Short Haul

Each swift slide down the icy toboggan run at Mt. Pinos sent 4-year-old Matthew into a new fit of deep belly laughs. And when he and his dad thudded into a giant snowball off the side of the run, Matthew was beside himself with laughter. He bragged about it all the next day.

We planned our weekend family trip up to the mountains to introduce our Southern California boys to the snow and get in a little cross-country skiing ourselves. But we didn’t want a lot of driving. So we chose Mt. Pinos for the snow and, for lodging, a tiny community nearby called Pine Mountain Club. It’s just 25 miles north of Magic Mountain to Gorman, where a left turn off of Interstate 5 onto Frazier Mountain Park Road leads you 19 scenic miles to Pine Mountain Club. (We didn’t need chains the weekend we went. But it’s best to call ahead for road and snow conditions; check the U.S. Forest Service 24-hour line at [805] 245-3449.)

Matthew’s experience in the snow was pure joy to watch. But for his little brother Joey, the cold weather (about 50 degrees at Mt. Pinos) and the crusty snow surface were too unsettling, and he wanted nothing more than to be carried. All the time. That loudly oft-stated desire by our 2-year-old quickly melted our foolish notion of cross-country skiing one at a time while the other parent played nearby with the happy children. But being unable to use the ski equipment we had rented turned out to be a small concession in an otherwise wonderful weekend that included much more than snow play.

We started out from Simi Valley midafternoon on Friday, stopping to rent equipment at a small place at Lake of the Woods, a village just east of Frazier Park on the way to Pine Mountain Club.

We loaded up with skis, boots, two saucers and a toboggan and doubled back a few miles to Frazier Park for dinner at Big John’s Restaurant, a recommendation from the rental shop. The food was filling if not fancy, the service sweet and friendly.

Then we headed another 15 minutes up the road to Pine Mountain Club, a few square miles of homes and commercial businesses carved out of the forest. It’s a private community, with a clubhouse that offers golf, outdoor pool (closed in winter), movies and other activities to which weekend renters have access.

We had started looking for our weekend home about two weeks in advance by contacting all three real estate offices at Pine Mountain Club that offer vacation rentals. The Realtors sent back lists of possibilities, with specifications on numbers of rooms, baths, beds, and prices ranging from $90 to $135 per night. We have since been told that Pine Mountain Club fills up only for holidays and after the winter’s first snow, so there were lots of rentals available.

Our three-level log home, a year-round Mountain Properties rental on Symonds Drive about half a mile from the tiny town center, was lovely. Its giant picture windows looked out on the surrounding pines; back windows offered morning views of scampering squirrels and birds nibbling at the seeds set out for them. We had rented one of the largest cabins offered, on the chance that another family might be able to join us. But as it turned out, we stayed the weekend by ourselves.

It was just as well. Even though this $135-per-night home had three bedrooms and three baths plus a large loft, one of the bedrooms was downstairs on the same level as the garage and was really too cold to use in the winter. The other two bedrooms shared the main floor with the large open kitchen and a spacious family room. The loft was upstairs from there. Older kids would have loved staying up there with all the room to romp, but children as young as ours would have been frightened to sleep so far away. So unless we or the other family wanted to sleep in the loft on twin or fold-out beds or have the kids in our rooms, we would have been a bedroom short.

The lesson we took away is to ask lots of questions about the homes you’re considering renting. That also applies to what is supplied: We found our home very well equipped with flatware, pots, coffee maker, etc. We knew we had to bring our own linens, but we had not thought to bring coffee filters or plastic bags.

Most of the rentals offered by agencies in Pine Mountain Club are housekeeping units; you sweep, vacuum, clean and pack out trash. The cleanup took us about an hour and our $100 deposit was completely refunded by mail the following week.

Locals as well as rangers at the Chuchupate Ranger Station, near Lake of the Woods on Lockwood Valley Road, had warned us to get to the Mt. Pinos Recreation Area by 9 or 10 a.m. at the latest to get a good place to park in the small lot at the top. We left Pine Mountain Club by 9:30 Saturday morning, after stopping at the hardware store to buy gloves to replace misplaced mittens, and arrived at Mt. Pinos before 10 a.m. We found plenty of space, with the lot filling up midway through the day.

After a few hours on the snow, the kids were ready for a cup of hot chocolate and a snack at a stand operated on weekends by the volunteer nordic ski patrol. There are no other vendors at the top, so bring your own food and water.

We headed for a nap back at our cozy cabin before wandering around town. It turned out the free weekend movie at the clubhouse that night was “The Mighty Ducks.” We walked over to the Texaco station, which shares a shop with the video store, and rented “Bambi” instead. Then we walked up the hill a short distance to Edie’s German Restaurant. (The other side of the same storefront is Edie’s German Deli.) The small dining room was full by about 6:30. There was even live music. A keyboardist played and sang softly as we ate.

I had a delicious vegetable strudel, for which Edie would not give up the recipe or even a hint, and my husband, Mike, had a glass of terrific dark German beer and a pork chop with sauerkraut, which he devoured. The kids were less crazy about their German noodles.

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Sunday morning was warm and sunny, so we took our time heading for the snow. We walked down the steep incline of our street to the Pine Mountain Mining Co. and Eatery, where the kids sat on old saddles at the breakfast bar. The tiny restaurant, appointed with artifacts from the mining era, seated 24, counting the saddles. They served a hot and hearty breakfast and a basic cup of coffee.

Afterward, we strolled over to the community playground, where the kids loved the big slide, jungle gyms and merry-go-round.

We headed back to the snow in the early afternoon, hoping for a reprieve that would allow us to strap on our skis for a few stolen minutes. But it was not to be. I took a few toboggan runs with Matthew, his glee helping me set aside concerns for safety.

After another cup of hot chocolate, we stripped two tired boys out of their snowsuits, hopped in the van and were home in an hour and a half. It wasn’t exactly the introduction to the snow we had hoped it would be for both kids, but it had been a fun family getaway filled with sweet moments. And right about then, we couldn’t help appreciating the quick trip home as well.

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Budget for Four

2 nights, Pine Mountain Club home rental: $270.00

Equipment rentals (2 pairs cross-country skis and boots, one toboggan, 2 saucers, 2 pairs mittens): 28.63

Dinner, Big John’s: 40.70

Dinner, Edie’s: 41.82

Breakfast, Pine Mountain Mining Company: 22.34

2 days’ hot chocolate, snacks: 6.00

Groceries for meals in: 17.00

Video rental: 3.00

Gas: 24.46

FINAL TAB: $453.95

Vacation home rental companies: Mountain Properties, (805) 242-2500; Pine Mountain Realty, (805) 242-4663; Jennings Realty, (805) 242-6100.

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