Designed to connect with the natural systems of a special place, Chertecho sits among the trees on a 5-acre rocky slope overlooking the Pedernales River Valley. 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 and heat pump. 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. 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 firm mattress 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. 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.