Second Homes: Montana’s great outdoors
Wilderness Club development offers custom homes, cabins, villas
For the Bohnes, there’s never a dull day at Wilderness Club.
One day, it could be wakeboarding or water-skiing; the next, they might be playing a round at the Nick Faldo championship golf course.
Wilderness Club is a 22-hectare development surrounded by spring-fed lakes in picturesque Montana. The group that runs the project includes Calgary businessman Barry Ehlert.
“When we get the house, we’ll probably just purchase a couple of golf carts; that way, the older kids can just drive around,” says buyer Shondi Bohne.
She and husband Rich are from small towns in southern Alberta and met while attending the University of Calgary. They now work for Wilderness Club.
But it’s much more than a job. Along with their four children, the couple will soon break ground on one of the custom home sites in the community. Wilderness Club offers custom homes, cabins and now villas.
The Bohnes’ planned home will have a 3,500-square-foot floor plan, including five bedrooms and a walkout basement. Construction is expected to start this summer.
In the meantime, they’ve enjoyed trying out everything the development has to offer. Its golf course has garnered acclaim from a number of golf publications, including being named the No. 1 golf course in Montana by Golfweek magazine in 2012.
“We love to golf, so we love it being right here at the club,” says Shondi.
Ehlert says Wilderness Club was designed to be a family-friendly getaway. To achieve this, the project includes a major water park. Shondi says her family is there regularly. “We’ve got an incredible water park,” says Ehlert, managing partner with Wilderness Club. “It’s got a 200-foot (61-metre) waterslide, two pools and a massive hot tub.”
In terms of on-site amenities, there are plans for much more.The development broke ground on a community park that will feature play fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and walking trails, says Ehlert.
It will host plenty of familytype activities, “which is really exciting,” he says.
“We’ve got a tremendous climate at Wilderness Club, where you’re only a three- and-a-half hour drive from Calgary — half the distance to the Okanagan Valley, but kind of the same weather.”
Hiking, cycling and lake activities are some of the other favourite pastimes for members of Wilderness Club. “We love to boat and we live right near Lake Koocanusa,” says Shondi. The lake is a 145-kilometre-long manmade reservoir that reaches into Canada.
“We can get out on any number of lakes within minutes to water-ski or wakeboard,” she says. “We like to do river fishing, too, so we go up into the little mountain rivers.”
In the frostier months, the family turns to Big Mountain Club at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Wilderness Club has a joint agreement with the resort that allows members to use it at a reduced rate. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Wilderness Club, which is convenient, says Shondi.
“We’re not experienced at all, but everyone is into it,” she says. “We got our kids all skis last Christmas. It’s something they all like.”
Homes at the development are available from the $250,000s US, including a new line of villas in floor plans ranging from 1,000 to 1,700 square feet.
“I think they’ll appeal to a ton of different people,” says Ehlert. “It’s very affordable. One of the unique things we’re able to do with this product is we have a program where you can literally own for 10 per cent down.”
Cabins are also available with attached or detached garages. These plans range from 1,500 to 5,700 square feet.
Buyers can build custom homes on lots from 0.134 to one hectare.