Our Story

Our Story

We never set out to buy a cabin. In 2014, friends invited us up to Arnold for President's Weekend. At a birthday party the weekend before, one of us said, "We might want to own a cabin someday."

That offhand comment turned into a Saturday morning of house hunting that weekend with their realtor. Just as we were wrapping up -- with no intention to buy -- a For Sale sign went up on a chalet across the street from the Blue Lake Springs Recreation Center. It wasn't even listed yet. The place needed some TLC, but the location was perfect, it had rustic charm, and checked all the boxes for a successful vacation rental, which was non-negotiable for us. Rick commented, "If I was ever going to buy a cabin, this would be it," which was ironic because the name the previous owners gave the cabin actually was, "This is it!" We surprised ourselves -- and our friends -- by making an offer that weekend!

As fate would have it, we lost out to a higher bidder. We actually felt relieved: what were we thinking? Three weeks later, though, that sale fell through, and the owner's realtor called. A few weeks after that, the cabin was ours. We've never looked back, and what great memories we have built!

Why We Named it "Snowflake Chalet"

The lodge at the rec center across the street is called Snowflake Lodge, so the name chose itself. It was the location that drew us in, and more than ten years later it's still what we love most: the convenience of the pool, lake, restaurant and amenities across the street! That was the selling point for us, and it is for our guests, too!

Making it ours

Built in 1987, the cabin had only one owner before us. In 2015 we gave it a top-to-bottom refresh: new paint, decor and flooring, plus central air conditioning. Since then we've remodeled the master bath with river-rock tile and heated floors, updated the kitchen appliances and added a Level 2 EV charger.

Who we are

We're the Hunters, from the San Francisco Bay Area. We have three adult sons, two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. Our Labrador, Tim Riggins, and our grand-dogs, Joey (a Blue Heeler mix) and Raya (an American Village Dog), love the trails as much as we do. We use the cabin the same way our guests do: as a spot to gather and relax as a family! We share meals, play games, watch movies and laugh together. It's the best!

When we're up, you'll find us kayaking Sierra lakes, cross-country skiing the groomed trails near Bear Valley, wine tasting in Murphys, or having dinner at Sarafina's Italian Kitchen down the road and The Lube Room in Dorrington.

We hope Snowflake Chalet becomes your family's place too.

— Naomi and family