Somewhere In The Sierra, Snowboarder Has Built His 225-Square-Foot Dream Home
OFF THE GRID (CBS13) — It was a 25-minute trek deep into the Sierra wilderness through patches of mud, over a single-land bridge in an area where the few who live here clearly appreciate their peace and quiet.
We stopped in a small clearing where the rocky road ends, making the rest of the uphill journey on foot.
For Mike Basich, this is a familiar trek. The tiny house on a hill, all 225 square feet of it is home. And he couldn't wait to take us on a tour.
There's room for a kitchen and a fireplace. The shower doubles as a chair in the daytime.
"You just kinda sit right here with the water off the sink, and it drains out here with a pipe I put that goes outside," he said.
Creeks supply Mike's water. There's no electricity, but solar panels give him some juice for lights and even a TV in the loft where he sleeps. There's no indoor plumbing. The bathroom is downwind.
"It's not for everybody, no," he said. "It's definitely like a combination of a childhood dream and trying to live in the snow. I've spent 20 years snowboarding, chasing the snow."
The pro snowboarder is right at home in the Sierra granite where he learned his craft as a kid. He's part of a growing number of Americans choosing to live off the grid.
Mike has a special connection to his cabin. He built it all by hand with the help of friends and family.
"Started it from scratch. All the rocks are within 200 feet of this area," he said.
Every square inch is a labor of love. Mike takes in the incredible view from his patio, or from his hot tub.
"This is an old dairy tank I got off someone's farm, a stainless steel tank," he said.
On some days he climbs into his hammock, even when it snows.
Getting the house done was a monumental task. A decade ago when he bought the property, Mike stayed in a teepee for a year to learn the weather patterns. It took five years to finish it.
Some days he'd wake up to a foot of snow on his floor.
"Start a little barbecue to melt the snow and start the day," he said.
He had to build part of the road leading to the cabin.
"That took awhile. That was a big project, cracking a lot of rocks," he said.
He recently added a chair lift in his own backyard. The professional snowboarder can take this chair lift up and enjoy the snow right here at home."
He's off the beaten path, but he's not a loner. He says more people come to visit here than if he lived in the suburbs.
"It's not big, but it's all I need. I did it myself and I don't owe anybody any money," he said.
Living life on his own terms has given him a deeper appreciation for things most of us take for granted, like water coming out of a faucet. He's learned happiness isn't defined by square feet.
"I'm lucky. I've worked hard and I feel like I've finally arrived at home, and I get to now enjoy it, and that's what I'm exactly doing," he said.
