The house is beautiful, spacious and relaxing, and is a good location close to skiing and snowmobiling. The owner is very friendly and responsive to phone calls and questions.
I deducted one star as I was expecting to snowmobile directly from the property as the owner stated was possible; however, the only trail out of the closed development is recreational use only, closed to any "motorized traffic".
I find in general, you will have the best experience when you have the proper expectations. Expect this house to be a grand log cabin in the woods. Very spacious. Plenty of room for 2 and possibly even 3 small families. Drive 20 – 22 minutes north to Sugarloaf, and trailer about 15 minutes south to a large lot for snowmobiling.
A few points that may affect your decision to book or not:
*neither of the amazing fireplaces are available for use due to “downdraft” concerns spilling ash into the house. They are zipped tied shut, with notes not to use them.
*the house has a Cluster Fly and Lady bug issue. You will find these scattered around the house during your stay. The notes suggest suck them up in the vacuum
*The driveway has an upper lot and a lower lot near the house. It is very steep with switchbacks. You need 4WD in snow or you cannot park next to the house. (Two service trucks with FWD got stuck in the lower lot during our stay, eventually made it out)
*You will not have the “hotel feel” in this rental. The owner’s personal belongings are everywhere (border-lined cluttered), which is both good and bad. If you enjoy exploring and finding a treasure amongst the 1000’s of books, 8-track tapes, DVDs, VHS, records, Board Games, etc, this could be a plus for you.
* the pantries and fridge are fully stocked, but much of what is there has long expiration. We found a ton off stuff that expired in 2015, 2013, and even as far back as 2003. A bunch was opened in the fridge (steak sauce, salad dressing, etc), but much was still unopened in the pantries. This stuff should be eliminated.
*There is radiant flooring throughout the house, and the house is maintained at 71 degrees, however the furnace started leaking while we were there, and the owner had no issue with repair professionals “inviting themselves in” during our stay (sometimes, un-announced).
* there’s internet and flat panel TVs, but none are smart or Wi-Fi… if you want Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc, bring your own adaptors
Overall, we did have an enjoyable stay.Thank you Frank.