The Northstar Resort at Lake Tahoe is a crown jewel of the Sierra Nevada mountain lifestyle, the perfect destination for skiers of all levels as well as anyone who loves the outdoors. The Equity Platinum Fund home in the exclusive Mountainside community is in the ideal, ski-in/ski-out location at Northstar.
As owners at Mountainside, Equity Platinum Fund investors have membership privileges at Treehouse, an architecturally stunning clubhouse offering recreational amenities and personalized services. Natalie is a concierge at Treehouse, conveniently located just a few steps away from our Equity Platinum Fund home. Some of our investors have even become club regulars! They bring their entire family to Treehouse to enjoy activities organized by the private club, often assisted by Natalie.
Natalie spoke with us about her love of the area, and how she’s become an expert at taking care of the people who come to visit.
Q: Tell me about yourself. Why did you want to become a concierge?
Natalie: I was born and raised in Truckee, California; I just love the outdoors and living up here. I moved away for about 10 years but found myself coming back here all the time. So, I decided to move back up here. And I stumbled on this position.
I thought it was a cool way to connect with out-of-towners and second homeowners and share my love of the community and all of the outdoor activities.
I grew up skiing and snowboarding, I do a lot of snowshoeing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking, too. So I know the area pretty well. (Laughs.) I do my best to share my wealth of knowledge with owners and visitors here. I like to talk to them about all of these activities – it’s great to sit with them over a cup of coffee and talk about what they’re interested in doing, their skills and ability levels. And since I know all of the restaurants in the North Lake Tahoe area, it’s fun to talk about where they are going to eat afterward!
Q: How many members come here on a regular basis?
Natalie: We have 63 “front doors”. Most of our homes are owned by a single family. In a busy season, we have 100-200 people who come through the Treehouse.
Q: What kinds of requests do members have for you?
Natalie: A key one is the hiking trails; most of them are easy, so you can do them with an 80-year-old as well as a two-year-old. Much of my work involves doing just about anything for the owners.
For example, I set up a whole weekend as a surprise for one of the owner’s wives. We hired a babysitter and a private chef; the group did a helicopter tour.
We try to be creative for people who come here for birthdays and special events; we try to go outside-the-box.
Tahoe can be a bit challenging. We have a lot of Bay area clientele, but we don’t have any food delivery companies; if it’s snowing, there’s no Über. We get our guests rides to the airports, taking care of things like that. We bridge the gap between the technology world and the mountains up here.
Q: Why do people come to Tahoe, and why do they buy residences here?
Natalie: It’s beautiful, if you are a skier or snowboarder there is really good snow, there are many outdoor activities for families, especially in the mountainside community. It has a ton of fitness studios.
It tends to attract a lot of young families; we do arrange for babysitting, and dogsitting if the residence allows dogs (editor: the Equity Residences Northstar Lake Tahoe house allows dogs).
It’s such a friendly environment here. We host events on Saturdays, and the community comes together for those. Owners become friends, their kids sign up for summer camp together. Tahoe has a good small-town feel and a good community base.
Q: Do you have happy hours at the Treehouse for members?
Natalie: Happy hours are in the peak seasons in summer and winter. We typically have complimentary beer and wine, whiskey tastings, wine tastings from Napa and Sonoma, the local wine producing areas.
It’s coupled with some sort of kids’ event – candle making, a family bingo night.
In summer we focus more on being outside – lots of pool parties. We also usually have a kid’s event along with the adult happy hour. It’s a lot of fun. A lot of people come to the Treehouse to mingle.
Q: What are the most popular seasons in Tahoe?
Natalie: Winter, which is December 15th until April 15th, and summer, which is from June 15th to September 1st.
In summer you can rent a boat and do a cocktail cruise, or you can go waterskiing or tubing. There’s hiking, and you can sign up for rock climbing lessons. You can rent bikes and go ride on the river path downtown; we have great road biking and mountain biking as well. There are horse lessons for kids and adults. You can go hot air ballooning, try paragliding, or take a ride in a glider plane. There are activities for everyone despite your physical ability.
In the winter, we can help arrange ski rentals, including skipping a visit to a ski rental shop for a fitting. You fill out an online app and they bring skis and boots for a fitting in your home. There is also a rental shop at Ritz-Carlton that is only a quarter mile away; you can see it from the Treehouse.
Q: What about spring and fall?
Natalie: Those are our quiet seasons in town; everybody calls them “the local season” because everything is less busy, which is really awesome. Restaurants are not as busy, so getting a table is easier. Booking things like private tours is also easier. You get to do the same activities in the fall as in the summer. The weather in the fall is great for biking and hiking. In the spring, you can still ski; if you want to try backcountry skiing you can get a lesson. Spring skiing can last until July in Squaw Valley. You can ski all the way into summer!
Every family can find activities in Tahoe that fit their interests and degree of enthusiasm.
We pulled together some of Natalie’s recommendations.
Rock climbing Via Ferrata – Squaw Valley
Explore Squaw Valley’s most iconic rock face, The Tram Face, on the all-new Via Ferrata routes operated by local guide service, Alpenglow Expeditions. Learn to navigate the rock face on the protected climbing route with permanent steel anchors and cables that keep participants safely connected to the rock 100% of the time.
Sand Harbor beach day
Sand Harbor, one of the most popular and spectacular parks in the Tahoe Basin, has many beaches to serve your needs. The Main Beach is 2,500 feet long and is popular for swimming and sunbathing and a wide variety of beach activities. There is also a small launch corridor for non-motorized watercraft at the south end.
Happy hour cruise on the Wild Goose II
The Wild Goose II is a 36-foot Grand Craft Commuter boat in the style and quality of the original wooden boat era. A tradition for the past 100 years. They offer a variety of cruises and private charter options with Wild Goose II.
Fly fishing lesson with Matt Heron
Widely regarded as one of the top programs in the country, Matt Heron Fly Fishing is an all-inclusive fly-fishing school and outfitter located just minutes from Lake Tahoe.
Horseback riding lesson with Piping Rock
Treehouse offers trail riding programs that are less crowded, less dusty, and more personal. If you owned your own horse, this would be a ride that you would share with your friends or family. The trails cross mountain streams, meander through Jeffrey pines, and the smell of sage is in the air.
Paddleboard and kayak tours of the east shore of Lake Tahoe with Tahoe Adventure Company
Experience the scenic and beautiful Lake Tahoe shoreline from the unique perspective of a kayak. An excellent trip from the beachfront location in Tahoe Vista, Ca. with incredible views of the High Sierra.
Whitewater rafting with Irie rafting company
Unlike the mellow “float” section of the river in Tahoe City, the Lower Truckee Gorge section has Class II and III rapids that make for a fun and exciting ride. This guided whitewater trip starts off mellow and slowly builds to a mile of continuous class III rapids just before the end. This stretch is great for first-timers to get comfortable in the boat, and to get used to paddling while being exciting enough for seasoned rafters and thrill seekers on a time crunch.
Downhill mountain biking at Northstar
Get in gear (literally) and pick up some pointers from the best mountain bikers in the area as you work on new skills within your style of riding. Lessons are available for all levels.
Golf
Golf is available at dozens of beautiful courses in the North Lake Tahoe area.
Snowmobile tour with Lake Tahoe Snowmobile
Get ready for an exciting snowmobile adventure with Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Tours. The tours are designed for all ages and ability levels.
A private lesson to learn how to backcountry ski or snowboard with Alpenglow Expeditions
This one-day course will introduce you to the fundamentals of backcountry skiing and snowboarding. After this course, you will be able to plan and execute an efficient, simple backcountry ski tour.
Cross country skiing at Northstar ski resort or America’s largest cross-country ski resort, Royal Gorge
Welcome to the most stunning mid-mountain cross country center in the country, with 35 kilometers of scenic trails that are perfect for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking and more. Bring your family and definitely bring a camera because the trails open up to views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding valley like nowhere else on the mountain. Best of all, access is included with your Epic Pass.
If you want to know how to enjoy Northstar Resort, Lake Tahoe as an Equity Residences investor, get in touch with our team by registering below.
