Yurt Reynolds

Welcome to Yurt Reynolds, we hope you enjoy your stay.

Going to someone’s cabin (or yurt) is like stepping in to the chaos of their mind. Systems evolved over time, and now, well — that’s how things work. Also, yurts are funny things. They have almost nothing in common with your home.  Following these instructions will help everyone enjoy it for many years to come.

It is always better to call me with a question than to fuck something up!

Arrival

How to get the yurt ready for your stay

• The key is in the composting toilet sawdust box.
• If it is dry outside, use the Dome Opener (metal pole with a hook on the end next to door) to open the dome and vent the yurt for a minute after you get it warm. It builds up moisture and it needs to be vented or mold will grow. During your stay, use this opener and the windows to control the temperature of the yurt. Hook it in and turn to open/close.
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  • Be gentle with this. Once you feel resistance, stop turning. It is $50 to replace the turn screw, $400 to replace the dome.
• Open the window covers by going around the outside, unzipping the flaps, and rolling them up and clipping them. (Some clips are missing, only one clip really needs to be clipped.)
• Clear vinyl windows only open from outside. Re-velcro to bottom so it hangs flat against the yurt. Do not put windows on the ground.

How everything works:

Lights:

Use the battery pack to power the indoor and outdoor lights. Plug is outtdoor, 12volt is indoor.

Fire

• If you have not made a fire with us in the yurt, don’t make a fire without us. The stove can smoke, and fill the yurt up. It makes sleeping in it unbearable that night and it smells for days. If you have made a fire with us or talked with us specifically about this, you know what to do.

Water

• Water is at the cul-de-sac, and comes out of the water spigot there on the corner of the lot. Fill up the 3-gallon green water jugs from the Yurt for use. You can use that to fill the ceramic water jug with spout in the yurt for easy glass filling. Dog bowl can also be filled so you don’t have to think about it again.

Bathroom

We have a composting toilet! It is like a wooden port-a-potty that you “Flush” with sawdust. These are amazing, and if done right do not smell at all and are very clean. If done wrong… blech.

If you just need to pee, find a nice tree somewhere. You are in the woods. Get over it.

If you need to take a crap, go in the composting toilet like you would any toilet. Put your pee and poo in there together with toilet paper. Then grab some handfuls of sawdust from the bucket and scatter them over your business until you just see a layer of saw dust. It does not need to be thick, just a covering.

Camp Kitchen & Deck

• Move the camp kitchen out of the yurt onto the deck. We put it next to the tree and the steps, and only fold out half of it.
  • There is a propane tank in the wood shed that hooks up to the green coleman stove so you can cook as much as you want.
• Roll the water station out onto the deck.
• Hammocks: There are hooks in the trees for your hammocks. Please do not use slap straps on these trees as repeated use is wearing down the bark. If you need to add a third hammock, you can use slap straps for the last one.
• There is an outdoor fireplace for outdoor fires. Move this to the middle of the deck and you can hangout in the hammocks around it. You may want to drop the window shades on the deck side before getting it started so smoke doesn’t go into the yurt.

Camper (you may not need to use this.)

Sleeps two in single beds. Door code is BOOK. Has solar power, and a charging station.

Fridge – Do in this order:

1. Look at propane on front of camper to see which is connected (one of them is). Turn it on.
2. Bleed the air from the line by lighting the stove.
   1. To use stove, check that yellow valve under sink is in on position (vertical), then use lighter to light burner (please keep lighter next to stove). When not using stove, turn this yellow valve back off (horizontal) or propane will leak out and the camper will X-PLODE!!! (not really, but still not good)
3. Push “On/off” on fridge, then press AUTO. Listen for clicks, then low burn. Fridge is now running. Put your stuff in it. If you don’t have a lot, add a gallon of water as it helps hold space and regulate temp. Make sure the latch closes when you shut it.
   1. Trouble? If you don’t hear the clicks stop after two or three sets, turn it off. Call me.
   2. If it switches to DC, turn it off, it will drain battery in a few hours.

Camper Stove

1. Stove works fine, oven not so much. Stick with the stove. To use stove
   1. Check that yellow valve under sink is in on position (vertical)
   2. Use lighter to light burner (please keep lighter next to stove).
   3. When not using stove, turn this yellow valve back off (horizontal) or propane will leak out and the camper will X-PLODE!!! (not really, but still not good)

There is currently no water in the camper system, and only 3 gallons of grey water can go down the drain in the sink at a time. There’s a green grey water container under the stove, empty it if it’s full or nearing full. You can pour it out down the hill away from the camper.

Departure

• YURT
  1. MOST IMPORTANT – Sign the guest book :)
  2. Sweep floor
  3. Take trash with you
  4. Close windows
  5. Close dome – Lightly! over turning it can break the dome.
  6. Strip bed, leave our sheets in a box under bed, or take yours with you.
  7. Pour any remaining water in the Cermaic pot jug or 3-gallon jug outside so it doesn’t cause mold in the yurt.
• Camper
  1. Turn off Fridge
  2. Turn off Propane
  3. Lock yurt door.
  4. Lock camper.

Eat some good food

Plenty of restaurants in Nevada City — we recommend these, and they are all within 7 minutes of the yurt.

COFFEE

City Council Coffee
Best option hands down for an excellent espresso beverage. Flat white is my go to right now. Ultrafast wifi.

FOOD

Three Forks Pizza and Brewery
Great Pizza and solid beer. Sit outside on a nice day and watch people, sit inside on a cold one and get cozy.

Bistro 221
Southern Comfort food with an upscale bent. The specials are generally special and we enjoy them.

Ike’s Quarter Cafe
New Orleans style food – some say the best food in Nevada city. My favorite place for breakfast. The line is long but worth it on weekends after 9:30am.

South Pine Cafe
Locally sourced hearty healthy food. Chorizo Benedicts…mmm…

Jernigan’s Tap House & Grill
20+ hand picked rotating beers. Just get a flight, you will enjoy the variety Best burger in town. Meet the locals. Watch sports on TV.

Heartwood
Great veggie and meat bowls with rice / grains. Thick slices of toast. Avocado. Tea. Rough hewn wood slab furniture. You get the picture.

Pine Street Burgers
Another burger place. Best Sweet Potato fries. This one also has vegan milkshakes.

For the river or the road:

Get a bagel at Bubba’s Bagels in Grass Valley. Best bagels in the west, not joking. Good bagel sandwiches perfect for the river or a hike.

 Go see some things

Deer Creek

This is the stream on our property. Head down the hill on the trail to the right of the yurt, and follow it all the way past the log bench. Stay on this flat area until you see a trail down to the right. Take that down and then work your way back upstream. Plenty of rocky beaches and big rocks to sun yourselves on and take a cold plunge! We own 2 acres the other side of the stream too, so feel free to explore. If you keep heading upstream there is a swimming hole that is 10 ft deep or so near the huge drift log. Sometimes neighbors make their way down from the other side to the big rock to swim. If you don’t want them there tell them it is private property.

Yuba River
Highway 49 crosses the Yuba, and it is majestic. Go swim, work your way upstream and play in the boulders. Nice trail on the north side of the river for walking. Go all the way to Hoyt’s Crossing for some clothing optional river time.

Empire Mine
Longest operating gold mine in the US. Closed in the 60’s. 850 acres include miles of scenic trails for hiking, biking, dog walking and horseback riding.
http://www.empiremine.org/

Scotts Flat Lake
Just east of the yurt is Scotts flat lake. A short drive away.

Neighborhood NID irrigation canal hike
If you walk out our road towards the way back to town, you will shortly come to Gold Dust Lane (in our neighborhood, before you turn left on murchie mine. It looks like a driveway, but is not!) Head all the way up this until you see a trail heading off to the right. Go up it and you will be at the very calm irrigation canal. Follow it to the left for a nice, level 5 mile round trip to a dam and peaceful lake.