The Lookout – Part 1

For ages, it seems, we’ve had this gaping hole in our roof. What’s with that, you say? We’re so glad you asked!

We too wondered if the day would ever come when we started working on ‘The Lookout’. The lookout is basically a room on the roof of the lodge, a fourth floor, which provides and 360 degree view of the area surrounding the lodge. Along with the great room and north window, it is one of the signature features of the lodge.

It is really such a wild and unique concept, it was hard to even imagine what it was going to look like. We were just hoping we wouldn’t regret our decision to ‘go for it’ after it was installed. But we trusted our handy contractor, Nate Rude, the log expert, to craft this one-of-a-kind structure. As you will see, he did not disappoint.

Nate began by building the floor structure for the lookout between the log roof trusses. We had numerous brainstorming sessions attempting to figure out how we would hoist the large floor truss logs high into the roof structure to fasten them in place. We talked about winches, cranes, scaffolding, magical pixie dust, the force, etc. Eventually, we had the bright idea to tear a hole in the upper west wall and use the telescoping boom lift from outside to lift to the logs into place. It worked!

The lower portion of the lookout consists of a log truss floor with shiplap pine boards and a split log staircase with thick pine slab treads. The staircase is one of three matching staircases you will see from the great room.

This first series of photos shows the beautifully exposed underside of the lookout. You can see it high above your head as you walk through the entryway of the lodge. It is perched among the roof trusses above the great room and second floor balcony. The gorgeous log and slab stairway climbs into the lookout from the 3rd floor loft.

Click on an image below to open the photo gallery.

One thought on “The Lookout – Part 1

  1. Why is it that “Stick-Hicks” always seem to build the BEST of North American barns, cabins, lodges, smokehouses, outhouses, sheds, corrals, everything good, from native wood? True American values is why! Got to say, you guys are doing such a great job on the lodge. It us always great fun to view your progress on this most excellent project! Can’t wait to see the finished Lookout and Lodge! It’s Evident All Of Your Down-Home, Hard-Working Ingenuity is Creating The Highest Quality Structure on the Coteau des Prairies!

    May God Bless You All, Breker Family and Coteau des Prairies Lodge… in Every Way!

    Curt Dallaire (& son Nathanael) Twin Cities / Prairie-Travelers on the Great Plains

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