A Locals Choice – Sierra Small business Spotlight on Sierra Pines Resort
Sierra City, – The plan was simple yet inspiring. Raise the children, grow our careers, then once the kids are grown up and out of the house, find a gem of a resort, vacation rental type business to buy and live a simpler and healthier lifestyle together, servicing guests.
Meet Cindy and Glen Haubl, the proud owners of the historic Sierra Pines Resort in Sierra City, California. In 2018, Cindy and Glen found themselves moving forward with their dream of owning a guest resort in the West and slowing life down from the corporate race they had been so successful with while the kids grew up at home. The Sierra was not the only destination they were reviewing, but when they caught word that Bev & Mike Herrington were looking to sell the family’s historic resort, the decision became apparent and a bit simple for their dream to start to unfold.
Sierra Pines Resort remains a family-owned and operated business, which began in 1967 by Hugh Herrington. The original property was the Old Boterro Ranch, which supplied produce and dairy products to the local miners. The resort comprises 40 acres of beautiful Sierra timberland through which State Highway 49 and the North Fork of the Yuba River meander for a third of a mile. Its storied rainbow trout pond and riverfront access have brought families back for generations to enjoy the relaxed pace of Sierra City and Sierra Pines Resort.
We visited Sierra Pines Resort early in December 2023 to review and learn about the property, the unique experience guests have when visiting, and to learn more about the current owners and their unique mountain lifestyle.
I have traveled the Yuba Pass extension many times in the past; as a child, my father and family would camp along the Yuba River to dredge for gold in the granite bottom of the Yuba River each summer. At that time in life, Sierra City was a blip on the map to me as a child, a place to stop and go to the store and grab a candy bar, if you will. Today, I recognize Sierra City as the start of the legendary Downieville Classic cross-country mountain bike race, where riders climb seven miles up the brutally steep jeep road from Sierra City to Packer Saddle, a 3,000 vertical foot ascent before plunging 15 miles downhill to finish in Downieville. So when one of our readers suggested Sierra Pines as one of their favorite Sierra Small Businesses, I was intrigued to visit and learn more.
Cindy and Glen, living on the property, are great hosts. Although the resort slows significantly in the winter season (Only 7 Rooms are Available in the winter season), they were busy making winter repairs and plans for the resort. They were happy to give us a tour.
Located directly off Highway 49, just west of Sierra City, The property is split by the highway and offers guests various options. The well-known stocked rainbow trout pond in the front acts as a property beacon in ways, as it acts as a greeting area near the restaurant, the original family barn, and what I will call the winter accommodations. The entire south side of the property is covered with oak, cherry, and pine trees as it slopes down into the Yuba River basin.
Cindy and Glen walked us around the estate, sharing the stories of its past and rich history with families that have been coming for generations and giving insight as to why they would leave successful careers in the city for mountain living and a guest services lifestyle. It was easy to see that owning a service business in the mountains is a lot of hard work, with a delicate balance between success, growth, and comfortable mountain living in their new community. Life’s dream of owning a resort and slowing down is being realized.
Daily attention is now given to guest experiences and property maintenance. The open space to the north of Highway 49 now serves a location for live music, outdoor cookouts with guests, and an occasional family wedding site. While spacious rooms and 1958 Spartan trailer for glamping adventures overlooking the river, feature a lighted waterfall at night, private or group balconies with incredible views, and several easy-to-find benches or seats set out along the river for guests to enjoy a day fishing and playing in the Yuba River.
Cindy and Glen employ about 18 staff in the local area and take great pride in providing visitors with more than the standard “Burger Bar” experience often found at establishments like these in the Sierra. Their full-time Chef, Patricia Harris, Sous Chef and breakfast cook, create a delightful steakhouse menu for 80-90 guests for breakfast and dinner daily. The menu always features Certified Angus ribeye steaks, prime rib (Saturdays) and fresh rainbow trout from their own pond. (A quick unveiling of a legend at Sierra Pines: although they will clean and pack your trout caught while you stay, they do not offer to cook your catch directly in the restaurant, that’s what the meadow BBQ’s are for.)
Today, Cindy, Glen, and Ollie, their beautiful lab, await the arrival of their kids for the holidays. A new holiday tradition for the Haubl family. One in which their grown kids get to come to the Sierra to relax from the corporate rat race and experience the dream of their parents to greet guests and live a quieter lifestyle in the mountains of the Sierra. The doors are open all Winter, I can’t wait to return to Sierra City and experience the hospitality of Cindy, Glen, and Ollie on a future visit to Sierra County.
