Building The Lion’s Den

This summer, we were fortunate enough to receive funding from the Coleman Lions Club for the creation of a children’s snow school (see Press Release).  We decided the most unique and versatile option was a Yurt.  This past weekend, we had a good old-fashioned Yurt building day up at PPK.  Big thanks to the members of the Coleman Lions and Pass Powderkeg Ski Society for helping to get the Yurt up and ready for use in a couple of weeks when we open the winter season on November 16.

What the heck is a Yurt?

A Yurt is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by different nomadic groups in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a wooden latticework for walls, a door frame, wooden rafter ribs, and a domed crown (called a Toono…the most sacred part of the Yurt) that holds the structure together. Large Yurts, like the Lion’s Den, have interior posts supporting the crown.  The Yurt is insulated by a series of felt blankets and a waterproof outer layer.  The structure is bound together by Mongolian horse hair rope.

The Yurt is the traditional home of Mongolian nomads. Its history dates back thousands of years and it is still widely used across Mongolia. Though ours will be a permanent structure, it is designed to be dismantled and the parts carried compactly on camels or yaks to be rebuilt on another site.

Where did our Yurt come from?

The Lion’s Den Yurt was purchased from Groovy Yurts, based out of Alexandria, Ontario.  Groovy Yurts believes strongly in sustainable living and make every effort to source materials and labour from the Mongolian country side.  This timeless structure was made using mostly natural products, hand crafted by a Mongolian family on a principle of fair trade.  As such, these are the most authentic Mongolian Yurts available in North America.

What are we going to use it for?

The primary purpose of the Lion’s Den will be the home of our new Little Cubs snow school program.  Focused on Toddlers aged 18 mo to 6 yrs, the structure will be a supervised area with toys, books and crafts to give small children a place to warm up and have some unstructured time off of the snow before and after their lesson.