It has always been Bobbi's dream to live in the mountains off-grid and create a self-sustaining home (well water, solar energy, septic system, and gardening) that creates a zero-carbon footprint to protect the earth, steward the forest, and create an example that off grid living can be possible. Bobbi has homesteading in her genes as her Great-Great Grand Parents and Great-Grand Mother were homest
eaders on the Mormon Trail settling eventually in Buhl, Idaho and creating a farming homestead where her mother was raised and her grandfather was an Idaho State Pistol Champion. She is a 4th generation Idaho girl, and now her son Cayden is 5th generation. This natural way of life has always had a pull and allure to Bobbi who is an avid gardener, hiker, mountain biker and camper, and feels more comfortable in the outdoors. Bobbi raised Cayden by herself as a single mom while working as an RN in the Trauma ICU and Labor and Delivery where she then pursued a Nurse Practitioner degree. Paul, her husband from Lewiston, Idaho wanted to help fulfil her dreams and readily agreed to give the off-grid lifestyle a go! This event not only changed his life as he grew up without his dad, but it made him want to be a very hands-on involved parent to his two kids Justin and Caitlyn. Paul is very thoughtful about his own heart and needs a low stress lifestyle away from a corporate job. Paul comes alive working outside with his hands and can literally fix anything. He grew up harvesting pea, lentil, and wheat in N. Idaho for summer jobs. Together, they want to live in harmony with nature, respecting the forest and the wild. Their dog Rigby is in his element and helps alert the family to danger. As the world shut down for Covid, time was of the essence (March 2020). They saw their opportunity to buy land slipping away as people from all over the US were moving to Idaho, escalating the price of land into unobtainable amounts. They applied for a homesteading loan and were able to purchase 82 acres of rugged, raw Idaho forest that had never been lived on and had little access. Without this loan (NW Farm Credit Services) buying raw land would not have been possible. (April 2020). They finally found a spot far away in nature of their own private Idaho. The online land documents showed a well on the property that had been drilled in the 1980's, and then was recertified in the 1990's. It turns out that the GPS coordinates of that time were off, and it was actually a neighbor's well. This was a really big blow, but they were very grateful to have any property, and knew that like traditional homesteaders they could find a solution, so they purchased it anyway. In the meantime, they would fill and haul water in 275-gallon drums of water filled from a neighbor's well to use until that solution could be found. The Clarkes purchased a very old 1972 camping trailer for $1500 to live in for the summer of 2020 while building the dome, creating roads, clearing brush, installing a septic system, and generating a plan. Paul and Justin built a large platform on top of the mountain in a space they named Shangri-La due to its beauty and mystery. There they constructed a three-room tent for their kids and friends to enjoy, and also help with the property and plan. The mountain is very hot in the summer with the average temp in the high 90's or 100's. It is also very cold at night, even in the summer, requiring a shelter. The Clarkes had no real previous building experience, a very limited budget, and needed something very strong to withstand the hot sun and heavy winters of Idaho, so they chose a geodesic dome from Pacific Domes in Oregon. It is a family-owned business in a neighboring state, and they had a great reputation. Choosing one of the flattest, easiest to get to, and most beautiful places on the very steep terrain, they had to hire out the build of the platform. It was very technical, and their friend Duane Amyx was the guy. He consulted a structural engineer as the platform is built into a granite cliff. The rest of the build was their own blood, sweat tears and generous help from family, neighbors, and friends. Homesteading takes a village, and communities come together when in need. This old-fashioned small community mentality is so rewarding and appreciated. The off-grid dome project was so out of their wheelhouse, they joined many off-grid forums and learned from the community. Racing against the snow flying, and without experience or knowledge, they constructed a radiant floor system floorplan with the guidance of their mountain neighbor friends the Satterlee's. Concrete had to be poured over the tubes before temperatures froze, and the Clarkes were literally down to the last day. Seeing the desperation the Clarkes had to get their structure built before winter, a local concrete driver Dustin somehow managed to back up a cement truck down their narrow driveway and poured the cement. It was insane and very technical. With the concrete in place, they had to build the steel frame. This was a very dangerous and difficult build in freezing temps, so they recruited help and knowledge from their family and friends in a "raise the barn" activity. The group built the 15-foot-high steel dome frame over the course of a weekend. It was very, very difficult and dangerous, and the Clarke’s couldn’t have done it without their family and friends. Next it was time to put the 300lb cover on. The platform is on a cliff, and only ½ of the structure is accessible to the ground. The other half is up to 18 feet off the ground. Putting the cover on the dome was even more challenging than expected. Unfortunately it snowed, making the frozen steel slippery and even more dangerous. The Clarke’s neighbor agreed to help put the cover on in an exchange for the trailer they had been living in. A deal was struck, and the neighbor literally saved the day. The crew rolled up the cover and devised a backpack style burrito. They literally climbed up the structure and dropped the cover down on both sides. Success! Unfortunately, it was a very windy day, and before they could secure the cover the wind blew it off the structure into a tree on the steep side of the platform. This was devastating as it complicated everything 100%. Using ropes, pulleys and sheer will, Bobbi and the team worked incredibly hard until the cover was securely placed. Unfortunately there was now snow in the dome on top of the concrete floor that froze solid. This created a greenhouse effect as the heated snow would collect and condense on the top of the ceiling and then would rain on the family, freezing again on the concrete floor. There was no place for the moisture to go. Additionally, the snow would collect on top of the dome, threatening the integrity of the cover. It required constant monitoring and maintenance. The Clarkes installed a fireplace as the only heat source as the radiant flooring system (boiler, water, power) was not finished. The fireplace was specked for the square feet of the dome, but it was not for the height of the dome (15 feet). As you all know heat rises, so it was clear very quickly that the fireplace was inadequate. At this point there was 4 feet of snow on the property, and the only way up to the dome was by snow machine. A larger fireplace was found and trekked up the hill. The Clarkes could not find anyone to help with the difficult de-installation and installation of the fireplace, but these were desperate times. Their neighbors the Satterlee’s again agreed to give their novice off-grid neighbors a hand and the Blaze King was installed. The Clarke's are learning everything the hard way, through trial and tribulation, but they work together as a family, pulling strength from the two sons Justin and Cayden, as managing 82 acres of very steep mountain terrain is very difficult. Once the snow melted, the Clarkes realized that the long, steep road was inaccessible to a well rig as the granite hairpin turns were too tight. No local company would claw away at the earth to widen the road as it was too difficult and could damage their equipment. It was suggested that the only solution was dynamite. This was extremely expensive, and an impossible solution. They additionally tried to hire 12 well drillers to put in a well, but none would do it stating that it was too steep, too dangerous, too difficult with the granite, and that the road wasn’t wide enough. The Clarke’s were literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. Without a well, living on the mountain was proving to be impossible. The Clarkes realized that they were in over their heads and needed serious help, or they would have to abort their dream of living off-grid on this mountain. Bobbi applied for help as she saw a casting call for Homestead Rescue. As a huge fan, she knew what the Raney’s were capable of, and sought out their help as a last resort. The Marty Raney, Matt Raney and Misty Raney from the Discovery channel arrived in June 2021 during an unusual heatwave with daily temps 108. It was unbearable in the dome as temps reached 125 degrees inside. With no electricity or running water, it was insanely difficult and hot. Marty Raney quickly realized that the road had to be improved to drive a well rig to the well site. Marty has unusual talent on the excavator and did what no one else could do. He improved the road, clawing out the granite walls proving that without the help of Homestead Rescue, the Clarke’s dream would have been impossible. For that, they are forever grateful. Now with the road passable, the Clarke's found AND PAID for a well driller to create a 290 foot well that took 2 full weeks to drill. The total cost of the well and trenching was close to $50,000, and the Clarkes had to take out a loan to pay for it. They had previously hired a “Water Witcher” as the Clarke’s knew they would only have one shot at this very expensive well. This gentleman from Sweet, Idaho was 80 years old, and knew what he was doing. He certainly found the right spot! The Clarkes are so appreciative of all the help Marty, Matt and Misty gave them during the 14 days of filming and work during the 108-degree heatwave. It was such hot, dusty, steep and difficult work. The heat and stress from working caused Caitlyn to manifest serious unknown underlying heart problems, as her heartrate would race to 200 just standing still, and she felt like she was going to faint. Bobbi is a family nurse practitioner and recognized that she was having arrythmias and needed medical help ASAP. The echocardiogram was normal, so a halter monitor was placed for two weeks. This confirmed the unusual heartrate, but not the cause. They are still working on finding a diagnosis and cure. Much was left out of the episode including all the work everyone did, including Bobbi, Paul, Justin, Cayden, friends and family. It was a HUGE group effort. Bobbi and her family helped build all the structures including the garden and greenhouse. Her entire family was on the set, although not one member was shown on the program. Everyone helped, and it was extremely hard, hot, and satisfying work. That's what creating a homestead is all about. Cayden had to leave during the middle of filming as he is a 6 year veteran white-water river guide on the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon River for week long stretches. He was then gone for the rest of the summer and returned to find his dome in place. He is extremely appreciative and embraces an off-grid lifestyle. The kid domes still need insulation, a fireplace and composting toilet. It’s all one step at a time, and the final water solution took precedence over these tasks. After the Raney’s left, there was still much work to be done. While the Clarke’s hit water and had a new well, it still had to be trenched a football field length to the dome. This again was incredibly difficult as it is a granite mountain, and the frost line dictated a 5-foot-deep trench to avoid freezing. This was a lot of difficult- next to impossible dirt work. The ground in front of the dome additionally had to be built up 5 feet to protect the waterline, requiring reinforcement of the retaining wall. Literally nothing comes easy on this mountain. Finally, the pipe needed solar heat tape, and the bottom of the dome structure had to be enclosed to create a warm space to avoid winter freezing. Unfortunately, the well water has too much iron content in it. It is still not drinkable, and it sickened the garden, stunting the growth of all the crops. Mountain life is one step forward and 5 steps back. The garden was additionally planted in 108-degree weather during the prolonged heatwave, and the crops were shellshocked. The much-appreciated garden grew, but very slowly. It was very frustrating. As far as electricity, there is still much work to do. The Clarkes have no access to city electricity and must generate their own. The panels do not match the batteries efficiently and create only enough energy to run the solar well pump for about an hour, the AD/DC small refrigerator, and small ambient lights. It’s a complicated system and will not support a boiler to heat the radiant floors. While they are still trying to figure out a solution to the complicated problem, they are so grateful for the solar panels and batteries (Leif and Sprout Energy, and Justin at Hi-Tech Electric), as well as Brent from Castle Mountain Homes, and Asha from Pacific Domes for all the help and supplies. Everyone’s generosity was overwhelming, and the love was palpable. For the first time the Clarkes felt like they could make their homestead work. Being a part of Homestead Rescue was so incredibly enlightening, difficult, hot, fun, and exhausting. The kindness and can-do attitude of the entire crew was amazing. Marty would stay late and come early ensuring the success of the road. His work ethic, compassion and kindness are unparalleled. Misty was determined to support Bobbi’s vegetarian lifestyle and designed the most beautiful greenhouse. She is forever grateful and appreciative of this amazing gift, and it will be used to the fullest capacity increasing the growing season to March-November. Matt embraced the kids, (he’s really just a big kid himself) and taught them all valuable skills in carpentry. Matt informed the Clarkes that the bones found were indeed very old. The property butts up against the National Forest where the predators have unlimited hunting ground, and he didn’t feel the Clarke’s were at risk of a predator attack. The Clarkes are prepared for the worst, and carry bear spray when working on the mountain, and they have a gun for bigger problems. The generosity of everyone was overwhelming and the immense gratitude to everyone rendered the Clarkes speechless, and they hope to return the favor to other homesteaders in need. Marty Raney, Misty Raney, and Matt Raney helped make their land livable. It's a massive project that takes years to complete. The Clarke's are immensely grateful for the Raney's, and without them their dream of living an off-grid lifestyle would not have happened. Thank you!
