Grant Johnson tells Newsweek about his experience mining his own cave and transforming it into a house.
In 2003, I finished blasting the whole cave. I wanted to create what I would call"Man's place on earth." A place where I could grow food, blend in with nature, and live a sustainable life. That's why in 1980 when I had bought the land, I also planted trees outside what would become the cave. Many of them are now four to five feet in diameter and 60 feet tall.After finishing the cave, it was empty for a few years.
Within the cave, I built a music room called the jam room. I also built a bridge to the west end of the cave, which is where guests often stay. I live in the main part of the cave.I also planted an orchid outside that grows fruit like peaches, plums, cherries and nectarines. I had a 22-foot-in diameter water wheel that ran the pump and put in 6,500 feet of pipeline from the pond, to be able to grow crops. Sustainability is important to me.
Every time guests stay at the property, it is a wonderful experience because they are always amazed. It's fun to see everyone's amazement. Because we're in the middle of the wilderness in the monument, people often come here to hike. They come back in the evening and often party, it's a fun environment. Because we are in the wilderness, we are not seen as a threat to the animals. There is a lot of nature here.
During the springtime, the cave is fully booked up and during winter, we are typically booked a lot of the weekends. We charge $350 per night, for two people, and I charge $950 for 9 people per night, which is full house rental. The demand for the cave tends to decrease during the heat of summer. But that's my favorite season because there are a lot of thunderstorms that form over the mountain and we have a swimming hole that's nine feet deep.
People feel inspired here. I call it positive living in a negative space. I'm currently blasting more properties just a hundred yards away. I'm blasting a barn and another house. It's a really exciting process. We have created a meaningful life immersed in an incredibly beautiful land that nourishes our spirit.All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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