Disheartened by Costilla County Zoning Ordinances

The rule of law has been replaced by the arbitrary rule of ma. The wording of the building code is such that everything is at the discretion of the board and landowners are at the mercy of their whim and will. Nowhere in the land use code do I see the rights of property owners being protected and preserved. It looks to me like the commissioners have planted a packet of viper's eggs into the Facebook. You won't know about their treachery until you get bit. I can't imagine anyone of modest means being able to build legally under the current code. It is cumbersome, expensive and you are at the mercy not of law but of other people's whims. You can't build in a watershed without approval (by definition all land is part of a watershed. You can't cut down your own trees for firewood. You can't dig a hole without going through a dizzying array of boards and applications. What is wrong with these people? Ignorant and lazy?-adopting some other county's land use ordinances without thinking about how it will impact the people? Fanatical, misanthropic environmentalists who firmly believe that the best county is one devoid of humans and human dwellings. Government has been hijacked by people who do not seem to care or understand the needs and struggles of the poor. I only hope that this code is more honored in the breach than in the observance because it is an ugly oppressive mean-spirited document which undermines the property rights of the poor and the their ability to build and maintain private property secure from the arbitrary whims of government officials.

Abandoning the Rim for the Gorge

Quick trip to the property yesterday. 5 hrs of driving for 5 hrs onsite.  Decided that my passion is for the river below.  I intend to abandon my efforts on the cactus choked rim and descend into the verdant gorge itself.

After research on historic floods as measured 6 miles upstream at Lobatos bridge, decided that it would be possible to build above all but the most extreme floods on a section of the property where two large boulders lie.  This section is 6to 7 ft above the riverbed which puts it above all but a couple huge floods like the 1905 flood when the river ran at 10 ft-an unbelievable depth considering it normally runs around 1 to 2 ft at the gauge.

My flood insurance will be placing the structure on piers so it will be 10 ft above the riverbed.  Additionally I will orient the structure along the cliff wall so it will not project into any future floodwaters as prominently.

I intend for the structure to be a sleeping and storage place with the majority of the living taking place outside in front on the "patio"

The proposed living area would be behind the large dark boulder on the right.

Here is a view from across the river.

The ladders up to the middle shelf

Beaver gnawed through my hose it appears.

Banking on laziness

My theft deterrent will be calculated to require 2 to 4 hrs of work for anyone inclined to steal from me.  I'm banking on the fact that thieves are disinclined to put in that much work.

Scared to Go Back

I'm afraid the scum bags who stole our stuff returned and stole everything else.  We'll find out shortly.  I've been racking my brains trying to come up with an acceptable theft deterrent that wouldn't injure my family or land me in jail.  So I think I have a plan:

Part of the middle ledge section has a narrow three foot passage.  I will construct a lockable barricade at that narrow point and place any lockable valuables beyond it.  I will also attach bowling balls to items with padlocks. I'm encouraged these seems doable.

The Sound of Water and other Considerations

As far as siting and construction these are my priorities:

1) Within earshot of the rapids.  I've always wanted to fall asleep to the sound of a river.

2) Made safe from falls

3) Made safe from floods

4) Theft deterring location and setup

With this in mind I am looking at the sheer wall next to the lower ladder.  

Kerith Ravine Colorado version

So I was ripped off up top.  A band of white trash tweekers deprived me of buidling materials, generator, tools, and climbing equipment.  Since the rim is not secure I will then descend into the depths and make my hermitage on the sandy banks below.

King David preferred to put himself into the hands of God rather than of men so too will I put my fate in the God's hands next to the river.

Sobering read though about the year 1905 when the river reached 13000 cubic feet/second in this section. Normally 1500 is high for this stretch.  Don't imagine there was a patch of non-submerged ground in the gorge with that staggering amount.

The 1905 record was not a flash flood rather it appears to have been the rapid melting of snow pack in the mountains.  So I imagine those in the gorge would have seen a gradual increase and could take shelter above.

Moreover, there are hundreds of diversions upstream that did not exist at that time.  The river for better or worse has been largely domesticated-they can turn it on or off like a water tap.

Still thinking about elevating my keep 10 feet above the sand bank-this would provide some flood protection as well as deter lazy thieves from plundering my camp again.

A bit of Ketchup

A bit of ketchup is in order.  Went to the property a month ago eager to put in safety rails for the fam so the little ones could come too.  To my chagrin, I had been robbed blind by some tweaking mofo's eking out an existence on their own 5 acre patches of nothingness.  Never felt so violated.  Anything of value short of the trailer and the pump were carted off.  I'm estimating $1000 to $2000 gone.  No chump change for a struggling family like ourselves.

It has taken me this long to want to go back again.  The discouragement of having lost so much and the possibility of future theft put me in a dark frame of mind-rigged up explosive devices-all the fantasies of the wronged and helpless ran through my brain.  But things have now settled down.  I have a new plan.