ranch, Eagle Crest Resort, and Yarrow Living in and around Bend, as well as Ridgewater, Harbor Isles, and Running-Y Ranch near Klamath Falls.

Hendricks Architecture specializes in the design of luxury mountain style homes and cabins.  While it is not the only type of work we design, most of the homes we’ve completed are in mountain resort areas throughout the West.  Most of our clients are looking for mountain style homes, often fairly rustic.  Feel free to peruse photos and renderings of mountain architecture.

John Hendricks, Architect AIA

Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects located in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, as described by Tom Russell, an architect at Hendricks Architecture.

The first weekend in April this year was a real treat for Schweitzer Mountain skiers.  It was the last weekend of the season, the sky was a cloudless deep blue, and there was new snow on the ground.  By the end of the day Sunday, it was 50+ degrees.  I stood on top of the Mountain on Sunday afternoon taking in the views of Lake Pend Oreille and Montana to the east .  “This is why I live here” I thought.  I find myself thinking or saying this an awful lot, and I probably wasn’t the only one at Schweitzer that day who felt lucky to have chosen Sandpoint, Idaho as my home.

The Great Escape Quad at Schweitzer Mountain

It was a busy day at Schweitzer, maybe the busiest of the season, and there were people everywhere enjoying lunch, drinks , live music, the goofy games of “Spring Daze”  or the great skiing .  Despite the record crowds, I hadn’t stood in a lift line all day, and the slopes never seemed crowded.  Schweitzer boasts 2900 acres of terrain, and it takes an awful lot of people to make that feel crowded.  The only thing I would have changed that day was to have my family there to enjoy it with me – they were out of town for spring break.  Schweitzer is a great family mountain, and we see most of our friends there every weekend.

Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

Prior to living in Sandpoint, I lived in Colorado and Utah for 20 years.  I tolerated big crowds, gridlock traffic, and expensive lift tickets to indulge my skiing habit.  I knew Sandpoint had Schweitzer Mountain, and we had been there several times in the summer, but I had no idea how great it was until I skied there.  I have been skiing for as long as I can remember, and I have been almost everywhere in the US and Canada.  In all honesty, Schweitzer is near the top of my favorites list.  I continue to be amazed at how un-crowded, affordable, and accessible it is. For quality of ski terrain, I would compare it to Crested Butte in Colorado, Snow Basin in Utah, and Bridger Bowl in Montana.

Schweitzer Village is only about 10 miles from Sandpoint, Idaho, up a steep mountain road. Its relationship to Sandpoint reminds me of Teton Village near Jackson and the Mountain Village at Telluride.  Schweitzer has its own village center, with shops, restaurants, realtor offices, and lodging.  It has everything you need, and there is still plenty of growing room for more businesses and accommodations.  In the summer they have music festivals, mountain biking,  mountain biking  races, Frisbee golf, hiking, and lift service to the top of the mountain.  Many people live there year round, though most residents are part time and seasonal.

Mountain biking is a popular summer activity at Schweitzer.

One of my favorite aspects of the village is there is still room to move – it isn’t densely developed with homes and condos on every postage stamp sized lot.  Schweitzer Land and Timber is planning to build new LEED certified ski in/out timeshare condos in a new open neighborhood right near the base of the new Basin Express Quad.  A few new quality developments with sizable lots, ski in access, and incredible views have been created in the last few years.  If you are interested in ski area property, check out The Spires & The Ridge at Schweitzer.

When I was a youngster learning to ski on the icy little hills of the Northeast (my Vermont friends might take issue with the little part), I dreamed of heading west to the “real mountains”.  I seem to have ended up just where I hoped I would – a place a lot like the little Adirondack town where I came from but on a larger scale.  I love Sandpoint, and Schweitzer is one of the biggest reasons why.  If you are looking for a place to hang your boards and call home, give Schweitzer a try.

Schweitzer Bluegrass Festival

We design mountain homes of all sizes.  If you find yourself falling victim to the charm of Sandpoint and Schweitzer, give us a call.  We would love to help you create your mountain home.

Tom Russell, LEED AP

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain Architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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Mountain Home Developments in British Columbia

There are several mountain home developments in British Columbia that specify mountain architecture.  More than I could possibly mention.  I’ll name a few that I know of in Southern and Southeastern BC.  This is in response to a comment on Mountain Vacation in Southern British Columbia and Alberta.  Those developments in Southwestern BC, including Whistler, will need to be in a future post.

British Columbia Mountain Home Developments

Mountain Home Developments in Southern BC:

Lakestone Resort on Lake Okanagan between Kelowna and Vernon.  Luxury lakeside community with some waterfront lots, a Hurdzan Fry signature golf course, village and marina.
Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club, invite only exclusive resort west of Kelowna on Nicola Lake.
Tobiano on Kamloops Lake.  Waterfront community with Thomas McBroom signature golf course, clubhouse and marina.
Red Mountain ski-in and ski-out lots, near Rossland.

Some developments with mountain architecture in Southeastern BC:

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, a mountain ski and outdoor village in Golden.
Lookout Ridge at Sun Peaks Resort, a skiing, public golf and mountain biking resort.
Whiskey Jack Resort in Sparwood.  Fred Couples signature golf course.
Forest Crowne Resort.  Resort community in Kimberley.
Wildstone in Cranbrook includes Gary Player and Black Knight designed golf courses.

Mountain Home Developments in Fernie, BC, a town near Sandpoint, Idaho and Whitefish, Montana.  Fernie is an outdoor resort community with skiing, golf, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, etc.

Silver Springs Development
Alpine Trails
Silver Ridge Estates
Black Rock Estates
Fernie Golf Estates

John Hendricks, AIA Architect

Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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Mountain Vacation in Southern British Columbia and Alberta

The following is an interesting trip through British Columbia and Alberta that Tom Russell, LEED AP, a Project Manager at Hendricks Architecture, took last summer:

Last summer my family and I decided to take our vacation to Canada to visit several resort towns in southern British Columbia and Alberta. We usually travel back to my hometown of Old Forge in the Adirondacks, where my family rents a charming old “mini” Adirondack Great Camp on the lake at Morrow Point. Old Forge is so similar to Sandpoint that we thought it would be nice to do something different and see some new places. We had a new V.W. Eurovan that we were anxious to try on a long road trip, so Canada it was!

The first town we visited was Kimberley, which is not too far from Cranbrook in Southern B.C.  Kimberley is supposedly the highest town in Canada, and we had heard they have an extensive network of mountain bike trails. The main attraction in Kimberley in the winter is the ski resort, which we were told is family friendly and gets lots of light dry snow.  Kimberley turned out to be a Bavarian themed town that reminded me of Leavenworth in central Washington. It has a pedestrian mall, called the Platzl, which we visited at 5PM on a Saturday afternoon.

The Platzl in Kimberley

The Platzl is several square blocks of great old brick and timber buildings, charming shops and restaurants, and cobble paved streets. We expected it to be mobbed that time of day, but it was almost deserted. At our campsite that night we met a local realtor who explained that everyone was probably up at “the Lake” because it was so hot (at least by Canada standards). She also told us Kimberley was trying to rebrand itself and lose the Bavarian village image.

We wanted to check out Fernie, but decided to wait and go there in the winter when we could ski at Fernie Alpine Resort.   Our next destination was Banff, via Kootenay National Park. The park has incredible scenery so we spent three days and nights and did some great hikes.  I would recommend visiting it if you are anywhere near Banff.

Kootenay National Park

Banff is a bustling resort town with European flair and a very diverse population. The compact downtown area has an interesting mix of traditional and modern Architecture, with a great town park along the Bow River. Probably the best know attraction in Banff, besides the great scenery and ski areas, is the Banff Springs Resort Hotel, an architectural wonder surrounded by mountains.  Luxury at it’s best!  Maybe not the best example of the Mountain Architecture style.

Banff Springs Hotel

We camped near Minnewanka Lake, a huge, beautiful lake just outside Banff with great trails, abundant wildlife, and very cold water. I took a mountain bike ride early one morning on the North side of the lake, and on a blind corner I almost hit a mountain goat with 2 babies. They were hurrying down to beg for some snickers bars on the highway, and didn’t seem to mind me very much.

Lake Minnewanka

Our next stop was Lake Louise, probably one of the most photographed and popular places in Canada. Apparently it is popular with the Grizzly bears, too.  The campsites for tent campers have a burly safety fence around them. The lake’s reputation is well deserved.  It is surrounded by stunning glaciated peaks and the water is a brilliant aquamarine color typical of lakes formed by glacial runoff. At the busy end of the lake (the end you don’t have to walk to) is the Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau, a huge luxurious hotel that seems out of place in this alpine setting.

Lake Louise

From Lake Louise we headed west, choosing to visit Revelstoke rather than Jasper, where I had been before. We knew Revelstoke has a new ski area and is in the process of developing a village to support it, and wanted to see what it was all about. From Lake Louise, we went over two mountain passes and through two more National Parks (Yoho & Glacier) on the way. The Rogers Pass area between Golden and Revelstoke has the most incredible scenery we encountered.

Rogers Pass

The peaks here are rugged and covered with glaciers, making this a playground for mountaineers and backcountry skiers. I vowed to return in the future better equipped to explore the more remote areas of this park. We camped near the pass and did some hikes here, but were intimidated by the signs reminding us that grizzly bears would be more than happy to eat us if we woke them up or tried to pet their children.

Revelstoke is a great town that reminded us of Sandpoint, except that they have a great municipal recreation center, and we only wish we had one. If you go there I would recommend visiting it. Oh yea, and their ski hill has an amazing 5600′ vertical. The ski area seems to have a lot of potential and has some great terrain, but the village still has a ways to go before it is a thriving town center.

Heading south out of Revelstoke, we took a ferry across Arrowhead Lake and continued to the hamlet of New Denver on Slocan Lake. This cute little mountain town was a great place to camp and enjoy the slow pace of the Slocan valley. Flanked on both sides by National Parks, the Slocan valley has a string of artsy, down to earth towns connected by a public bus system. It was amazing to see such an amenity in a rural area. A must visit here is the Cedar Creek Café in Winlaw.

Slocan Lake

Our plan was to head to Red Mountain in Rossland, B.C. for some mountain biking, but rain was in the forecast so we headed to Nelson, B.C. to walk around and shop in this funky, eclectic ski town. We had been here during the winter to ski at Whitewater, but were surprised to see how busy Nelson was in the summer.

The final hurrah for the trip was driving over Kootenay Pass, which connects Salmo and Creston in extreme southern B.C. It is the highest road in Canada and a popular ski touring area. We made it back to Sandpoint in time to watch the 4^th of July fireworks that evening.

Tom Russell, LEED AP

Hendricks Architecture, mountain architects in Sandpoint, Idaho.

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Priest Lake

Being an architect in Sandpoint, one of my local favorite places to visit is Priest Lake, a large alpine lake in the northern panhandle of Idaho.  Known as the “crown jewel” of Idaho, Priest Lake is located roughly 75 minutes northwest of Sandpoint, and about 90 minutes northeast of Spokane, Washington.  It is 19 miles long and 4.4 miles wide at its largest points, with a maximum depth of 369 feet, and a surface elevation of 2,439 feet.

There is an abundance of wildlife at Priest Lake, including deer, black bear and moose.  The lake also has the distinction of having the United States’ largest lake trout caught on record, at 57 pounds 8 ounces.

Priest Lake

Priest Lake is as a summer recreation hot spot for various water sports, including canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, and sailing.  There are numerous hiking, cycling and backpacking trails located around the lake.  Rock climbing, river running and golf are also popular.  There are several camp grounds located around the lake, including some designated boat-in camp sites on various islands.

For those not caring to rough it, there are several resorts located around the lake including Hill’s Resort and Elkins Resort.  One of my favorite places to eat dinner is Cavanaugh Bay Resort.   It’s fun and casual, and the deck overlooking the bay has beautiful views up towards the north end of the lake.

Sunset from Cavanaugh Bay Resort at Priest Lake

There are roughly 600 cabins located on the shores of Priest Lake.  Many have been in families for generations.  While approximately 100 of these have been rebuilt, there are still approximately 300 more that are in need of being rebuilt.   In the Priest Lake basin, between Priest River to the south, Canada to the north, Washington to the West, and the Selkirk crest to the east, there are approximately 7,500 cabins.

What little real estate there is left on the water is usually gobbled up quickly.  Dick Bockemuehl is a Realtor who specializes in these waterfront properties.  Timothy Ventress is another Realtor (and fire chief) who also is a great source of information on finding these lakefront lots.  Besides the single lots that open up, some of the higher end developments in the area include Huckleberry,  Steamboat Bay, and Kaniksu Sands.  Canoe Point, an exclusive development north of Huckleberry on the upper east side of the lake, has five acre waterfront lots.

The architecture at Priest Lake is generally the rustic rocky mountain style, though it ranges from log cabins to modern mountain contemporary.  Mike Sandau of Sandau Builders is one of the top builders at Priest Lake, if not the best, and understands the rugged terrain better than anybody.  He’s been building quality custom homes and cabins at Priest Lake since 1978.

For more information on Priest Lake,  see the Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce website. For more mountain biking information see our post on Mountain Biking around Sandpoint.

Hendricks Architecture in Sandpoint specializes in the design of luxury mountain style homes and cabins.  While it is not the only type of work we design, most of the homes we’ve completed are in mountain resort areas similar to Priest Lake.  Most of our clients are looking for mountain style homes, often fairly rustic, and other times more contemporary. If you are interested in having us design you a mountain home, or if you have any other inquiries, please contact us.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture, Sandpoint, Idaho mountain architects

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Sandpoint

n 2004, while living in Seattle, I saw an article describing Sandpoint, Idaho; a beautiful lower elevation resort community surrounded by mountains and a huge lake. I became intrigued, as my wife Annie and I had wanted to get away from the big city.  We both grew up in rural areas and wanted to have that for our three children as well. I also wanted to be more centrally located in a mountain community as I specialize in more rugged mountain style architecture than most Seattleites care for.

I searched for Sandpoint on the internet and found Schweitzer Ski Resort.  I had heard of Schweitzer, but never realized it was in Sandpoint.  I requested some information, and Jennifer Fortune, a realtor at Evergreen Realty at the time, sent me several brochures.

Lake Pend Oreille from Schweitzer Mountain Resort

I was busy with several projects, and it went to the back of my mind. A year later, I noticed an advertisement for Dover Bay, a new community just west of Sandpoint. I called up the Owner, Ralph Sletager, who invited me to come out. I made the six hour drive from Seattle. My first impression of Sandpoint was the Long Bridge, a two mile bridge dividing Lake Pend Oreille from the Pend Oreille River, leading you into Sandpoint. It was late afternoon on a cold December day, and I must say I was quite impressed. Mountains stretched everywhere over huge expanses of water.

The next morning, I met with Ralph, and then Tom Mehler, a realtor at the time at Dover Bay Real Estate. Tom showed me around Dover Bay and gave me the whole run down on Sandpoint. That afternoon I met Jennifer at Schweitzer and had lunch at the Chimney Rock Grill. She then drove me all around the Schweitzer neighborhoods. It really is beautiful up there, especially the lots with views of the lake.

I was able to get a small project in the area, and came to Sandpoint a couple more times, the second time bringing the family. One morning on that trip I met with Dick Villelli, the owner of Hidden Lakes Golf Resort. He told me he was selling the property, and invited me and the family to meet the new owner that evening. We showed up and Dick was serving some great margaritas. He introduced me to Chuck Reeves and his family. Chuck was to be the new owner of what would soon be called The Idaho Club. Chuck was very excited about the new development and Dwight DeMay, the planner from Hart Howerton was there briefing me as well on the Jack Nicholas designed course and Hart Howerton designed community. Unfortunately, our youngest child was not a happy camper so we had to leave early.

Nevertheless, Annie was impressed with Sandpoint, so the next visit Luke Webster from Evergreen Realty showed us some properties (Jennifer was on vacation in Spain), and we moved out a few months later.

So far we’ve really enjoyed Sandpoint. Our two older children are enrolled in Sagle Elementary and are very happy there. They are also involved in soccer in a town that surprisingly is one of the most active soccer communities in the country. Annie is active as a PTA co-president, while I have been busy with work and various organizations. I’ve been asked to participate in various career fairs for students which is always fun (though nothing beats the time I was asked to show second graders how to draw Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles).

Sandpoint has just about every restaurant imaginable. The best meal I’ve ever had was the seasonal elk tenderloin, cooked rare/medium rare at The Sand Creek Grill. MickDuff’s is my favorite spot for lunch during March Madness.

There is one movie theater at the Bonner Mall, and there is also the beautiful Panida Theater. The Panida offers theater productions, movies, and music, along with various other events. The Panida has been around since 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

My favorite event in the summer is The Festival at Sandpoint. This is a fun, casual two week event that holds evening outdoor concerts. You can bring in your own coolers and sit on the grass or on the stands.There is also plenty inside to eat and drink from various local establishments. The last two nights I was there I saw The Los Lonely Boys, along with 70′s night with The Marshall Tucker Band, Pure Prairie League, and The Richie Furay Band (formerly of Poco and Buffalo Springfield). Other recent artists have been Wynonna, The Bodeans, Ziggy Marley, David Gray and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  This year’s lineup includes Blues Traveler, Boz Scaggs, Michelle Shocked and Clint Black.

The Festival at Sandpoint 2009

Sandpoint is located on Lake Pend Oreille, between the Selkirk Mountains and Cabinet Mountains, which are part of the Rocky Mountain Range (although in Canada the Selkirks are designated as part of the Columbia Mountain Range).  Lake Pend Oreille is the biggest lake in the Northwest, and the biggest in “lake country” consisting of other behemoths Lake Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lake. These lakes produce the biggest trout in the country, along with some big Kokanee. Several of my friends have made the trip up here and prefer the gamey shoreline fishing for bass, perch, pike and bluegill. There’s plenty of wildlife here as well. On my trail runs I’ve met up with several white tailed deer, elk, moose and black bears. There are some grizzly bears in the Cabinet Mountains to the northeast of the lake, but I’ve never seen one.

For other things to do in Sandpoint, here is a website with loads of Sandpoint activities.  Rick Evans, a Realtor in Sandpoint, has another blog with some great North Idaho information.

John Hendricks, AIA Architect, NCARB

Hendricks Architecture, Mountain Architects in Sandpoint, Idaho

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John Hendricks, AIA Architect • Architecture, Planning, Construction Management
418 Pine St, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 • T 208.265.4001 F 208-265-4009 • john@hendricksarch.com