In May of 2005, we moved "up the hill" from our old ranch-style single-level cookie-cutter home on the Pajarito Plateau, to a custom home built some 10 years earlier at the base of the Jemez Mountains. When I say the base of the mountains, I mean, at the base of the mountains. Our back yard is a steep sloping hillside covered with poderosa pine and oak scrub, and the girls wanted a place to go outside.
Right out our back door, about 10' from the back door and running parallel to the back of the house stood a retaining wall nearly 10' tall, the hill sloping upward from there to the back fenceline. The back yard was not a place to spend quality time.
In the summer of 2008, after much deliberation and planning, I started a project to dig out the volcanic rock of this hillside and create a livable space. The plan was to dig down and level off the center of the yard, pushing back the top rows of the retaining wall, lay patio pavers, add a stately arbor to provide shelter from the intense summer rays, add seating and a fire pit, and start to enjoy the outdoors.
Well, the ground here is volcanic tuff -- what a pain. With no room to get much equipment in, tons (I estimate about 6 to 8) of rock were removed by hand using a pick, shovel, and my ATV with a trailer. I tied the retaining wall block into the existing wall on both sides of the area to make a natural transition that appeared like it was planned from the start. The real difficulty was creating a trail from the house to this new area. Lots more retaining wall block and a whole lot more pick work.
Add a massive arbor, some oil ship lanters, a custom railing, some outdoor furniture, and whalah, a great place to sit and enjoy a summer evening.
Oh, did I mention I broke my ankle working this project? So, add a couple plates and 16 screws in the ankle to the cost of this new outdoor living space.
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