A Rustic Colorado Ranch, Reborn

Historic Background of Born Lake Lodge

The Born Lake Lodge located in Mineral County, Colorado is surrounded by spectacular San Juan Mountains scenery near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the enchanted property was first settled by the legendary Western outlaw Henry Born (also known as Dutch Henry) in 1898. While Born gained renown for his horse thievery, it seems he also had a keen eye for real estate. When his escapades finally came to an end, he chose this beautiful paradise as the spot where he and his wife would settle down and raise four children. With 155 secluded acres surrounded by San Juan National Forest, featuring a private 18-acre glacial lake that flows into the west fork of the San Juan River. Waterfalls cascade from the snowy mountain peaks, and wildlife is abundant.

The Youngs and Their Vision for the Ranch

Mike Moore a Pagosa Springs-based builder and founder of Moore & Co. says it was kind of a local secret and the builder happened to be familiar with the Born Lake property, and when it came on the market, he knew exactly who he needed to tell and that was Mark and Phyllis Young. Fast forward to today and you'll find this incredible build with chandeliers from Restoration Hardware light the kitchen, pale custom cabinets, and a custom vent hood. The family-sized kitchen island has a wood slab top that provides plenty of space when the grandkids help make cookies.

The Youngs' Connection to Southwest Colorado

The Youngs live in Texas most of the year but are especially fond of this wild and beautiful region of southwest Colorado. Mike Moore had already built two homes in the area for the couple, and this idyllic new property truly captured their imaginations. The Born Lake Ranch offered both private lake and river ownership, as well as national forest access from all sides. You'll see eagles and osprey that inhabit the pine and fir trees around the lake and can be seen diving into the lake for dinner. Moose, elk, and deer pass through the property frequently.

The Design Inspiration and Construction Journey

There is an antique-filled great room, with a catwalk-inspired by rustic national park lodges, which overlooks the waters of Born Lake. To build this home so deserving of such a majestic setting, the right design and construction team was hired. The Youngs asked Mike Moore and local architect Courtney King, of Courtney King Studios, to build a rustic mountain home at Born Lake. Their inspiration? America's stately national park lodges.

Combining Tradition with Modern Comfort

Their new log ranch home blends time-honored building techniques with up-to-date amenities and comfort. In appreciation of the hand-hewn antique cabin building on-site, which was crafted with a broad ax and adze, Moore decided to utilize an old style of wooden construction called piece-en-piece. Piece-en-piece eliminates any settling issues that a normal log home would have as logs compress and move in different climates. It's a timber-frame structure with intermittent posts and log infill between those posts. Moore built the new home from hand-hewn Colorado spruce, with the help of local artisans, including San Juan Timberwrights and Integrity Ironworks. The result is a stunning home that complements its natural setting.