Location: Private Homes, Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Mountain, Gold Country & High Sierra, California, USA (Swall Meadows - 20 min to Mammoth or Bishop or Hot Springs!)
Accommodations: House, 3 Bedrooms + Loft, 2 Baths (Sleeps 3-6)
A unique sustainably-designed house located at ~7000 feet on the rim of the Owen's Valley (the deepest valley in the United States) and an easy commute to Mammoth, Bishop, natural hot springs, skiing, mountain biking, and many trail heads that access the High Sierra Wilderness for backcountry skiing, hiking, and climbing. If commuting to recreate from Los Angeles, Swall Meadows is a shorter drive, more peaceful, with better views and better weather, and you can bypass the Sherwin Grade chain up line - yet it is a short enough drive to Mammoth Mountain to easily catch first lift on a powder day.
House is designed to cater to telecommuters, writers, researchers, etc who want a productive escape with a healthy combination of work and play. Includes 3 desks, 2 wide-screen monitors (to plug in to your laptop), a laser printer/copier/scanner, and a projector and screen.
For more information check out our website, or google search "Swall Institute"
swall-instituteDOTorg link below.
Layout and Design:
* 2 bedrooms - one with queen bed, one with queen futon and fold out desk.
* 1 large master loft bedroom (queen bed) with office space.
* 1 small work loft with spectacular views.
* 2 bathrooms - one w/ walk-in shower, one w/ tub.
* Open, playful floor plan with a bridge that connects the 2 lofts
* Kitchen well designed for cooking and entertaining
* Contemporary feel yet very warm with lots of wood
Green Design Features:
* Passive Solar Design for winter warmth and summer cooling
* Solar hot water
* Solar radiant floors!
* Solar heated hot tub!!
* Heat Recovery Ventilator – fresh air without losing heat
* Drain Heat Recovery – recycles the heat from your hot shower
* Recycled metal roof
* Bamboo kitchen and bathroom counters and cabinets
* Salvaged firewood for decorative wood
* Energy Star backup boiler and other appliances
* Creative Re-use:
- street signs for deck shade
- refurbished Wedgewood stove
- salvaged sinks and clawfoot tub
- salvaged library ladder from an Oakland high school
- refurbished 1970's stereo speakers
- salvaged hot tub connected to solar heating
- salvaged solar collectors
- deck furniture made from salvaged wood and metal
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer: front loading, efficient washer
- Dryer: plenty of outdoor hanging space for more efficient drying!
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking
- Wood Stove: outside for evening fires! (inside heat is solar radiant floor)
- Beds
- Queen Bed (3)
- Convertible Bed (2) : 2 IKEA couches in the living room that convert into comfortable beds (foam, not old school spring convertibles). One converts into a large queen and had bedding stored inside. The other like a twin 'day bed' - just remove the back pillows.
- Entertainment
- DVD
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Private Hot Tub: hot tub heated with solar!
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: Refurbished Wedgewood Stove, Bamboo counters, 4' x 6' Island with second prep sink
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator: Energy Star
- Dishwasher: Energy Star - option to wash top rack only.
- Ice Maker
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Balcony
- View/Location
- Mountain View: View of the entire Owen's Valley, the White Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada front range
- Communications
- Broadband Internet
- WiFi (Wireless Internet): Set up with 3 work spaces, 2 extra wide screen monitors (for connecting to your laptop), and a laser printer/scanner/copier to suit your "work and play" telecommuting needs.
- Other Amenities
- 3 desks, 2 wide computer monitors you can connect to your laptop, laser printer/scanner/copier, lcd projector and screen, passive solar design, active solar hot water and radiant floor heating (concrete floors), all bamboo counters and cabinets, house heat exchange ventilator, drain heat recovery, open and playful floor plan, solar powered hot tub!
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Sightseeing
- Waterskiing
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Cross Country Skiing
- Downhill/Alpine Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Snowmobiling
- Sledding/Tubing
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Rock Climbing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Other Activities
- Spectacular views of the deepest valley in the US. Located in the heart of the Eastern Sierra recreation mecca. Easy access to Mammoth, Bishop, Crowley Lake, Rock Creek,skiing, natural hot springs, hiking/fishing in the largest wilderness of the continental US, world class mountain bike trails, etc. etc.
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
monthly .. $4500/month
weekly .. $1500/wk
one week minimum
rates subject to change with seasons/holidays
inquire about our "Creative Contribution Discount"
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Hi. My name is Eric. I spent 5 years designing this house with the help of friends who are experts in Sustainable Design. I thought long and hard about how to make a relatively compact space feel spacious. I love to cook and wanted a an inviting space that is easy to have warm gatherings of family and friends. I am a Research Scientist and find that I work best when I have access to and inspiration from the outdoors. Toward that end, I created a space that accommodates telecommuting for seamless blending of work and play. I am also a PSIA Level 3 Telemark ski instructor, so needless to say, when I'm not working on my computer and staring at the views out the window, I'm taking advantage of the world class backcountry skiing of the Eastern Sierra front range!
Why the Owner Chose Private Homes
I bought this piece of land when I worked in Bishop at the White Mountain Research Station for ~5 yrs. I visited every residentially zoned area from Mammoth to Bishop and quickly discovered that Swall Meadows was THE area for me. It is 3,000 ft higher than Bishop (i.e., at least 10 degrees cooler in summer). It is the closest place to Mammoth that still has stunning views of the Owens Valley. It is not stuck in the Mammoth 'poser scene'. While it gets some snow (which is great), it is easier than being constantly dumped on in Mammoth. Meanwhile, since the Lower Rock Creek Rd just parallels 395, the house is extremely easily accessible even though it feels far out of the way. In sum, in all my local research, this was the perfect 'goldilocks' spot - centrally located, not too hot, not too cold, and with views that are just right.
The Unique Benefits of this House
The views from this location are hard to describe without being there. They are impossible to capture in a photograph. You have to see them to be as mesmerized by them as me. When not staring out the window at the every changing views, I use this location for unparalleled access to backcountry skiing and hiking in the Sierra. The Rock Creek mosquito flat trail head is just around the ridge and provides some of the quickest access to the sierra high country in the region. The Pine Creek trail head is just down the road and provides access to some of my favorite high sierra basins of granite park, royce and feather peaks, bear creek basin, french canyon, etc. One of the best single track mountain bike trails along the lower rock creek canyon is minutes away. And of course, the natural hotsprings near the Mammoth airporpt are only 15-20 minutes away.
Property Photos
- Fresh powder and a view of Mt. Tom - Mammoth Lakes House Rentals
- Main living space with bridge connecting two lofts - Mammoth Lakes House Rentals
- Summer view of the Owen's Valley, wood stove on deck for outdoor fire - Mammoth Lakes House Rentals
- Upstairs Loft Bedroom, view from 'bridge'
- Office nook with view - one of 3 work spaces in the house
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #171012
There have been 273 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2009.
This listing was first published here in 2008.
Date last modified - November 18, 2009
