A 'mountain speakeasy' is the heart of this private Sierra Nevada compound

A little-known, private compound is tucked away in the slabs of granite and forested mountains that step up toward the Sierra Nevada crest. Its 22 acres hug the banks of the Yuba River, where the water eddies and makes for idyllic swimming holes. In the deep of winter, the property is entirely snowed in, and the only way to get there is by snowmobile or snowcat. 

The compound is entirely off-grid, powered with solar, propane and backup generators. It's a property that's not for the faint of heart, but offers something that's becoming increasingly rare in a hyperconnected, fast-paced world: a means to get away from it all. 

"It's just beautiful. When you get back in here, you understand," said Ginny Elhoff, who owns the property with her husband Bill and his college roommate. 

10825 Lola Montez Road is for sale for $1.3 million, offering up a rare spot in the secluded and coveted private community on Towle Mountain, near Soda Springs on Donner Summit. "It's an adventurous community," said Samantha Bass, who listed the property with Sierra Sotheby's International Realty, in a phone call with SFGATE. 

"What makes it fascinating isn't just the location, but it's who chooses to live there," Bass added, in an email, noting that residents include an early SpaceX employee and a doctor who commutes to Truckee. The Elhoffs' neighbors include business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs who chose to live in this rugged getaway because of the peace, quiet and serenity it offers, not to mention the reward of a hard day's work outdoors. It's the antidote to a digital life. 

The morning we spoke, Ginny had just finished rolling heavy stones to build a border wall around one of the cabins. 

"It's a whole different kind of good, healthy exercise type of living," she said. 

A former school teacher, Ginny and her husband would drive up to the Sierra Nevada every summer from their home in the Midwest. Now they live even farther away, on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. That distance is one of the reasons why they're finally selling. 

They built out the property, little by little, every year. 

"There was one cabin that reminded you of the ‘Beverly Hillbillies' cabin. And another one that was ours and it was like a garden shed," Ginny said. "So that's how we started."

Now there are three cabins on the property, each with one bedroom and one bathroom. 

The original cabin is "really truly the old-fashioned cabin," Ginny said, where the bed, sitting area and cooking area are all in the same space. It's small and cozy. 

A second cabin, dubbed "Emma's Cabin," has views of a meadow and the Yuba River. This one has a dining area and a bedroom with a walk-in shower that's covered in pebbles from the river, Ginny said.

A "mountain speakeasy" is the focal point of the compound, with a cherry wood and granite bar, a kegerator, beer taps, a wine room, a pool table and a vintage wood stove built in 1907. 

An apartment upstairs is called the "Tree House," Ginny said, for the second-story views that are eye-level with the forest. It has a kitchen with custom cabinetry, a seating area, separate bedroom and bathroom.

The property is entirely off grid. An artesian well pumps up fresh water. Solar panels deliver power. Propane provides fuel. This kind of self-reliance is key to life in such a remote, rugged landscape: "It doesn't matter what it's doing outside, as long as you've cut enough wood for the winter, you've always got power and backup generators," Ginny said. 

She envisions a family taking over the place, or a group of friends. It's ideal for artists and musicians who want to get away and work on their projects. It's a simple, cheaper way of life: "You're off grid so you have no bills other than your taxes," she said. 

But interest has already soared, Bass noted. Among those who are interested, she's hearing from people who own lakefront homes in Tahoe who are tired of the crowds and are seeking somewhere quieter. She's already received offers on the property and expects it will go quickly.

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