Page 8 Text: You could get to Louie's house across a little bridge in the summer. But in the winter when the river was high, you got there on a cable over the river. To demonstrate, we climbed up a steep flight of stairs to a platform about 25 feet off the ground. Louie hooked up a chair, had me sit in it and said to let go. After a first reaction of "no way!," I finally (shakingly) got rolling. It was fabulous. It felt safe and I zinged 500 feet across the river and came into a landing platform. (To get back you unhook the chair, climb up to another tower platform and go back on another cable.)

Page 9 Text: Louie's house is a success story of the '60s, owner-designed and built. It's an off-the-grid house, but with amenities. Hot water comes from a coil in the woodstove in winter, from solar heat in summer. In the '80s Louie installed a solar-powered electric system and in the '90s, hydroelectric power (as well as a DirectTV satellite dish).