In January 1942 my parents, Leonard “Skipper” and Margery Steimle purchased from Pacific Electric Company the PE employee vacation camp near Blue Jay, California. It consisted basically of 40 cabins, a lodge, swimming pool and several out buildings located on a beautifully wooded 20 acres between Blue Jay and Agua Fria on highway 89. The slogan was: Families with Children Preferred
The first name chosen for the camp was Beverly Pines. Skipper had taught several years at Beverly Hills High School. Around 1944 the name was changed to Pine View Lodge, by which it was known until our father died in 1974. It never operated again.
Everything is gone now (2008). All that remains is the lodge’s fireplace and chimney, remnants of the fire ring, and acres of magnificent trees. Pine View was an unusual resort…made so by two special energetic and talented people who encouraged their four children to get involved. If you were one of the many who remember the Steimles and Pine View Lodge, we would love to hear from you.
Larry Steimle lsteimle@altrionet.com
Winter of 1948
Cabins 15 & 16
New Pool, built about 1960
Thank you so much for the history. I often wondered what might have happened to the resort. Skipper was a very special man and Pine View Lodge provides me with some of my fondest memories of childhood. Some of the best experiences I had with my family were there.
I was 7 years old when my family came to visit Pine View Lodge! My math says it was around the summer of 1973. My dad passed away in 2004, and my mom died just 9 months ago. As I’ve spent the past few months going through their things, I came across a letter written by your father, “Skipper” as I remembered him, thanking us, “The Beecroft Family”, for visiting Pine View Lodge. It was like a whirlwind of memories flooded back, when I came across this letter from Skipper. Very good memories!
My memories of Pine View Lodge are vague, but at the same time, very vivid. We stayed in these small cabins, and there were Blue Jay birds everywhere! I remember being given the opportunity to help run the store. I guess we could sign up to help, perhaps? I just remember feeling so grown up and responsible at 7 years of age. I remember also making a leather key chain of some sort…and working with leather in general. I’m guessing these were craft classes, I don’t remember. I also was given an award for being the fastest 7 year old in a swim meet, and I still have that in my box of treasures from when I was a child.
These are all just “snapshots” of memories…but my fondest memory, is gathering in the large lodge at night, a huge circle of all of us guests, with Skipper leading us…and we would sing. I remember learning the song “Side by Side” on this vacation…was it at Pine View Lodge, maybe? I think we had a talent show one night, and my family sang this. There were my parents, and my 5 siblings and I. My oldest sister Debi at the time was 17, then my sister Julie was about 12, then my sister Pam was about 10, then I was 7, then my sister Jackie was 5, and my youngest brother was only 2 or 3. I also remember singing “Tell Me Why” in the large circle. It became one of our family favorites…and just before my dad’s death, we all gathered around in a circle around my dad’s bed, and our family sang this song.
I remember Skipper so well. He was just sooooo genuine, so fun. He made each one of us feel so welcomed, and I think as a 7 year old, I felt that he was an old family friend. I had no idea that my family had just met him that year on that vacation. I remember learning of his death the year later, and I cried and cried. My heart was broken that Skipper had died. I asked one of my sisters this past summer, after finding this letter from him, if she remembered Skipper from the Pine View Lodge. Her eyes lit up, and she said “Yes, I do!! Wow! That was such a long time ago!” We enjoyed sharing memories of that summer. Anyhow…I happened to google “Pine View Lodge” today, just out of curiosity I guess. I was hoping to see that it was still up and running, in hopes that I could bring my own family there to visit. I’m sad that it isn’t. It was a very happy time for our family, that summer!
I hope that you will hear from many guests as time passes.
Thanks for listening to my stroll down memory lane!
Lisa (Beecroft) Jackson
Wow…. thanks for all the memories! For many summers my family would load up our VW 411 and head up to Pine View Lodge. I spent many birthdays there as a child as we would often be there the last week of August. That must have been the late 1960′s to the early 1970′s. We almost came up a few times during the winter season to play in the snow.
I remember so much from Pine View Lodge. The swimming pool, the evening activites in the beatiful lodge, the every-present Skipper, the Hobo Hike (complete with song of course…)
“I’m a hobo, I’m a hobo. I’m a hobo till I die….”
I remember the archery compititions (I kept up with that as an adult), the diving for coins, the ping pong table, and of course all the blue jays that would beg at the back door of the cabins. I remember going down the hill a bit to eat at the Mexican restaurant. I remember the ice skating in Blue Jay and the sleding on the pine neddles. Somewhere in my memory box I have some documents from Pine View Lodge.
Everytime I drove up to the mountains I wonder what ever happened to Skipper and Pine View Lodge. Once, many years ago, I stopped and walked around the property. I saw the foundation of buildings, some of the stone walls, and the pool. So what ever happened to Pine View Lodge and the property.
Well, again, thanks for the memories.
I have fond memories going to Pine View Lodge. We went several times when I was little in the late 60′s. I remember swimming lessons, The watermelon eating contest, Bow tie night, That incredible high dive, along with Skipper going off it on a bike(I believe) and sledding on hay. Every time I drive to Lake Arrowhead I stop at Jensen’s Market just so I can drive by the overgrown property to just maybe catch a glimpse of a part of a building or the lodge or pool. My memories there are so rich that I have taken my family to a nearby Family Camp every summer for the last 12 yrs. Thanks for the Memories! I love seeing the pictures.
I went to work at the Scout camp in Cedar Glen this year and happened to go to dinner at a small restaurant nearby. I drove past the location of pine view lodge and saw the remains of the lodge. I felt a bit sad that there was not much left of the resort. I have some fond memories as a child of going there and swimming in the pool and learning archery from Skipper. He was a warm individual who made a lasting impression on me. We stayed in an old cabin that was very simple, yet inviting. I wish there were more pictures as my memories are a bit fuzzy and any photos of that era from my family are long gone. Who owns the property now? Every kid should have such memories.
We appreciate all comments. It’s been over 35 years since my father, Skipper, died. The property has been sold several times since then. I don’t know who owns it now. If you email me directly I will address any specific questions or requests and appreciate photos and personal memories. I’m always interested in when you stayed at PVL and your memories. Thank you. lsteimle@altrionet.com
I was a young boy 4-6 years-old when my family, the Wuco Family, Walter and Helen (Dad and Mom), Ray, Andy, Tony, Susan, and Frank (me) used to go to Pine View Lodge. The Hobo Hikes were my favorite. In fact, while camping this very New Year’s weekend while camping in Sebring, Florida I took my own daughters and our neighbor’s kids on their very first Hobo Hike. Blackened their face with burnt cork (instead of the charcoal we used at PVL), packed lunches in bandannas, and marched them for a few miles. Passersby (especially the elderly would say, “Look at the hobos!”). All thanks to Pine View Lodge and Skipper! Just because of that hobo hike, I went on line to look for Pine View Lodge and could not have been happier to find this site. I had no idea he passed so long ago. I also remember the sing-alongs in the main lodge and my dad doing fancy dives off the high dive. At some point in the day, one of the workers would come along an toss coins into the pool for a coin dive. There was also sledding and tobogganing down a hill covered with pine needles. Somewhere, we’ve got pictures of us kids in our hobo outfits, with charcoal on our faces, bandannas on stick over our shoulders. Yes, and then there was Jensen’s Grocery and Bakery with their amazing Shepherd’s Bread and pastries. Thank you for taking the time to build this site.
Frank Wuco, Thank you for your comments! What years were you at PVL? I just subscribed to your website. I’ll spend some time there. Larry
We made our visits circa 1967-1971/2.
One quick question: Was Skipper ever actually in the Navy?
Skipper was never in the Navy. He earned that nickname at his Balboa, California seamanship camp before World War 2. Check out the website at http://www.skippersteimle.com My parents were remarkable people.
Just passed info on PVL website to my brother, Ray, who achieved many sports milestones at the lodge. Hopefully, he will share them here. Our middle brother Tony, who passed away on Jan 10, 2010 would have loved to see the website. He was quite the adventurer and loved our visits to PVL. Again, thank you Larry, for unlocking this portion of the hard drive between my ears. You should consider a screen play or book about your father. What a contrast with the Great Depression, seeing the sailing classes was conducting at Balboa!
What great memories of Pine View Lodge! I went there for several summers as a small boy with my mom and dad (Ed and Doris Jenkins) along with my older sister Nancy. I think we were there from 1960 through 1962 or so. (my sister might know for sure… I’ll be forwarding your website to her).
Hobo Hikes with charcoal on our faces. I think we always had watermellon at the end of the hike, or was that a treasure hunt?
Penny Dives… I remember collections were taken from the adults the night before to “fund” the penny dive. I think my dad was suspicious that some of the coin was pocketed… but that was only a harmless rumor.
Skipper taught me how to swim in that beautiful pool.
In the evenings, I remember singing “I’m a little nut of brown, lying on the cold, cold ground. Everybody steps on me, that is why I’m cracked you see”. I used to laugh when Skipper would try to play his saxophone but couldn’t because there were all kinds of things in it. He would ask folks to come up and see what was inside. I remember pulling some women’s underwear out of the saxophone one time, and I got all embarrased. For the talent nights, my sister and I would sing “Strolling Through The Park One Day, In The Merry, Merry Month of May…” (I did the “roggyshies” really well). The evening would usually end when we sang Taps.
I remember watching my Dad play billiards on the pool table, and I thought the colors of the billiard balls were really neat. I wanted to play too, but it was only for parents.
Skipper came to our home in Van Nuys, so see my dad about business maybe? My dad was an architect, and I followed in his footsteps. Skipper was like a celebrity to me, and when he was at our home, I remember I was star struck!
One time we spent a Christmas at Pine View Lodge. I think it might have been just our family and Skipper? I remember “fixing” a ping-pong table with my Handy Andy Tool Belt, and there was a big fire blazing in the fireplace.
Thank you for creating this website. Some of my most favorite childhood memories took place on those twenty acres!
God bless you!
Greg Jenkins
I remember going to PVL when I was 5 or 6 years old with my family. I remember the hobo hike and the adults playing pool (probably drinking a few beers?) They had a small wading pool and a larger deep pool with a diving board. I wish I had pictures. Does anyone happen to know the old address of PVL?
Great memories!
correction… no liquor was allowed. Great place.