Play Outside/Relax Inside at Modern Retreat
Architect-designed peaceful home in Bear Valley, high in the Sierras, available for weekend or weeklong rentals. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, well equipped, great hiking and biking, ski in/ski out. Our peaceful, architect-designed retreat in Bear Valley, high in the Sierras, is available for weekend or weeklong rentals: 3 bedroom, 2 bath, well equipped, great hik
ing and biking, ski in/ski out. Book now: https://www.vrbo.com/1205267
ABOUT THE HOUSE
Bedrooms: 3 (1 with king, 2 with full beds)
Other sleeping: twin-over-full bunk in 3rd floor loft mezzanine, fold-out couch on 2nd floor mezzanine
Bathrooms: 2 (one bathtub with shower, one stall shower), both on second floor
Amenities: Wifi, lots of board games, Internet-enabled TV, dishwasher, washer/dryer, microwave, coffeemaker, gas BBQ, snowshoes & other gear that can be borrowed
Ursa Major is 1,500 square feet but feels bigger, thanks to an intelligent open design spread over three levels. The kitchen is open to the living room and dining room, with large picture windows looking out on the trees. The woodstove in the living room easily heats the whole house, with the help of the 24-foot, three-story ceiling, but baseboard heaters will also keep you from getting cold at night. There are three cozy bedrooms (with a king and two full beds) plus two mezzanine sleeping areas with beds (a fold-out full sofa and a double+twin bunkbed). The kitchen is small but well-equipped and highly functional. There are two full bathrooms (both located on the second floor). The back yard is full of trees (and we have a hammock you can lounge on amongst them) and ends in a granite escarpment that kids love playing on. Our house was designed by architects Ehrlich, Heft & Rominger; Jack Rominger built his own design award–winning house here in Bear Valley and designed several other houses here as well. His subsequent firm Ehrlich Rominger became well-known for innovative buildings in Silicon Valley for Varian, Fairchild etc. We are a 10-minute walk from the Bear Valley Lodge and a 10-minute walk from Bear Lake. We are right on both the Lunch Run and Home Run for those who’d like to ski up to our front door from Bear Mountain. ABOUT BEAR VALLEY
Bear Valley is straight east on Highway 4 from Stockton, just over 3 hours from Oakland. It's a beautiful drive, climbing 7,200 feet up on the spine of the Sierras, south of Tahoe and north of Yosemite. Tiny Bear Valley got similar incredible mountain views, towering trees, plus great hiking, kayaking, and skiing — but none of the traffic or lines. (Also no restaurants, grocery stores, or nightlife, which is a bummer, but hey, if it had those, then we'd have the crowds, too.) SUMMER IN BEAR VALLEY
Summers are magical. It doesn’t get hotter than the mid-80s, if that, with much cooler nights. Sleep out on our deck in sleeping bags under a blanket of stars. Go hiking on multiple trails in around the Spicer and Utica Reservoirs or up by Alpine Lake, which also offers fishing and kayaking. Or walk up to Bear Lake form our house and let the kids play in the sand and swim out to the floating dock. There’s a rope swing over the lake for the more adventurous, down a footpath from the big beach. (Ask a local.) We have a kayak you can borrow at Bear Lake, beach chairs and an umbrella, and of course plenty of beach towels. Bear Valley Summer Camp is awesome for kids 5-12, they offer day rate drop-ins or sign up for week for your kids to do rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, and hiking. WINTER IN BEAR VALLEY
Winters here are spectacular in a different way. The roads are closed to car traffic, although they are groomed for skiiers and snowmobiles. You’ll have to park in the village and walk or snowmobile to our house. The skiing on Bear Mountain is what makes Bear Valley so special, however. Lift tickets and gear are affordable (the lessons are a steal, including the lift tickets and rentals). Two lifts for beginners, about two dozen runs for intermediates ranging from easy to challenging with varied terrains, and lots of black diamonds and double diamonds. And there are hardly ever any lines! You can ski up to the lift line and be on a chair in 5 minutes, 15 max. SKI IN/SKI OUT
Our house is well situated to ski down to the free shuttle from the lodge up to the mountain, and then instead of taking the shuttle home, you can ski right up to our front door on either an intermediate or several expert runs!
We named our house Ursa Major both for the big bear medallion we inherited on the front of the house and because you can see so many stars here in Bear Valley.
