Contemplating a move to the Sierra Nevada foothills, Twain Harte

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I'm not sure where to post this but here goes.

We are thinking of moving to Twain Harte just east of Sonora. What can I expect living in the mountains at about 4,000 feet? I know snow, wild life and such but there are some costs that I know I'll miss. Heating, electric etc. Anyone familiar with this area? I know it is a couple of hours to Yosemite on the west side. If things work out I'll be setting up a darkroom and facilities for the large format community and teaching carbon transfer. I'm also planning on installing enlargers etc. for others to use. People could stay and work on the property for a small fee. Would there be any interest if I did this?

We are in the planning stages. Any input would be great.

Thanks.

[akaa]

Hey Jim,

I can't comment much about living in Twain Harte, but I have a D5 base and column you're welcome to for your darkroom.

Aris

[vinny]

The mountains are where you belong. We both know it.

[Preston]

Jim,

Twain Harte is a nice town about 20 minutes east of Sonora. Snow amounts can vary widely, depending upon the year, and it can get pretty warm in the summer. Some older homes are not well insulated since many were built for summer use, so you'll need to ask about that when you talk with a realtor. As is typical of the higher foothills, gasoline, propane for heat, and food are more expensive than in lower elevations. A great many people who live up there shop in Sonora, but Twain Harte does have a full service market and other shops.

Here's a link to the Twain Harte Chamber of Commerce.

Since you are planning to offer printing workshops, you might consider contacting Columbia College about offering your classes through their Community Education program. Classes in this program are 'fee-funded'. You can contact the college at (209) 588-5100, or write to them at 11600 Columbia College Dr., Sonora, CA, 95370.

I live in Columbia, so I'm only 40 minutes from TH. I'd certainly be interested in learning carbon transfer printing. If you do come up this way to look around, give me a holler.

--P

[Jim Noel]

One of our daughters lived in Twain Harte for a few years. An absolutely beautiful part of the country. When she was there I had exactly the same idea as you . My thought was to get a piece of property with a good barn on it which would be used for gallery and darkroom. I was also looking for space to allow workshop participants to camp on the property. Such spaces are available in the area around Twain Harte, but I didn't find such immediately in the village. I gave up when she had to move for economic reasons.
Once there, I don't believe you will have too much difficulty luring participants for workshops. There is so much really good scenery up the Sonora Pass I could easily photograph in there every day. Two hours to Yosemite Valley with great locations along the way.
More power to you. As far as I am concerned this is one of the photographically under-explored areas of the country.

[Drew Wiley]

I'm from that part of the world myself, though a much more rural and rugged area further south. My nephew has a small ranch in those mid-elevations, slightly into the snowline. I really prefer the mid-range, above the fog in the winter, but below the snow. You won't escape the summer heat either way - ya gotta be up around 7000 ft to do that. Sonora itself is, uh, getting too suburbanized for my taste - a bit overdeveloped like much of the hill country. But there are basic services. My wife was recently offered a job there, but she's a city girl and wouldn't care for all the heat and bugs. Lots of people retire into the hills. But one has to become accustomed to the delay of emergency services in certain areas, and the very significant demands of keeping property secure from forest fires - which can amount to a LOT of
work each year. I think the scenery of the hill country exceeds that of Yosemite Valley itself, though it might be an acquired taste. But you'd be close to both.
Depending on the neighborhood, you might or might not go into culture shock. Just depends. There are still some hillbilly types here and there, and you have to be
very careful about any proximity of meth or pot operations. Not trying to scare you - just do your homework first, before choosing property. And the number one
key to any rural lot is water, water, water. If you don't have a reliable well, you have nothing. And ... in my opinion, people who buy property right into the woods
are just setting themselves up for another disaster equivalent to last years fires. It's just a matter of time. You need property with true defensible space between
housing and trees. Those of us who have lived thru catastrophic wildfires understand that this subject cannot really be exaggerated.

[Jim Galli]

I kind of dreamed for years of a spot across Hwy 395 from the big Mono Lake visitor's center purposed similarly. Bottom line is we're probably too specialized in our disciplines to derive any kind of real living. You wind up a whore giving workshops to vacationers in bermuda shorts with Nikon D65's if steady rent and food on the table is a necessity. OTOH if you've solved those sorts of problems and have 'other' income to sustain yourself, sounds like fun. Go for the dream. We ain't gettin' any younger.

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah.. you need some kind of reliable base income or pension. If you want to make money in that part of the world open a chainsaw sharpening service or a decent
little Mexican restaurant. ... art ain't going to do it unless you're routinely selling prints somewhere else. The good new is that you can buy a ranch for what a rusty
camper shell propped up on bricks would cost here on the coast. But putting in a reliable well can often cost more than the house itself, and there's no guarantee you'll have a predictable well even after sinking your life savings into a hole in the ground. And the water will be hard, so plan for filters on you darkroom lines, and keeping lots of distilled water on hand for critical applications. It can also be very difficult in rural areas to find competent help. So it helps to understand all the basics of wiring, plumbing, carpentry, etc. Those lower elevation woods tend to have lots of coyotes, bobcats, a few bear and mtn lions. That changes somewhat
lower down (more bugs). Lots to photograph, that's for sure, but making a buck at it in that part of the world will be quite a challenge.

[John Kasaian]

We get lots of people from Los Angeles moving to the Oakhurst area. The biggest complaint is that some medical services that used to be taken for granted will be far. far away(like Fresno or in your case, Stockton) so if that applies to you, be forewarned. Outside of that, they generally love it in the foothills. The air is still going to be polluted until you get above 5,000 ft elevation though and the fire hazard needs to be taken seriously---a swimming pool or pond is feature that will make your insurance company happy.

[Vaughn]

Neat idea, Jim! I'll be setting shop along those lines up here.

I'll add that waste management needs to be taken into consideration, as does water conservation. Perhaps some sort of gray water (minimal chemical content) storage, so that it can be used in the gardens in the summers.