Burnt Mountain Lodge(or L1 as is referred to) is the original Lodge Theory outpost on the Northernmost perimeter at elevation 1,780' in the bowl. Accessed via Joudrey Drive, it has the farthest setback in Gravity Bowl at 1,700’ and is just 300’ from the Green Mountain Club lands. In past years the GMC has used Joudrey Drive as access to their lands in Gravity Bowl versus the easement in the western head of the bowl as it is far easier/closer.
Features:
- “off the grid” – Solar powered, 12-volt electricity; Wood heat w/ propane backup for the flatlanders ;)
- Sleeps 8-12 in beds; about as many as you want “Hostile style”
- BYOTV - Track Vehicle Accessed 6-months per year
History:
12 years after inception of Lodge Theory, 1 year late on our target date…February 12, 2004 Lodge Theory “reality” begins with the first lodge in Gravity Bowl – L1 Burnt Mountain Lodge:
The structure began as a hunting camp in 2000 by a Troy local. Holding hard and true to the labor of love, he brought in supplies via 4wheeler on a rough hand cut trail and began sawing, hammering, and all the above without the assistance of power tools. 20x24 was the original footprint, on post/pier built with a lot of heart, sweat, and beer.
Somewhere in 2002 his first addition got underway. The mission was to push out the eastern facing wall 12’ and then go up for a second story and actually cut back into the existing roof for a “story and a half”. Somewhere in there the story turns for the current owners, and they decide to sell. Though the “story and a half” project was underway, and the house was open to the elements, the place had to be sold. In stark contrast to the beginning of the project having all done by hand, now the construction guys were called in to “close it up” and keep it from the rain and snow in fall of 2003 and prepare for quick-sale. This opened the door for the Joudrey clan to start LodgeTheory in the bowl… but it was not that straight forward. Kevin Joudrey would proceed to meet 3x with the existing owners to insure that “the place was going into good hands”. As you can imagine this was not an easy decision for the owners… but peoples situations change and it was time to make sure the lodge went to folks who would do the right thing. They probably had no concept of how far we would take this.
We blazed in to the place immediately after the sale closing, in the middle of February via snow machine and trailer in tow; with solid 6-12 foot snowpack… the remainder of this tale is the beginning of ours. To be continued …
