Vacation Rentals by Owner

Amazing Weekend

Guest: Kim Chris, Cullen and doggies
Date of Stay: 08/22/11 Review Submitted: 08/26/11

Thank you for booking us last minute! We had an amazing weekend away from our cell phones, email, internet, tv, etc. & truly had a chance to relax and get inspired! What a wonderful way to enjoy our first anniversary and baby's turning 8 months old! Our only complaint is that two days in not long enough to explore all there is to see. Thanks again and hopefully we'll be back! Cheers,

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Another Great Week!

Guest: BB
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/26/11

Another Great Week! Thank you for sharing the cabin again this year. Have a safe fall and winter and we'll be back again next August. (If not ski season). Can you check availability for next season (summer) and let me know what will work? Thank you all! Love this place.

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One more week & I am already dreading leaving.

Guest: Cindy
Date of Stay: 07/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

It's the middle of our visit and just took time to look through your book (guest). I can't believe we have been coming here for so long. It's been a very special part of our lives. Brooks will always have memories of the cabin and you guys will always be a part of those memories! After yesterday's impromptu party I was thinking about how much fun we have had out here. Getting to know all of you has been as special as our time at the cabin. Except for the hair, I'm glad I finally brought the dogs. They are having a blast! They are going to hate going home. One more week and I'm already dreading leaving. I can't tell you how glad I found this place on the internet!

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Lakeside Escape

Guest: Jannie and Courtney
Date of Stay: 06/20/11 Review Submitted: 08/26/11

One red canoe missing as of 10 am--I guess a neighbor borrowed it. We had much fun in canoes and Kayaks! And of course much reflection on hammock. Yes, Courtney mastered the Kayak! Wildernes Family Cabin--Yup! Hiked it, loved it, took tons of pictures. Managed to open window and take pictures inside too! (shhhhh!) Cabin looks close to water in the movie?! Left the ranger a nice note of thanks! Also hiked both water falls adn the old mines behind the movie cabin--much history there. Wonderful lake! Speaking of --enjoyed reading some of your book. Cool trip! We'll finish next year. I appreciate your free spirit, 'cause I'm the same way, I'm sure your kids love your stories. We'll still be in town for a few more days, so hope to run into ya'll over holiday. Thanks again for sharing your lakeside escape. Truly helped make it the very best vacation ever. See you next year and abundant blessings and happiness to you and your family!

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One Great Cabin!

Guest: Jen
Date of Stay: 10/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thank you, we had a great weekend. It was so beautiful. That is one great cabin you have. And thanks for allowing dogs. You probably will hear from us nest year.

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Lovely Cabin

Guest: Sara
Date of Stay: 10/20/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thanks, Vicki. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Lovely cabin and scenery!

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Location Nice, Cabin Misrepresented and Disappointing

Guest: txallycat (Monument, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 09/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/28/10

We stayed at this cabin recently. The location on the lake is very nice, but the cabin was disappointing and misrepresented in the owner's VRBO ad. There was an unbearable sewer gas smell in the cabin the entire 4 days, areas of the cabin appeared to have not been cleaned in a long time, including the toilet, kitchen sink, piano (which was so out of tune it couldn't be played), there were mouse droppings throughout, etc. The ad listed the a Lodge near the cabin that offered food and activities, but the lodge had been closed for years. For the price, it seemed reasonable to expect at least what was represented in the ad and a clean place to stay, but we experienced neither. When we left, we requested a refund of just the cleaning fee (more than a fair request, given our experience). The owner refused and recommended we should stay at a hotel next time. Moral to this story...avoid this place. There are far better places to stay in the area within this price range!

Owner response:We own 4 rentals in Crested Butte, & a hotel in Costa Rica, elcastillodelsur, & for 20 years have rented to dozens of people per day without one complaint. Check trip advisor. Before this party even arrived I knew he was going to be trouble. He was very concerned about the lack of technology, no wi-fi, no phone, no TV, the thread count in the sheets, etc. We never miss-represent any of our rentals, just for this reason. I suggested if he needed High tech, with silk sheets,& a flat screen, this was not what he should rent, he should go to a hotel. He insisted on coming anyway, then complained because the piano was out of tune? This is a cabin on a high mountain lake, one of two cabins on the lake. There is nothing else like it in Colorado. If he would have stepped outside & taken a canoe out on the lake he might have understood what it was all about. We never try to talk people into into this cabin as it fills up every year with repeat customers. From the front porch you cannot see another man made anything....it is spectacular. If your afraid you might see a bear, or a mouse, or if your worried the piano is out of tune, or the lodge is not serving lunch then this might not be for you. If you want solitude, a crackling fire, surrounded buy 14,000 peaks this is it. One other thing. We take a personal pride in our homes, he never even called us with a complaint the entire week, or we would have been there in 20 minutes. Instead he says nothing, then two weeks after his return home wants his money back. Like I said, I expected nothing less of him even before he got here. I should followed my instinct & refused to rent to him in the first place. Steve Church PS. He was so concerned about communication, we even went to the trouble of installing a phone just for this renter, then took it back out.

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Thanks for great week at the Ritz!

Guest: Gary and Nancy
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Hey Guys, Thanks so much for a great week @ the Ritz on Lake Irwin! We enjoyed getting to spend a little time with you and your previous family. This week has been the perfect setting to enable Gary to really relax. Next year? We hope so. Always,

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Had an Amazing Time!

Guest: Linda and Aaron
Date of Stay: 09/14/09 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Hi Steve, We had an amazing time! Thank you for sharing your cabin with us. We cleaned up as best we could, so you will hopefully welcome us back again next year. We are already sad to leave, but will have great memories of our relaxing vacation to tide us over until next year. Thanks again,

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Thanks for the hospitality

Guest: Margaret and John
Date of Stay: 08/15/08 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thanks for the hospitality! We had a BLAST staying at your cabin. Daily canoe trips, lots of good fishing , explored the wilderness cabin, the irwin lodge and the old cemetary. Even managed to drop a few bucks in town--contributing to the local economy!. No bear sightings adn we figured out how to light the pilot light. City slickers, for sure. Only slept in 2 upstairs beds, so downstairs are clean. Thanks again.

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What we Learned at "Church Camp"

Guest: John and Lois
Date of Stay: 08/06/08 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

(Not to be confused with Bible Camp) 1. How to start a generator 2. Conserving Energy isn't that tough, it you really try. 3. A lukewarm shower isn't so hard. 4. How to light a pilot light. 5. A hot shower is better. 6. Volvos don't have that great of clearance. 7. Mark's Autobody Shop in Town can fix a car real good! 8. TV and the internet aren't all they're cracked up to be. 9. All you need to make an awesome sailboat are some twigs and leaves and a little creativity. 10. It's easier to ride a mountain bike from the cabin to Kebler Pass Road than it is to ride back home. 11. There is no greater joy than watching your kids discover something new. Thanks for the amazing time!

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What a wonderful place!

Guest: Greg from Houston (Houston, tx)
Date of Stay: 07/10/08 Review Submitted: 04/07/11

I have stayed in this wonderful cabin two different times and loved it both times. It is rustic, quiet and in a beautiful setting. It is not a luxury hotel, but it was clean and comfortable. The lake is phenomenal and the hiking is unlimited. We had my 90lb yellow lab along and she thought she was in heaven....from the lake, to the waterfall, to the mountain climbing, and the chipmunk chasing...she loved it all. I think the listing represents the property very well...and there could always be more pictures. Crested Butte was just a short drive away for eating out, shopping, and some night life. We are ready to come back! Hopefully soon.....

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

It is with regret that we leave this place!

Guest: Karla
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Steven and Victoria, It is with regret we leave this place. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing cabin. Thanks for the wine! it was great. I left a few things in the frig--throw away if you can't use them. Bathroom has been cleaned. We couldn't find the dustpan to sweep. I'll let you know if we get the place in Santa Fe. Would love to trade out a week. Thanks for the book too!!!

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Thanks again!

Guest: Lauren, Bob, Liam
Date of Stay: 09/24/05 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

We loved your cabin--thank you so much for sharing with us. We'll be back next year. Steve, your book was fabulous--funniest thing since we read fear and loathing in Las Vegas. We'll have to buy you a beer sometime and hear some more stories of your travels. Thanks again.

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It's always hard to leave this place!

Guest: Cindy and Brooks
Date of Stay: 07/15/05 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thanks for another great year! It's always hard to leave this place. We had a total of six bear visitations. He only got something twice. The scariest was when Natailie (8) stepped off the back porch and the bear was about six feet away from her. That happened at 4:00 p.m. The gate worked great! We could hear him trying to get past it at night and scare him or her away. Thanks again for everything! PS Save those 2 weeks for me the second and third week of July 2006!

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If we could only stay Longer!

Guest: Mike, Ben and Jenny
Date of Stay: 06/29/05 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Hi Steve, Thanks for letting us break in the cabin this spring. If only we could stay longer! We don't have a calendar here, so I'll call you soon with our request for late June 2006. Your "stroke of luck" is our new Utopia. We will dream all year of our return to idyllic Lake Irwin, especially when we feel that 100 degree heat this weekend! Thank you for the memories.

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We had a blast this week!

Guest: John and Kathy
Date of Stay: 06/24/05 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thanks for making your wonderful cabin available as a rental. We had a blast this past week. Did a ton of hiking and mtn. biking...enjoyed the cool mornings. We need to come back during the fall leaf season. The fridge seems to be working a little too well. Items on the bottom shelf were starting to freeze. here are some extra Camp 4 coffees for you or your next guests. Thanks again,

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A wonderful place to see the majesty of creation!

Guest: Scott
Date of Stay: 08/01/04 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thank you for sharing your cabin with us. This has been an emotional watershed for our family, made possible by your generous hospitality. We all will remember our days at Irwin. Our faith has been blessed by this pure heaven; we witnessed each night the glory of the stars. What a wonderful place to see the majesty of creation. We return to Ovilla reluctant but renewed in energy and memories. We are eager to return. Thanks again. God bless you.

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Spectacular Location

Guest: The Hummingbird Fanatics Ha! Ha!
Date of Stay: 07/10/04 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thank you for letting us enjoy this spectacular location and cabin. We hope to come back next year. Hummingbird Feeder Please leave feeder at cabin to make solution: 4 parts boiled water and 1/3 cup sugar. Clean feeder every week or at every refill with warm water or a diluted vinegar solution. This feeder, unfortunately leaks at the seal underneath-only needs a clear sealant to repair it in Crested Butte at True Value-don't have time to take it back. There are six hummers (3 Rufous and 3 Broadtail hummers) that really depend on it right now. Thanks!

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