Cold Springs Vista - 10 Mins to Pinecrest Lake - Cold Springs

This is a cabin in the mountains in a remote part of California. Bears frequent the area, as do mountain lions, deer, and bats. What this means: You might see wildlife. If you leave food out, you almost certainly will. Garbage must be secured in the bear-proof garbage can and closed properly. No food scraps or smelly things can go in the recycle. Just paper and rinsed cans/bottles/plastic. (No greasy Mia's pizza boxes.) No food should be left outside unsecured. Before you come, please check the weather forecast using “Pinecrest” or “Long Barn” and not “Cold Springs” as the location. Also, download offline maps for the area for GPS directions. Consider booking your dinner reservations for Mia’s and Eproson House in before you hit the road. SUMMER GUESTS Summers can get hot. The cabin does NOT have AC. If you arrive on a warm day, immediately open all windows and blinds. But keep those curtains and blinds closed that face the sun. Use fans to blow air out 2nd story windows and suck air in 1st story windows. In the morning, before you head to the lake, close all windows and blinds to keep in the cool air. Speaking of the lake: Make sure to pack beach towels, umbrella, floaties, folding chairs. The marina at the lake rents kayaks, paddle boats, and fishing boats for affordable rates For a special treat, completely recline in the gravity chairs or share the 2-person hammock on the patio and watch satellites cut across the Milky Way. WINTER GUESTS: 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 and cars can get in accidents, which can lead to freeways being closed and county roads being impassable. After a serious snow storm it is normal for it to take hours or even a day before the county roads get plowed. What We Provide (and Don't Provide) in Winter We pay for a snowplow service to plow the driveway so that there is space for two vehicles. (A third vehicle will have a difficult time finding a place to park in winter. 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 firewood, kindling, firestarters, and matches. We have a powerful wall heater, space heaters, and an amazing wood stove. We provide an emergency generator in the event of a power outage. The generator will power lights, refrigerator, Wi-Fi, heater, but not the stove, washing machine or dryer. We provide rock salt for de-icing stairs. We provide snow shovels. Tasks Winter Guests Should be Prepared to Do - Dig out own vehicles in the event of snow during your stay. - Shovel a short walkway in the event of snow. - De-ice steps by sprinkling rock salt. - Be prepared for power outages (usually coinciding with snowstorms). Bring flashlights. In the event of a power outage, guests should either be willing to go without electricity (and internet) or be willing to roll a 90 lb. generator outdoors, hook it to a propane tank, and start the generator with the push-button. (Instructions provided.) - Know how to light and operate a wood stove, including how to use a damper. The wood stove is the best source of heat for the cabin. - Carry chains (even for 4WD and AWD vehicles, it's the law when there’s snow) 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 that occur BEFORE check-in. Winter guests, if this list sounds straightforward, then you're no stranger to the mountains. If this list sounds intimidating, please take a moment to pause and reconsider. Are you ready for the adventure of staying in a winter cabin? Most of these things you can learn or figure out, like how to light a wood stove to make a killer fire and impress your friends and family. And resetting a circuit breaker isn't difficult. Other things might be beyond your ability, such as shoveling snow if you have a bad back. For all guests all year: The air is dry up here. Drink plenty of water before you come and while you’re here. The tap water comes from the Tuolumne River’s headwaters and it’s delicious. You can leave your bottled water at home. Tip: Fill up a big pitcher with water and keep it in the fridge. FAQs 1. Q: What are these “heights without rails?” A: The main deck has some gaps between the rails and also between the lower rail and the deck floor. Toddlers and rambunctious kiddos age 0-6 should be supervised while on the deck. Everyone else is going to be fine. 2. Q: Do you have sleds, kayaks, etc? A: No. 3. Q: Can I check in early or check out late? A: During summer and winter peak seasons, it’s not possible due to same-day turnaround cleaning. During off-seasons (spring and fall) we may be able to accommodate it, but we cannot promise in advance, because it depends on things we won’t know until the time of your stay. But if you remind us the day before, we might be able to accommodate reasonable requests. Weekday and off-season stays are the easiest to accommodate in this way. Of course, if you really need it, ask to book an extra night. We may usually can offer a discount. 4. Q: I need to cancel. Would you please cancel my reservation? A: I could, but it would lower my host ranking. You must cancel your reservation on your own. Otherwise, it makes it look like I’m a bad host who cancels people’s stays. 5. Q: Can I roast marshmallows? Can I make a campfire? A: Unfortunately, no campfires, period. When it’s warm enough to have a campfire it’s also usually dry enough to start a forest fire. Let’s not. But here’s a good alternative: You’re welcome to use the Weber charcoal grill in creative ways. We just ask that you clean up sticky marshmallows and dump the ashes in the ash can. (Our housekeeper doesn’t clean the BBQ grills.) 6. Q: Can I book a reservation way far out during your blackout dates? A: Maybe! Send me the dates and I’ll check. We block off far-future dates because we want first dibs for our family. If you have special dates you want, I may be able to open them up for you to reserve. 7: Q: What is expected of guests to earn 5 Star ratings? A: I LOVE giving out 5-Stars. What's required? Mostly, you need to get on the good side of our housekeeper: Check out on time by 11 am. Be tidy. The toughest jobs for her are carpet stains and messy kitchens. Eat meals at the table or counter. Don’t leave behind dirty dishes, pots, pans, or cutting boards. Run a load through the fancy dishwasher when you check out. (You can leave the clean dishes in the dishwasher, that's fine.) Put furniture back where it belongs. When you cook, keep an eye on pots before they boil over, and please don’t splatter bacon fat all over the stove. (I cook on medium-low for the best bacon.) Pull sheets off the beds that were slept in. (You can leave them in the hall by the washer.) Bonus points if you run the first load of laundry in the washer, but don’t feel obligated.