What is the distance between your slider and the back fence?

About 35 feet!

Is this what you see standing at the slider? or upstairs?

I’m not sure I understand, either. You want to add a deck to the existing bricked patio? If so, why don’t you put the deck on the right side of the sliders? The ground looks like it falls away there, lending itself to a raised wooden deck. Plus, you wouldn’t have to remove the existing bricked surface, which looks like it’s in good shape.

Put a pergola over the new deck to provide some shade. You could leave that pink-flowered shrub if you want, just cutting a space out of the new deck for it.

@benjesbride that is what we see from the second story window in our master bedroom. For that reason, we were thinking a second story deck could be a great choice. It would provide shade for the patio, give us more seating, and capitalize on the nice view we have from the top floor.

@Yardvaark here are a couple more pictures of the side beyond the patio.

ideas:

Views are important to me. We can see mountains from our house and it makes me so very happy.

To maximize view from your outdoor living space, I'd build a deck the full width of the house and 16' deep. Straight out from your slider--no step down--to see as much distance as possible. Dining set on the left with the grill and lounge seating on the right under a pergola or shade sails (as long as they don't impede much view. You won't regret going big on a deck, but you will regret building too small.