This secluded log home is a sanctuary from the world.
The East Troublesome Creek fire lived up to its name. In October of 2020 the fire started in the Arapaho National Forest, about 20 miles from Grand Lake. The fire grew and grew, consuming 6,000 acres an hour, backed by hurricane force winds.
Bret Berglund’s cabin was among the 580 structures destroyed by that fire, 366 of which were residential. Used as a weekend retreat by his extended family, Bret has yet to decide whether to rebuild or sell the parcel the cabin was located on.
Purchasing a Handcrafted Log Home
In 2022, Bret purchased a log home at 1736 Soda Ridge Road in Dillon, Colorado. Designed and built in 1995 by L. John Cobb, this home is handcrafted by Douglas fir trees, reportedly hand selected from forests in Vancouver, British Columbia. The coastal rain forest there is an optimum environment for growing some of the world’s oldest and largest trees. These epic trees can grow as tall as 300 feet and can have a life span of 1,500 years.
“I was really drawn to the large logs in this home,” Bret says. “They are just massive.”
Bret makes his home in Denver. Like the cabin at Grand Lake, this home in Dillon serves as a weekend and holiday retreat for his siblings and their families, as well his parents. “I was after a home that was a little easier to get to than in Grand Lake,” Bret says.
After 29 years weathering Colorado’s high country, this log home needed some maintenance and TLC. Many of the lower logs closest to the ground were subjected to snow in the winter and hit with splashback by rain in summer months. They needed to be sanded and restained, and resealed. Chinking in the home was also replaced, inside and out, with a Permachink product. “It really brightened the home up,” Bret recalls.
Favorite Spaces
The home borders a National Forest and has Keystone Gulch Creek running by its patio, providing a peaceful, secluded atmosphere. “That patio and the banks of the stream are great gathering spaces for our families,” Bret says. Kids and adults also love the huge fire pit in the backyard.
This luxurious mountain retreat is set on nearly an acre of land in the Moon Valley Subdivision. The 3,772 square feet of available space in this home features three bedrooms, three full baths and a half bath.
The interior showcases vaulted ceilings, wood and tile flooring, and large windows that bring in abundant natural light and offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains, forest, and nearby creek. The living spaces include a two-sided cozy gas fireplace and radiant heating, ensuring comfort in the colder months. The home is equipped with modern appliances, including a built-in oven, dishwasher, gas cooktop, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, and washer dryer.
There’s also a hot tub to enjoy after a day of skiing or hiking, as the home offers direct access to nearby trails. The property includes a two-car garage and ample space for additional development or simply enjoying the open landscape.
Nearby are the Keystone horse stables and the Keystone Ranch golf course. Also within walking distance is the Keystone’s Resorts Mountain House base area, making the home a skier’s paradise.
This home features a chef’s kitchen, main floor primary suite, and a great room with a huge wall of south-facing glass that captures forest and mountain views. The adjacent vacant lot allows a new owner to build a second home, sell the lot, or keep it vacant, preserving the park-like setting.
Bret has recently listed the home for sale for $4 million, saying that his elderly parents are having issues with breathing at 9,000 feet elevation. “But I still love this home. So, it is kind of bittersweet.”
- Log Home Producer: The Douglas fir trees were hand selected by the designer and builder L. John Cobb from British Columbia, Vancouver. Trees were harvested and then transported to Colorado. Handcrafted construction started in 1993 and was completed in 1995.
- Square footage: 3,772
- Bedrooms: 3
- Baths: 4