We are a group of
friends from San Francisco
who have shared a ski lease in Alpine Meadows for years.
We rented the same cabin year after year. We sorted out all the logistics, rustled up new members, and managed the group during the season.
And during all of it, we grew closer as friends and co-managers of the lease.
During the COVID pandemic, our landlord rented the cabin to a smaller group, a family. We respected his decision—but where did that leave us?
We were disappointed and discouraged, and as the summer wore on, it seemed unlikely that we would find a cabin for ski season 20/21.
Yet we prevailed.
Finally, in November, we signed a lease for a smaller cabin nearby—just room for the few of us who persisted in our search. While so many people experienced isolation during social distancing, we became a “pod,” deepening our relationships and care for each other.
We had been friends; we became family.
In March of 2021, a friend let us know that a large home had come on the market, just down the road from the A-frame we used to rent.
We know and love the community in this quiet valley, and we were eager to establish a long-term presence.
Was this our chance?
The house needed some work, but it was in good shape overall. (Check out Before & After for some pics!) We took a deep breath and checked in with ourselves and with each other. We took the leap—we were going for it!
We figured it out,
We formed an LLC, gathered funds, and signed a mortgage in late May.
and we got to work.
After a couple of weeks of late nights, tough decisions, minor disasters, and lucky breaks, we scraped across the finish line just in time for our first guests in early June..
We are honored and deeply grateful to offer our home to you, our guests.
We are
The Alpine Chalet Collaborative
Charles Kerl
Steve Guilliams
Malcolm Bowles
Vinny Vinluan
And our canine companions,
Huck, Jockamo, and Bondi.
From our Guide to North Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is an incomparable setting, and many of the beaches are some of the best in California. This blog post will show you which ones to visit; there’s something for everyone! You can find water activities like kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, or you can seek out the best sunbathing spot to read a book and catch some rays. You can’t go wrong with any of these prime Tahoe beaches!