U.S. & World

ROCKLAND RANCH, Utah. (CBS) ― Down a red dirt road, in the middle of Utah's Southeastern desert, a worn wooden sign welcomes lost hikers - because unless you knew how to find it, getting lost is likely the only way you would stumble across Rockland Ranch. From afar, you almost think you're hallucinating from the heat. But as you get closer, you can see it's no mirage - there is a community of modern day cave dwellers living on the side of this sandstone plateau. 

There are close to 80 people living inside more than 15 different caves.
But to really understand how Rockland ranch and its inhabitants, you have to learn about Bob Foster-- the man who started it all.

"He was idealistic," said Melinda Foster Morrison, Bob Foster's daughter.

Foster was born in 1925 in Oregon. He converted to Mormonism at the age of 18 and was passionate about his religion. But at the age of 46 in 1971, he converted to fundamentalism, divorced his wife, left his family, and started practicing polygamy - for which he was excommunicated from the LDS church. Shortly after, his life in a cave began.

"He was a dreamer," Melinda said. "He had dreams and he knew how to fulfill them."

Bob started expanding his family - marrying 3 more women and had 28 more children including Melinda Foster Morrison, who says her father's decision to move his growing family to the desert was pure inspiration. After spending 20 days in jail for bigamy in 1974, Bob decided to leave mainstream society.

"He saw this rock and he just saw it knew that was where he wanted to build," Melinda said.

He had worked as a miner, and knew a thing or two about explosives. He had a vision, so he started blasting and built the first cave to house his family. Catrina Foster moved to the ranch after marrying Bob's son, Enoch.

"I thought he was nuts," Catrina said. "I told him I don't want to go out in the middle of nowhere in the desert."

She thought like most people do when they hear about cave-dwellers.

"My guess was as crazy as anybody else's-- you live in a cave?" Catrina said.

But if you're expecting the Flintstones, you'll be very disappointed. Catrina lives in a cave, blasted open with dynamite with her husband, her children, and her sister-wife, Lillian. They are polygamist. But only about half of the residents practice plural marriage. Life at Rockland Ranch is surprisingly ordinary and extraordinary all at the same time. Mornings start with chores; everyone helps. There is much to be done in a community that is almost entirely self-sufficient.

"We try to do the solar panels for the power," said Lillian Foster.

The rest of their electricity comes from generators. They have wells for water, a barn full of animals, and a community garden, from which everyone takes what they need and leaves the rest for the neighbors in the cave next door. The ranch's land is leased from the state and Catrina and Lily's husband is licensed to blast the rock with explosives.

"It shakes a little," Catrina said. "You can hear it echo clear through the canyons."

Everyone works together building new cave-homes which from the inside, you might forget are caves, except for the spots of red-rock on the ceiling and walls. Each room has windows so they can maximize sunlight and conserve energy.

"It keeps a great temperature all year round, it's unique," Lillian Foster said.

They do their shopping in nearby Moab or Monticello where many of the community members work, but they said once you move here, you don't ever want to leave.

"We get to live with people that we love, that we are really close to, and I just love the environment of this place," Melinda Foster Morrison said.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)