John and Andi Gladstein aren’t kidding when they say they can literally ski in and out of the door of their log cabin home in Big Sky, Montana. Nestled perfectly into a mountainside in Moonlight Basin, and flocked by several thousand acres of raw, beautiful land, the 850-square-foot cottage provides a regular respite for the Gladsteins, who reside in California.
“When we get up here, we either put on our skis or hiking boots—depending on the season—and get out into the wild,” say the Gladsteins, who purchased the existing two-bedroom/two-bathroom log cabin five years ago after vacationing several times in the area. During those trips the couple rented several different cabins from individual owners. All of the rentals were located within a development that includes about 25 log homes of varying square footage.
“It’s an enchanted area that suited our needs perfectly,” says Andi. “The sheer beauty of living in the mountains lured us back again and again.” It was on one of those trips that the Gladsteins were introduced to the home that would become theirs. “We connected with it right away; we fell in love with it,” says John, who, after renting the log cabin from its owner, found out that the property was for sale.
Comparing the experience to a “whirlwind romance,” the Gladsteins say they made their first trek to Big Sky in February 2008 and closed on their new home within three months. A motivated seller who was in the process of buying a new property at the time helped moved the sale along quickly. “We stayed in the home one time and knew that it was right for us,” says Andi. “It met our needs perfectly and put us in direct touch with the outdoors, just like we wanted.”
Before the Gladsteins moved in they hired contracting firm RMR Group of Bozeman, Montana, to completely renovate the structure’s interior, open up space for a loft, and add on to an existing exterior deck. Chad Rothacher, owner, says the firm replaced the flooring, built the loft (which accommodates two beds and includes extra closet space), and updated the home’s bathrooms, kitchen, and all appliances. “We also treated the logs to make them look a bit more weathered on the interior and the exterior,” Rothacher says, “and we replaced all of the windows and installed new interior trim.”
Other key changes included ripping out sheetrock that hid the home’s beautiful wood ceilings, rehabbing the deck (which was worn) and adding a hot tub, and installing built-in cabinetry to offset the lack of closet space in the existing structure. The Gladsteins also installed shelving in the home’s basement for more storage and invested in a high-end washer/ dryer combination.
John says the upgrade turned what was a “part-time” cabin into a functional home that the Gladsteins could live in on a full-time basis, if they wanted to. “We invested in creature comforts—such as a new dishwasher—that would allow us to spend as much time here as possible,” says John. “We took a functional approach to ensure that everything in this compact space had a purpose.”
The “compact space” suits the Gladsteins perfectly. After all, this outdoorsy pair doesn’t come to Montana to sit in their home. They come to ski, snowshoe, hike, fly-fish, and enjoy a host of other outdoor activities. After strapping on their skis, for example, these homeowners can literally ski out of their front door and down to the slopes. “This is literally ‘ski in and ski out,’” says John, who enjoys the bragging rights that come with being able to partake in one of his favorite sports without the need for lifts or trams. “People don’t believe it until they see it in person.”
John says the direct connection to the outdoors that the log cabin provides is priceless. “When I’m up here I feel a spiritual connection to the earth that I’ve never felt anywhere else in my life,” he says. “The fact that this is a log home, and that logs have a direct connection to the earth, creates a calm in me. It just really resonates with me.”
The Gladsteins, whose children visit the cabin occasionally, have turned a small space into one that can easily accommodate their family. That flexibility allows the family to spend time together in a mountain getaway and also tap into the beautiful outdoors that the Gladsteins love so much. “When our kids are here their favorite feature of the home is the hot tub,” says Andi. “The younger ones don’t always like the solitude, but that’s one of the features that make this home so appealing to us.”