Everything for a good stay

Summer: Drive directly to 16 Lake Rd, Bear Valley, CA 95223 and park at the chalet. On Lake Road, use the second driveway on the left, marked “16 Lake Rd” and “House 300.” Please do not use the first driveway, which belongs to the neighboring cabin.

Winter: Village roads close to cars. Park in a designated lot near Bear Valley Lodge, follow the posted snowplow schedule and use the last-mile plan in your reservation message—usually a snowmobile taxi, ski, sled or walk of about one mile.

The main heat sources are the Vermont Castings Encore wood stove and propane floor furnace. The furnace grate becomes extremely hot: keep it clear, wear footwear nearby and keep the loft hatch above it closed so nothing can fall through.

Keep the wood-stove door latched and never leave a vigorous fire unattended. Never put water on the wood stove or vacuum stove ash. Empty ash only with the Encore's covered metal pan procedure below. Tesla Powerwall backup supports essential circuits during most outages, but mountain services can still be interrupted.

Use only the split, dry wood provided at the chalet. Never burn manufactured fire logs, charcoal, trash, treated or painted wood, driftwood, or liquid fire starters. The stove, glass and tools become extremely hot; keep children, pets and combustibles well away. The front doors and ash door must remain closed and latched during operation.

Cold start: Open the bypass damper fully (left handle points toward the rear) and move the primary-air lever on the right toward the front for High. Build a small top-down fire against the rear wall with fine dry kindling and a little newspaper. Light it, leave the front door cracked only until the kindling catches, then latch the doors.

Keep the bypass open until a strong fire and ember bed are established and the griddle thermometer reads at least 450°F. Then close the bypass fully (left handle points down) and confirm the rear catalyst probe is in its marked operating range. Reduce the primary air only after the fire is burning cleanly; if the stove exceeds 650°F, reduce the air.

Reloading: Open the bypass fully before opening a door. Open the door slowly, move coals toward the rear, add wood, latch the door and close the bypass again once the fire is established. Stop adding wood well before checkout so the fire can burn down.

If the ash pan is near full: Open the bypass, then close and latch the front doors before opening the ash door. Slide the metal cover over the pan, remove it level and immediately close and latch the ash door. Outdoors, empty the covered pan into the lidded metal ash can, kept on a noncombustible surface away from anything that can burn. Reinstall the pan and latch the ash door. Never vacuum stove ash or place it in plastic or regular trash.

Stop and get help: If smoke enters the room, a smoke/CO alarm sounds, the fire becomes uncontrollable or any stove/chimney part glows, keep the doors shut, move the air control to minimum, get everyone outside and call 911. Do not use water.

The remodeled kitchen includes an Electrolux ECFI3068AS induction range, Summit refrigerator, ASKO dishwasher, microwave and small appliances. The outdoor pellet grill is seasonal. Printed appliance manuals are kept in the kitchen drawer beneath the microwave.

Induction cooking heats the pan rather than the cooktop; use the induction-compatible cookware provided and make sure a pan is centered before turning on a burner.

Outdoor use only. Do not use the smoker in rain or enclosed areas, move it while hot, or leave it unattended. Keep children, pets and combustible materials well away. Use only dry, 100% hardwood cooking pellets without additives—never heating pellets, charcoal, liquid starter or pellets poured directly into the firepot.

Before starting: Confirm the grease bucket and hanging ash cup are installed, the grease drain is clear, the drain pan is foil-lined and the hopper contains enough dry pellets. Open the cooking lid, briefly press Power, turn the dial to Smoke (S) and wait about five minutes for whitish-gray smoke. Close the lid, set the cooking temperature and preheat for ten minutes before adding food.

Shutdown: Hold Power for one second until OFF appears. The fan will continue for about ten minutes. Leave the smoker plugged in and do not move or cover it until the fan has stopped and the unit is completely cold.

Fire or failed ignition: For a grease fire, hold Power for one second, do not unplug the smoker and never use water. Do not open the lid to inspect it; stay back and call 911 if the fire does not immediately subside or threatens people or property. If the smoker fails to light, runs out of pellets or the fire goes out, turn it off, unplug only after the shutdown cycle, let it cool completely and contact the host—do not restart it or add pellets to the firepot.

Ash cleanup: Complete the normal OFF cycle and wait for the fan to stop. Unplug the smoker and let it become completely cold. Empty the hanging ash cup into the outdoor lidded metal ash can. Only the dedicated smoker shop vacuum may be used—and only for completely cold smoker ash or the firepot, never for wood-stove ash. Reinstall the ash cup and every removed part. Replace the cover only when the unit is fully cold.

The chalet uses high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi. The current network and password are provided in your private reservation message, not on this public page. If the connection drops, contact the host before unplugging, resetting or moving any Starlink equipment.

Watching TV: Both LG televisions use Roku Guest Mode. Please use the Roku remote for normal viewing and leave the LG remote aside. If the Roku welcome or Home screen is not showing, press Home on the Roku remote first. If that does not work, use the LG remote only to open Input/Source and choose the HDMI input displaying Roku, then return to the Roku remote.

On each TV you use, press OK on the Roku welcome screen, choose your checkout date and select Checkout to confirm. You can then sign into your own streaming apps. At 11:00 AM on that date, Roku automatically signs you out and deletes your credentials, viewing history and apps you added. Leaving early? Press Home, choose Guest Options or Guest Mode Options, then Sign out and clear info.

The cabin soundtrack: Radio Paradise's Mellow Mix is our favorite for quiet mornings and fireside evenings. To listen on the kitchen HomePod mini, open Mellow Mix on a phone connected to the cabin Wi-Fi, then choose the HomePod from AirPlay. You are also welcome to use the HomePod for your own audio; a portable Bluetooth speaker is in the queen bedroom.

Bear Lake has no lifeguard. Swim and paddle at your own risk, closely supervise children and use suitable flotation. Never walk on the winter ice. Dogs are welcome around the village on leash but are not allowed on the beaches or in the lake because Bear Lake is a drinking-water reservoir.

Bring your own non-motorized boat and properly fitted life jackets, or rent equipment from Bear Valley Adventure Company; boats, paddleboards and life jackets are not provided with the chalet. Do not use residents’ watercraft. Beach hours are 8 AM–11 PM, with no loud music after 9 PM.

A 48-amp Level 2 J1772 Wallbox Pulsar Plus charger is available in drive-in season, with a Tesla adapter at the chalet. Winter access and snow conditions may make cabin charging unavailable; plan a backup stop before climbing Highway 4.

Never leave food or trash outside. Bears, coyotes and other wildlife live nearby. Keep pets supervised and take trash and recycling to the transfer dumpsters near the Bear Valley Library and school before departure.

Please do not smoke or vape inside, and do not host parties or events. The chalet welcomes up to two dogs; keep them supervised and follow the lake and village rules above.

The sleeping loft is reached by steep ladders and has elevated areas. Closely supervise children, do not climb or play on railings, and use the ladders one person at a time with both hands free. Take the same care on stairs and decks, especially when surfaces are wet, snowy or icy.