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After moving to Downieville in May, 2019 for a summer position, we absolutely fell in love with the area and knew that we were meant to live here. We quickly learned that this canyon has much more to offer than one summer’s worth of exploration…it would take decades to explore all of its wonders and historical secrets.

When we became members of the Lure team in August, 2019, we solidified the fact that we would be living in Downieville year-round. Many warned us about the intense, dark, and lonely winters in this canyon, however most of the locals said we would be just fine as long as we enjoy the quiet. Coming from New Jersey, weren’t afraid of the weather since we were used to 50+ mph winds regularly and snow and rain would commonly fall sideways for days creating state of emergency conditions. We also really enjoy each other’s company which we have been told many times is very important here!

We were well-prepared this winter season thanks to the work that everyone put in last year (thank you Kurt, Evan, etc.!). So much so that we decided to stay open for the winter for anyone wanting to enjoy the Sierra winter wonderland. Our first snow storm was over Thanksgiving when we had a full campground with a foot and a half of snow and we felt perfectly comfortable despite losing power before the holiday. The snow blower and ATV with a plow attached to the front have done a great job clearing the property and the drainage ditches have held up well from last year. Winter is project season, so we have been busy working on interior and exterior projects on the property to prepare it for next summer and many more years to come. From removing an old barn and fencing to repainting and deep cleaning cabins, we are elated with every step we take towards the future of the Lure.

Our biggest annoyance this winter has been the power outages. Fire season brought Public Safety Power Shutoffs by PG&E and we were some of the last customers to have our power turned back on due to our remote location. Snow/rain has caused a few more outages but it luckily hasn’t affected our ability to run the resort. Our cabins have propane fireplaces and stoves so guests are able to cook and stay warm, and we are hoping to have a generator power the whole property in the near future. We appreciate everyone who has embraced the outages by getting outside more, playing cards, hanging by the campfire, etc…it is important to totally disconnect at least every once in a while!

Experiencing the change of the seasons in Downieville is something incredibly special. The end of a bustling summer brings an initial lull to the community when most vacationers have children back in school and only visit on the weekends. The deciduous leaves start to turn and the bicycle community hangs around until after the first rain and snow starts to fall on higher elevations. Then suddenly all that’s left are the ones who call this small town home. Everyone takes a deep breath and begins planning for next summer. Coming from the Jersey Shore we are used to this flux, but in our opinion, Downieville should have a lot more people here in the wintertime. There is so much exploring to offer here year-round and we are so happy to keep the Lure open for those who want to enjoy the off-season fun. The residents of Downieville have opened their hearts to us and we couldn’t feel more at home during these quiet months. The winter here highlights the importance of community and encourages you to appreciate the small things in life, which is exactly what we’ve been looking for in a hometown.

At this point, our only wish is that we had more snow. If it’s anything like last year I’m sure we won’t be feeling the same in a few months, but nearly all of our guests this winter have wanted to see snow on the property and we are prepared for it. We are happy for the mild winter because it means more traffic through the area and less unsafe driving conditions, but a dusting every now and then to make the place look like a snow globe would be sweet!

Kelly & Nick
Property Managers

Kurt Gensheimer – Groundskeeper/Historian

After spending many a summer in Downieville, I was told by locals that until you spend a winter here, you don’t understand what it’s really like to live along “The Forks” – the town’s historic name.

“After a winter in Downieville, you won’t come out the other side the same person,” my friend Mike Ferrentino once warned me. He attributed it to the lack of direct sunlight due to the deep dark canyon the town sits in. “Little Siberia” is a great example – the eastern-most part of Downieville on Highway 49 as you’re leaving town headed towards The Lure – its namesake given for the combination of the ice cold North Yuba River and zero direct sunlight, leaving the corner in a perpetual layer of winter frost, even when daytime temperatures reach 60 degrees. But I grew up on the East Coast, where gray skies and cold damp days would last for weeks, even months, not for a few days in a row like it does in the Sierra Nevada. How bad could it really be?

After a group of us acquired The Lure Resort and Slate Castle Ranch in October 2018, I was destined to find out. My task last winter was to live on property and begin the lengthy clean-up, repair and trash removal process. The property was in a woeful state, neglected for many years, so there was no shortage of work. In Downieville, nature has a way of reclaiming everything in short order if you don’t stay on top of maintenance.

The late fall was beautiful, the weather was perfect every day, and by the middle of November, I was wondering if winter was going to show up at all. By December we had settled into a typical winter pattern, frosty mornings, occasional rain storms and a few flakes of snow, but nothing that would crush the morale.

Then January and February came, and Mother Nature bared her teeth. Two separate three-foot deep snowfalls paralyzed our operations and knocked out power for days. For a few weeks all we were doing was shoveling the heaviest, wettest Sierra cement my arms have ever had the displeasure of lifting. Tree branches snapped everywhere, leaving an even bigger mess to clean up. Did I mention during all of this I was also tasked with rebuilding our entire drinking water system? We had to reengineer and dig 1,000 feet of new trench, develop a spring and relocate two 2,500 gallon water tanks.

By late February, after putting in 60 hour weeks of backbreaking manual labor, I needed to escape for a bit. It was the combination of relentless weather and waking up with numb arms every morning that told me I needed a break. I shoved off on a month-long RV ski road trip across the west, which was much needed. Meanwhile, my poor colleague Evan Ames was back at The Lure still shoveling feet of snow.

Upon my return in mid-March, there was still feet of snow in the north facing canyons above 3,200 feet elevation. By April most of the snow had melted around the property, and we started making serious headway on the water system. But as my water project counterpart and local Downieville hero, Billy Epps, told me, “spring hasn’t officially arrived in Downieville until you see snow on the cherry blossoms.” I laughed and said, “yeah right.”

But the morning of May 16, only 10 days before we welcomed our firsts guests, with several days of work still ahead of us to complete the water system, I wasn’t laughing when I woke up to see three inches of fresh snow clung to the cliff walls above the North Yuba. It was the winter that wouldn’t end.

But despite Winter 2018-19 being one of the wettest ever recorded in the Sierra Nevada, it really wasn’t that bad. The key is getting outside and being active, no matter the weather. If you stay inside all winter, you’ll surely catch cabin fever, which is what permanently damages the psyche.

There’s an old saying I put a lot of stock in; “there’s no bad weather, only bad gear.” And in Downieville, the best way to survive a winter is to get outdoors every day and make sure you have good gear. Oh, and get yourself out of the canyon every week or two. Or for a month. In the bad winters, you’re gonna need it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. To be honest, I was even a bit nervous. Would The Lure turn into the Arctic? Would I survive?

The truth is, we are very far from Arctic! Since November we have had only 2 snow storms which covered The Lure in a beautiful white blanket. Sitting at just under 3,000ft elevation, the snow melts away surprisingly quick! Thankfully, just a short trip up HWY 49 is a full-on winter wonderland. From sleds to snowshoes, and for the more adventurous, snowmobiling and backcountry skiing, Winter is proving to be a great time to be in the mountains.

There is also a stillness that flows through the canyon this time of year, far from the bustle of Summer in the Lost Sierra. This stillness offers a chance for quiet, a chance to slow down, a chance to reconnect. The low sunlight that filters through our trees is a welcome sight. The river slowly rises with every passing storm front. Mist clings to the cliff sides, creating dramatic vistas. Our winter guests are treated to cozy fires and warm blankets. A brisk evening walk to our meadow is a breath of fresh air. The cabins glow against the night sky. A round of drinks at the infamous St. Charles Place to cap off the night. Downieville and The Lure keep charming me again and again!

Now I know to look forward to every Winter at The Lure!

Melanie – GM