Come get away to this beautiful cabin in the trees! Spectacular views plus space enough for two families. Ski, snowboard, sled, ice skate, fish, hike, swim, mountain bike, visit historic towns, or simply relax. Enjoy your cup of coffee on the wrap-around deck and gaze across the gorge at the majestic Dodge Ridge mountainside. The humming birds may join you. At night, sip some wine while you check out the Milky Way and the millions of sparkling stars.
This gorgeous cabin is located in the pristine Sierra Foothills. Driving time is 2.5 hours from East Bay, 1.5 hours from the Central Valley. Perfectly located 15 minutes from Twain Harte, 9 minutes to Pinecrest Lake and Dodge Ridge Ski Resort. Yosemite is 1.5 hours.
Come experience the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. In the winter, watch fresh snow falling from the warm home with glorious views. There is so much here to explore and appreciate.
WINTER GUESTS:
The cabin has many comforts, but it should not be considered a luxury stay. Cold Springs in winter has harsh weather. In December 2021 there were two PG&E power outages lasting over 24 hours and it snowed over 12 feet over two weeks. In serious snow, trees can fall, cars can get in accidents, which can lead to freeways being closed and county roads being impassable. It is normal for it to take hours or even a day before the county roads get plowed after a snow storm.
What We Provide (and Don't Provide) in Winter
We hire a snow plow service to keep the driveway clear so that there is space for two vehicles. (A third vehicle will have a difficult time finding a place to park in snow. We don't recommend it.) We have a nice covered walkway from the driveway to the front door (read: Not much shoveling to get from the car to the door). We provide plenty of firewood, a limited supply of kindling, firestarters, matches. We have an amazing wood stove that heats up the whole house plus space heaters in case rooms get chilly. We also provide an excellent powerful wall heater should you need it.
We provide an emergency generator and multiple back-up propane tanks for fuel. The generator will power lights, refrigerator, wifi, and maybe one stove burner. We provide rock salt for de-icing stairs. We provide snow shovels. The rest is up to you.
Tasks Winter Guests Should be Prepared to Do
- Dig out own vehicles in the event of snow during your stay.
- Shovel a short walkway.
- De-ice steps by sprinkling rock salt.
- Be prepared for power outages. Bring flashlights. In the event of a power outage, guests should either be willing to go without electricity (and internet) or be willing and able to roll a 90 lb generator outdoors, hook it to a propane tank, and start the generator with the push-button. (Instructions are provided.)
- Know how to light and operate a wood stove, including how to use a damper. The wood stove is the preferred source of heat for the cabin.
- Carry chains (even for 4WD and AWD vehicles, it's the law when snowing) and know when, where, and how to install them.
- Know how to reset a circuit breaker and a GFCI outlet.
We will accept cancelations and issue refunds due to closed roads and power outages BEFORE check-in.
SUMMER GUESTS:
Summers can get hot. This cabin, like many up here, does not have AC. But don’t worry. It cools down at night and we have ceiling fans and box fans.
THE SPACE
You have got to see the gigantic master suite upstairs with the balcony mountain view—gorgeous! All bedrooms have black-out/room darkening shades or curtains. Perfect for sleeping-in.
The Main Floor has an open floor plan so that everyone is included. Two bedrooms on Main Floor. Main Floor also has Living Room, wood stove, Kitchen, and Bathroom. Large Deck with both gas and charcoal grills.
Hate hauling things up flights of stairs? Just 2-3 steps from driveway to main floor of cabin.
**Wifi**
Wifi is fast but the connection is intermittent. Email, streaming (e.g. Netflix, Spotify), and wifi texting work fine. Zoom meetings and wifi phone calls do not work well.
Wifi Hotspots
Need to attend a Zoom meeting over wifi? There are two good places for free wifi: Zoe Coffee House in Mi Wuk Village, open 8 am to 3 pm. https://www.zoecoffeehouse.com/ And the the Mi Wuk Wash & Dry laundromat https://goo.gl/maps/sVeLcgzfeLLnbuPJ7 open 6 am to 8 pm.
Puzzles and board games abound. If you crave media, the upstairs nook has a flat screen TV with a selection of DVDs.
Bad back? The upstairs Master Suite has memory foam, which feels both firm and soft at the same time. Downstairs room with California King is a usual mattress, but guests have had zero complaints.
