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PrintRolling With It
A customized home, filled with ski memorabilia and in a perfect location, translates to “real freedom” for this Alta man
photography by w. garth dowling
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The first thing one sees, pulling into the driveway of a particular Alta home, is a pair of skis mounted to the entry gate. Then there’s the vintage wooden ski gear decorating the gable ends of the house; a chairlift swings on the porch and a colorful portrayal of a Nordic skier in leaded glass graces the front door. It’s obvious this is the home of someone with a passion for the white stuff. Erik Schultz, an avid skier, does not disappoint.
He had lived throughout the West—in Whitefish, Missoula, Portland, Taos, and near Lake Tahoe. But in 2000, when Schultz was ready to build a home, he chose a “wilder place,” western Wyoming. He’d wanted to live in Jackson, where he had spent a ski season in 1994-95, but found that five years later, land values were far more reasonable on the Western side of the Tetons.
Other factors persuaded him as well. “The quiet side ended up suiting me so much better, the slower pace, fewer crowds,” he explains, “and a downtown small enough where you can essentially roll everywhere you need to.”
A backcountry skiing accident in 1998 forced Schultz to trade his downhill skis for a single monoski and a Nordic sit-ski. When not on the slopes or out on a cross-country trail, vigorously sit-skiing, he deftly maneuvers in a wheelchair.
“It’s been a most rewarding substitute. With the Nordic sit-ski, I’m out of the chair and miles deep in the canyon, with my dog along, in no time,” he says. “No help or lifts needed. Real freedom!”
Today, Schultz skis with his wife, Linn Kincannon. The couple wed in 2008, after he’d received a master’s in environmental studies from Prescott College in Arizona (his undergraduate degree, in political science, was earned at the University of California, Davis). Schultz now is executive director of the Arthur B. Schultz Foundation, a charity founded by and bearing the name of his father. The international nonprofit supports a number of specific philanthropic efforts. One focus of the foundation is disabled mobility solutions, and Erik serves as a consultant on accessibility issues to Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) for the proposed Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness Area.
The Building Process
Schultz’s plan was to build a log home. He wanted it built in as green a manner as possible, to employ local contractors, and to be user-friendly for his wheelchair. In addition to being his home, it would serve as headquarters for the Arthur B. Schultz Foundation.
First, he found a prime building site, near farm ground and forest, with a magnificent view. After finding such a setting, Schultz hand-picked a mix of builders and artisans to create a home to fit its environment.
He chose general contractor John Cormier of Victor to orchestrate the subcontractors and oversee the details. Each of the subs was hired because of his track record of attention to quality within his own specialty.
Cormier personally saw to the fine details of the log supports, the twisted and knotted stairway, and the railings. Each log was handpicked for its specific purpose, location in the structure, and design effect. Rather than simple butting or jointing, woods were married together with a mortise technique for a flawless finish. “It requires time, patience, and practice,” says Cormier.
Erik, Linn, and their puppy Murdock enjoy their mountain home in Alta as often as they can (bottom). A wrap-around porch (top, left) makes it easy for guests to enjoy the views from all sides of the home. Although the home is framed rather than built with full logs (for energy efficiency), many oversized timbers (top, right) were used to create a log-home feel.
