Between the lots of the
Whitetail Club properties in McCall, Idaho, John Sabala, president of Summit
Resources, has staked out a wedge of land for a yurt. The yurt has panoramic
views of the 5,200-acre Payette Lake and, beyond it, the 10,000-foot peaks of
the Salmon Mountain Range. Sabala says the yurt is better than any sales
pitch—prospective buyers are brought to the yurt in an ATV, handed a glass of
Champagne in front of the firepit and left to admire the view, usually at
sunset.
In the 1990s, when Sabala’s family vacationed on the lake,
which is 100 miles north of Boise, the Whitetail Club was known as the Shore
Lodge, a doddering, rustic inn that had been receiving guests since 1948. Sabala
and his wife met here and settled in McCall (population 2,876) to raise their
family and give the old 116-room lodge a lavish update. A $45 million infusion
cut the number of units to 77; now every key leads to a suite outfitted with
mahogany furniture, Italian linens and expansive marble bathrooms with double
soaking tubs.
The Whitetail Club, some 100 miles north
of Boise, is situated around Payette Lake and an 18-hole championship golf
course. Generous lots and rustic single-family homes will join the
refurbished lodge. Photograph by John Henebry. (Click image to enlarge)
After that success, Sabala turned his attention to the
1,100-acre hillside above the Lodge. Set on an elevation beside an 18-hole
championship golf course de-signed by Roger Packard and Andy North, Whitetail
boasts incomparable water and mountain views, fir, aspen and ponderosa pines,
and the occasional bald eagle.
Whitetail is low density—only 300 lots on 1,300 acres—and
houses are designed under the direction of an architectural approval process,
with, Sabala says, "styles ranging from Adirondack to Lodge to Craftsman." Each
home—average size is 4,000 to 5,000 square feet—is custom-designed, but multiple
master suites, full bar areas, three-car garages and vaulted ceilings come
standard.
The Whitetail Clubhouse. (Click image to enlarge)
"Owners can choose to build along a fairway of the golf course,
on the West Mountain with views of the lake, or on a site in the ponderosa pines
with a short walk to the members-only Fish & Swim Club," Sabala says. The
$475-per-month club fee also affords members unlimited golf, among other perks.
Homesites are priced from $450,000 to $1.3 million; homes range from $2.5
million to $4 million.
The area draws mostly outdoor enthusiasts. Winter brings both
downhill and cross-country skiing; the Nordic Cross-Country Ski Championships
will be held here in 2008. Summer is all about fly-fishing and speedboats on the
lake, Class IV whitewater rafting, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking. And
Whitetail’s private sandy beach is also a big draw.
Best of all, what is man-made in McCall is designed to
complement the gorgeous environs. Almost every building is a stone-and-timber
cabin, and the town is virtually chain-free, so you are more likely to see a
wine bar or sports equipment store than a national outlet.
