Apocalyptic cabin on 5 wooded acres near Old Tunnel State Park. An outdoor stair system connects the three levels - a covered rooftop deck; a second-floor master suite; and a ground floor kitchen space. Glass walls open to the wooded slopes of Big Hill, a ridge separating the Pedernales and Guadalupe watersheds halfway between Comfort and Fredericksburg. A place to unplug, and reconnect.
THE TREE TOWER:
Chertecho is a custom fabrication of scrappy makers. Re-purposed West Texas oil field pipe anchored in concrete provides the framework that rises 40 feet into the treetops of Cedar Elm, Escarpment Cherry, Black Walnut, and Live Oak. Other building materials include glass, concrete, cypress, pine, and steel.
Indoor spaces are cooled and heated by a mini-split system. The ground level has a wood-burning stove. Bathrooms on the first and second levels are ventilated with an exhaust fan and a wall-mounted fan. The second level master suite bathroom includes a walk-in shower.
KITCHEN:
The open kitchen is stocked to cook. Utensils, serving ware, pots, pans, colander bakeware, toaster-oven, blender, gas range/oven, full-sized refrigerator, glassware, olive oil, and salt/pepper are all provided.
COFFEE:
Organic locally roasted coffee, an electric kettle, and a Chemex drip carafe is provided, along with paper filters, coffee mugs, local honey and raw sugar.
WATER:
Chertecho is supplied by rainwater collected from its roof. The water service to the entire tree tower is filtered and UV-treated, and is tested regularly for bacteria. After periodic rains, the treated water may become cloudy – this is normal.
Although we drink the water, we encourage guests to bring their own drinking water and ice.
All guests are urged to aggressively conserve water during their stay. Car washing, kid pools, outdoor sprinklers, or other excessive use of water is not allowed. Water levels in the rain collection tanks are monitored in between guest stays, and water is trucked in during dry times to ensure an ample supply for each visit. However, excessive use may deplete available water supply, creating an uncomfortable hassle for both guest and host.
SEPTIC:
Chertecho is on a septic system, so guests are asked to be mindful about drains. Paper towels or feminine hygiene products or anything other than toilet paper are not to be flushed in toilets. Coffee grounds or other solids should be not dumped down sink drains.
LIBRARY:
Chertecho maintains a humble permanent collection of books for guests to use during their stay. The library includes field guides to local plant and animals, classic fiction, and local non-fiction. Please keep books from this selection on the property at all times.
ROOMS:
The ground-level floor includes the kitchen, a small two-top dining table, a fold-out sofa bed, and a wood-burning stove in an open room. A half-bath (toilet and sink) and stacked washer/dryer are also on the ground level.
Sliding glass doors open to deck, which includes two chairs and an outdoor fan. A small set of stone steps at the entry door leads to the parking area, approximately 50 feet from the tree tower entrance.
The second level is accessed by an outdoor steel staircase located near the entry. This master suite includes a queen-size bed, and a small desk and chair. There is also a full bathroom that includes a large walk-in shower, and closet space in both the bathroom and the hallway. Sliding glass doors open to a private deck with an outdoor fan.
The covered, third-level rooftop deck may only be accessed through the second-level master suite. It includes a patio table with four chairs. There is a 360-degree view above the treetops.
The steps may be slippery in wet conditions – a steel handrail protects one side of the staircase; a wood-clad tower wall protects the opposite side.
We recommend bringing slip-on shoes for using stairs between levels.
The steel staircases are automatically illuminated from dusk to dawn for safety, using downward lighting with no impact to views of the night sky.
THE PROPERTY & OUTDOORS:
Chertecho is situated on a sloping 5-acre wooded tract. The property is bound by Old San Antonio Road to the west, a livestock fence to the north and east, and dry a creek bed (loosely) to the south. The gravel driveway winds around Ashe Junipers to provide privacy from the road. Some drives and rooftops can be seen from the staircases and the upper level, but otherwise the tower is fairly secluded.
There is a wood and charcoal grill that may be used for outdoor cooking. A cleared area between the tree tower and dry creek bed provides a second boulder-lined pit for small recreational fires. Local fire restrictions are strictly observed, and guests are clearly notified as needed.
A rough but marked trail follows the boundaries of the property, twice crossing the deep cut of the dry creek bed, part of the local network of springs that run during wet weather feeding nearby Block Creek. The trail is a roughly 1/3 mile loop.
A section of the property line is not fenced. Remaining on the trail helps avoid straying onto the property of neighbors, who like to shoot guns. Not maliciously - but still. Let's not get shot.
Because of its distance from development, Chertecho provides a rural experience of night skies in the Texas Hill Country. Mexican Free-tail bats are also observed nightly during the summer as they exit the maternal colony located just north at Old Tunnel State Park, and again in the early mornings during their return to the Tunnel.
Other wildlife and bird watching activity is abundant. Golden-cheek Warblers are heard during nesting season each April/May, along with other songbirds, raptors, and migrating birds throughout the year. Ringtails, porcupines, foxes and other less-common native wildlife are often encountered.
GUEST ACCESS:
Guests have exclusive use of the entire 5-acre property during their stay. The storage barn, the small utility room located under the exterior staircase, the Airstream, and any locked cabinets are not accessible to guests and will not be occupied.
BUGS:
Chertecho is a chemical-free environment. The good, the bad, and the ugly of a balanced ecological system are alive and well - both indoors and out.
Scorpions, daddy long-legs, poisonous snakes, prehistoric looking centipedes, and other kinds of beneficial wildlife may be encountered. It’s not a bad idea to shake out linens before use, and to keep a mindful eye while moving throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces.
TV/WI-FI:
Chertecho is a place to unplug. There is no TV and no wi-fi, and little to no cell service, though most guests will find two or three bars of signal from the third-level rooftop deck.
FIRST AID KIT & SAFETY:
A basic first aid kit and small tool kit may be found in the kitchen cabinets. Smoke and CO detectors are installed on the second level. A fire extinguisher is available in the kitchen. The nearest hospital is approximately 20 minutes away in Fredericksburg. There is no landline at Chertecho.
BABIES & KIDS:
Although Chertecho caters to curious, adventurous, independent, self-reliant humans, it might not be the best place for those sensitive to danger, wildlife, fire, falls, weather, and other potential sources for accidents.
