About 36 miles east of Meeker in the White River National Forest rests a testament to human history, ingenuity and community — a yurt.
The structure, engineered by Meeker resident Roy Wedding, is put up every November by a “loosely organized” group called the White River Nordic Council. Saturday, Nov. 11, marked the 10th year for the annual raising-of-the-yurt gathering.
About a dozen volunteers joined forces to install a plywood floor in the yurt — a first this year — before going through the necessary steps to erect the structure, complete with a woodstove and a front door. Stocked with supplies like cocoa packets and dog treats, the yurt provides a welcome respite for snowshowers and cross-country skiers who take advantage of the trails. In past years, Council members have organized moonlight skis and evening supper gatherings, and the yurt is open to the public throughout the winter months.
A wall tent, such as those used in hunting camps, was put up on the opposite side of the campground for a few years before Wedding started thinking about building a yurt. When he found out the going rate for a pre-built yurt, he decided to try making one himself, watching videos and researching yurt construction to figure out the process on his own. That was 17 yurts ago. He’s even built one for a friend’s dog.
The yurt is well-equipped to withstand high winds because of its round shape and reinforced walls, and the domed roof allows snow to slide off.
The yurt is described in the writings of Greek historian Herodotus around 440 BCE (Before the Christian Era, or, Before the Common Era), and in Italian explorer Marco Polo’s descriptions of his time in Mongolia. The structures are ideal for nomadic people following their flocks and herds across the vast steppe region of Central Asia. In Mongolia, as much as 90% of the rural population still lives in yurts, which are also called gers. In recent generations the yurt has gained popularity in the United States and around the world for “glamping” and even as tiny homes.
Chris and Kalene Reidinger of Meeker are regular visitors to the site in the winter, with which they have a special connection: It’s where they met, during one of those moonlight ski events, and it’s where they got engaged. On Saturday, their 5-year-old daughter Elizabeth joined them for the yurt-raising, picking up a broom and sweeping the newly installed floor.
All that’s needed now is snow.
