Notes from the host
Ursa Major Bear Valley
Welcome to the best-kept secret in the Bay Area! Bear Valley has all the natural beauty and great skiing as Tahoe -- but without the painful traffic, crowds, and prices! It's only 3-ish hours due east from the Bay Area, on scenic, well-maintained (and plowed) Hwy 4.
MUST-READ FOR WINTER ACCESS: When the snow starts piling up in Bear Valley, THE VILLAGE ROADS ARE CLOSED to cars, and instead groomed for skiing and snowmobiling. It makes getting to our house a bit of an adventure! Feel free to discuss with us before booking if this is a concern. We are close to parking -- a 10-minute walk -- and have a cargo sled you can use to pull your stuff, OR you can hire the local "snowmobile taxi" guy to get you in and out for a flat price OR you brave folks can rent your own snowmobile.
BONUS: Intermediate/advanced skiiers/snowboarders can ski home down the back side of the mountain to our front door via the Lunch Run or Home Run.
PETS: Up to two well-behaved dogs allowed for no additional fee.
FEES
NIGHTLY RATE / ADDITIONAL GUESTS: The house can comfortably accommodate 6 adults in the three small bedrooms plus 3 kids/teens in the twin-over-full bunk bed in the loft. Our nightly rate is therefore based on six guests, with additional people $25/night (VRBO calculates this for you). We do this to keep the house (semi) affordable for single families, rather than pricing it higher by default so that it attracts only only multi-families or large groups, who tend to incur much more wear and tear on the house. However, there is also a fold-out couch on the mezzanine in case you really need to bring that 10th person, or just want to spread out. (NOTE: both of the full bathrooms are on the second floor; the third-floor bedroom and bunk bed are reached by a spiral staircase.)
HOUSEKEEPING: Our amazing cleaners charge us a flat fee of $225 winter or summer, which we ask you to pay. (Think about it: they have to take the laundry in and out on a snowmobile!)
INCREASED ALPINE COUNTY TAX: As of Jan. 1, 2025, we must collect a 14% Transient Occupancy Tax for Alpine County.
WINTER RATES: As of Nov. 1, 2024, we charge $325/night in winter (Dec-April) to cover the astronomical cost of electric heat plus firewood. Still $299 in summer.
ABOUT THE HOUSE
Our house is very well set up for two families with children of any age. There's a pac n'play (with sheets), a booster seat with tray, and a selection of kids' books. We have an a smart TV with an AppleTV box running with all the various streaming services plus some games. Quality linens are provided, as are all basic necessities, lots of games (and snow and pool gear), and DVDs. There is also a smart TV in one bedroom if you want to close the kids in there to watch old-school. The kitchen and dining room open to the living room so that cooks don't miss the fun.
We named the house for the big bear medallion on the front and because the night sky here is so clear you can see this constellation clearly. Ursa Major is only 1,600 square feet but we think it feels bigger, thanks to an intelligent open design spread over three levels. 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 Semiconductor, etc.
In summer, Bear Valley ranges from 50 degrees at night to a comfortable, never too hot 85 degrees midday. In winter, temperatures can drop to the teens. The woodstove in the living room easily heats the whole house, with the help of the 24-foot, three-story ceiling, but a new mini-split heat pump is available to keep you from getting cold.
SLEEPING
There are three small bedrooms total, plus extra beds on the open mezzanines.
Second floor (there are two full bathrooms on second floor, one with stall shower and one with tub):
• Bedroom #1 has a king bed and room (barely) for a twin foam pad next to it if necessary (we have one that can tuck under king bed)
• Bedroom #2 has a king bed, a TV (with Internet-streaming services), and no room except maybe for a dog bed or a pac 'n 'play (which we have) — this room can be closed off with its own bathroom for an en suite.
• Open mezzanine with full-size foldout couch and wooden privacy screen
3rd floor (up spiral staircase, no bathroom):
• Bedroom #3 has a full bed and no room for anything else
• Open mezzanine with bunk beds (twin over full).
NOTE: Bear Valley has no grocery store and only 2 restaurants, so we end up cooking a lot when we're there -- the kitchen is small but fully equipped and functional. Dining room seats 10.
WHAT TO DO IN SUMMER: Our house is a 10-minute walk from either the Bear Valley Lodge (with a pool available to guests for a small fee) or beautiful, private Bear Lake, with its sandy beach, swimming platform, and rope swing. Alpine Lake is a 15-minute drive. Our back yard is full of trees — we have a hammock you can lounge on amongst them in summer — and ends in a granite escarpment that kids love playing on in summer and sledding down in winter. There's mountain biking, hiking, fishing and rock climbing all around.
AMENITIES
• Books (kids and adult fiction)
• Booster seat with removable tray
• Coffee maker, bean grinder, French press, pour over
• Dishwasher
• Games (both board and AppleTV video games)
• Kayak and SUP available for use at Bear Lake
• Linens & towels, including beach towels
• Microwave
• Pac n’ play (with mattress pad and sheets)
• Pots & pans
• Shampoo, soap, toiletries if you forget yours
• Sleds for borrowing
• Sony Bluetooth speaker stereo
• TV (no cable, Internet streaming services only plus lots of DVDs)
• Walkie-talkies
• Washer/dryer
• Wifi
• Wood stove & firewood
We come up to Bear Valley at least once a month, so some of our personal items are stored there. You're welcome to use our extra ski helmets, bikes, kayak, life vests, beach chairs, and more.
Follow @UrsaMajorBearValley on Instagram for more photos
