Warning: The following is an unpaid informercial from me, the owner of both the blog and the house for sale. Conflict of interest? Maybe, so feel free to read on at your own risk.
I have decided to put my very special June Lake property on the market. I’ve been the proud owner since 2017 and have many fond memories. The home not only served as a basecamp for many amazing Eastside adventures, but also as employee housing, a place for touring bands to crash, friends to visit and a few people I still don’t know who they were. I was recently back in California to completely renovate and rejuvenate the 1967 built home, and she is looking good again.
What makes this property so amazing is its striking location right at the base of 10,908′ Carson Peak with sweeping views from Dream Mountain to Mount Wood. It is located on a flat half-acre lot that receives all-day sun. Additional features include a kickass 38-jet hot tub with Bluetooth speakers, a two-person hot sauna, a built-in bar and walk-in pantry, oversized 3-car garage with workshop, a ton of space and storage, a 22-panel solar array to offset some of the electrical costs and the ability to have a separate studio, an office, man/woman cave. With 5 spacious bedrooms and 3 full baths, a few ski bums could go in on the house and have their permanent ski lease.
Since this is a ski blog, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the local ski terrain. Under-the-radar and often purposely neglected by its overlords, June Mountain is a 5-minute drive and is on the Ikon Pass, and has some great storm skiing accessed by the slowest and longest double chair in California. If you are lucky, you might get interlooped and have the ski area, aka the Country Club, all to yourself.
Home to some of the best sidecountry terrain in the lower 48, you can be on top of some legit terrain within an hour of riding the lifts.
If ski touring is your thing, the Loop has a plethora of objectives, some with over 5,000′ of vertical in one sitting. From above tree line alpine descents to some of the best tree skiing in the range, June Lake’s terrain will impress even the most raddest of ski tourers.
Much closer to home, as in the side yard, there is a west-facing small slope that fills in during good years. Not only is this appealing when the mountains are crowded, but it is safe during high avalanche conditions. Not to mention being able to ski to your driveway will leave you with a smile on your face.
The town of June Lake is a quirky yet charming community of about 600 year-round residents, though it often feels like more. The closest real services (bank, groceries, hardware store, etc.) are in Mammoth, 25 minutes south. I used to do semi-regular runs to Carson City (less than 2 hours) for big box convenience stores and Trader Joe’s.
Click here to see the Loop Cam, broadcasting from downtown.
During the summer months, the Loop comes alive thanks to its numerous trailheads to some amazing hiking, four beautiful lakes (including some of the nicest sandy beach in the entire Sierra) to entertain paddlers and anglers alike. June Lake is just 35 minutes from the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park (the base of El Capitan is 90 minutes door to door).
There is also a brewery, day spa, a killer music venue that sometimes hosts memorable concerts, a legit NY pizza joint and authentic Mexican food, and even an ice cream shop. The Loop also hosts the annual June Lake Jam Fest the second week in September and in October, has some of the best fall foliage on the west coast.