I think it was in the year 1966 that some friends and I decided to ride our bikes around the lake, spending the night on North Shore and then continue the next day on to home. There were four of us, all motel kids. Ralph and his brother Bill, their family owned the Lake Haven motel, and Mike whose family owned the Carriage House motel both up at Stateline, and my folks still had the Alta Vista motel at Ski Run Blvd.
We had Schwinn Varsity 10 speeds except for Mike; he had a Schwinn Continental which was considered top-of-the-line at the time. I bought a Continental after my Varsity was stolen a few years later. We tied on our big bulky Coleman sleeping bags to our rear mounted bike racks along with canteens full of water and some food stuffed inside our sleeping bags.
Now bear in mind this is far from a hi-tech bike ride. We had heavy bikes, high top tennis shoes, Levis and t-shirts. No lightweight bikes, no Spandex riding shorts or light colorful jerseys, no helmets or gloves or even sunglasses. Just four kids going for a 72-mile ride around a lake with lots of hills and no bike trails; just hug the edge of the road and hope you don't get hit by a car or crash into something.
We started at Stateline, headed east, and made it to Cave Rock with no problems. Then we start climbing Spooner Summit. Not real steep but long. We took many breaks getting off our bikes to sip some water and wipe the sweat off our faces. We were glad to see the turnoff for North Shore, the road there winds down a gradual decline and gave us a chance to cool off and rest our legs as we coasted along.
We rolled into Kings Beach late in the afternoon; tired and hungry. Bill went a ways down the road looking for a campground and Mike rode into town to buy some soda and food. Ralph and I hung out at the beach and noticed a tiny island about 50 feet offshore. We take off our shoes, roll up our pants legs and wade on out to take a look-see.
Turns out the place is perfect; trees and bushes surround the perimeter but the center is open with enough room for all of us to sleep. Bill comes back and the campground is full and Mike comes back with some provisions. We decide the island is where we'll sleep so we carry our bikes out there and I find enough dead wood to make a small fire.
I had brought a small can of Vienna sausages and a few pieces of bread which I tried to toast over the fire; a pretty gross dinner (I haven't eaten Vienna sausages since; yech!) but it was enough to fill me up and ready myself for the ride around the rest of the lake the next day.
We got up early and headed down the West Shore to complete our circuit. Our next big hurdle was Dollar Point, a short but steep hill. So steep, in fact, we got off our bikes and pushed them up the hill. Pretty much smooth sailing after that, pedaling through Tahoe City, Sunnyside, Homewood, and all those other little communities.
Then we got to Emerald Bay. The road along the ridge line is beautiful! You've got the bay on one side, Cascade Lake on the other, and Tahoe out in front of you. Once you drop off the ridge there are several sharp hairpin turns as the roadway rapidly drops in elevation. I started picking up speed even with my hands on the brakes. I make the first couple of curves but on the last one I was going too fast and went off the road into the soft dirt shoulder, my bike violently going from side to side. Fortunately, I finally got back on the road just in time to cross the small bridge that spans Cascade Creek. A close call! The rest of the ride home was nice as we rode through the aspen groves and forest around the Camp Richardson area.
A few years ago we were camped in the boat at Emerald Bay. I was up early to watch the sunrise and get ready for fishing. My morning solitude was interrupted by a bunch of bike riders up on the road. "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride," an annual event here. They were all hooting and hollering as they first caught sight of the bay. At first I was angry but then I remembered my time up on that road on my Schwinn and how elated I was. My anger turned to joy as I began to wave to them from the back deck of the boat, grinning and thinking about my time in the saddle with legs burning and sweat running down my face. A 12-year-old kid who, all those years ago, did what these folks were doing now.
Pedal on my friends, pedal on.
Bob
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Hey, Javelin!
I think it was in 1968 when my dad pulled into the driveway with a new car, an AMC (formerly Studebaker) Javelin, lime green with black "racing stripes" on the side and on the hood. It was stock and had an automatic transmission with a 304 engine and Tiger Paw tires. The tires had a thin red stripe that went around the sidewall denoting their "raciness."
My mom was appalled at this car in front of our house. Dad had traded in our comfortable Chrysler 300 for this lime green, stiff riding two door muscle car with bucket seats, dual exhaust and its eye catching color and air foil. I thought it was great! Dad has always liked cars and he just felt he had to have this one. There was a TV commercial out at the time that showed two cars at a stop light. The lady in the car next to the Javelin rolls down her window and says to the driver next to her, "Hey, Javelin!" Corny, but it became a catch phrase for the car. It wasn't as fast as some of the cars of that time but it was still pretty quick and handled well and it looked kinda cool in its own funky lime green way.
My dad taught me how to drive when I was just a little guy so now he went to the next level. He allowed me to start driving the Javelin. I didn't have a license or even a learner's permit yet. I was the only freshman at high school who was driving to school and parking next to the seniors and their hot-rodded Mustangs, GTOs, Camaros, '57 Chevys and the like.
So one weekend I'm cruising around town. My short hair parted in the middle, wearing aviator type sunglasses, head band firmly in place, and the radio tuned into the appropriate rock station and of course the seat is tilted back. Gotta look cool ya know. I see a couple of guys I know from school down at the beach. They want to go for a ride in my lean, green machine. They want to go to High Meadows, a meadow up in the mountains with a stream running through it, which is at the end of a long and bumpy steep dirt road.
All is well at the start but then we come to the creek. The creek or river is not real big, maybe 25 feet across and about a foot or more deep. You need to cross this stream and continue up the dirt road in order to get to High Meadows. I slowly inch across and get stuck on a rock. For a truck or jeep it wouldn't have been a problem. But for the Javelin? Problem! Not only was I stuck on the rock, the water got into the engine compartment and it wouldn't re-start. One of the guys hiked out and hitchhiked to my folks place and my dad eventually showed up with his truck and tow rope. Boy was he pissed! And he had every right to be pissed. Here I was, out in the woods, stuck in the middle of a river on a rock with his hot rod lime green Javelin.
I had abused my privilege of using the car and that pretty much ended my use of it. Dad pulled the car off the rock and out of the river. The other guy that was with me just walked home, he wanted no part of my angry dad and the trouble I was in. I got the car started and followed Dad home to the corner of Glenwood and Pioneer. Back to the Schwinn 10 speed for me! I saved my money and eventually bought a Corvair which I decorated in a most outlandish way. I'll tell you about that at another time.
Take care,
Bob
My mom was appalled at this car in front of our house. Dad had traded in our comfortable Chrysler 300 for this lime green, stiff riding two door muscle car with bucket seats, dual exhaust and its eye catching color and air foil. I thought it was great! Dad has always liked cars and he just felt he had to have this one. There was a TV commercial out at the time that showed two cars at a stop light. The lady in the car next to the Javelin rolls down her window and says to the driver next to her, "Hey, Javelin!" Corny, but it became a catch phrase for the car. It wasn't as fast as some of the cars of that time but it was still pretty quick and handled well and it looked kinda cool in its own funky lime green way.
My dad taught me how to drive when I was just a little guy so now he went to the next level. He allowed me to start driving the Javelin. I didn't have a license or even a learner's permit yet. I was the only freshman at high school who was driving to school and parking next to the seniors and their hot-rodded Mustangs, GTOs, Camaros, '57 Chevys and the like.
So one weekend I'm cruising around town. My short hair parted in the middle, wearing aviator type sunglasses, head band firmly in place, and the radio tuned into the appropriate rock station and of course the seat is tilted back. Gotta look cool ya know. I see a couple of guys I know from school down at the beach. They want to go for a ride in my lean, green machine. They want to go to High Meadows, a meadow up in the mountains with a stream running through it, which is at the end of a long and bumpy steep dirt road.
All is well at the start but then we come to the creek. The creek or river is not real big, maybe 25 feet across and about a foot or more deep. You need to cross this stream and continue up the dirt road in order to get to High Meadows. I slowly inch across and get stuck on a rock. For a truck or jeep it wouldn't have been a problem. But for the Javelin? Problem! Not only was I stuck on the rock, the water got into the engine compartment and it wouldn't re-start. One of the guys hiked out and hitchhiked to my folks place and my dad eventually showed up with his truck and tow rope. Boy was he pissed! And he had every right to be pissed. Here I was, out in the woods, stuck in the middle of a river on a rock with his hot rod lime green Javelin.
I had abused my privilege of using the car and that pretty much ended my use of it. Dad pulled the car off the rock and out of the river. The other guy that was with me just walked home, he wanted no part of my angry dad and the trouble I was in. I got the car started and followed Dad home to the corner of Glenwood and Pioneer. Back to the Schwinn 10 speed for me! I saved my money and eventually bought a Corvair which I decorated in a most outlandish way. I'll tell you about that at another time.
Take care,
Bob
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A Fine Mess
As Oliver Hardy used to say to Stanley, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into." And just like Stanley, it wasn't Japans fault they are in the horrible situation they are in. Earthquakes happen without warning. What is most unfortunate is there are 56 nuclear power plants on this tiny stretch of land. The second one just exploded yesterday with other plants showing signs of doing the same. Add to that, a volcano blows its top on a nearby island. Now I just read where a third plant just blew due to over heating. Good lord, what's next, locusts?
All these events bring me to ask, are you prepared? Are you prepared for flood, fire, earthquake, or severe weather? How about an economic collapse or a highly contagious disease? These things happen suddenly and you have no time to get your stuff together at the last minute and head for the hills or wherever. Have a well thought out plan and leave it open to modify as you wish.
Here are some tips as to what I've done. Start at home, stockpiling canned goods and jugs of water, flashlight, and portable radio with spare batteries. Buy a couple of folding multi-tools. I liked my Leatherman so much I bought one for Christy as well. Small first-aid kits and extra medication if your on it as well as extra soap and toiletries. Plenty of pet food, don't forget your furry friends! I bought a portable generator years ago and, though rarely used, it gives me a sense of security knowing I can have electricity in the event of a loss of power. Always keep at least 10 gallons of gas in your garage or stored somewhere. I use mine for the snow blower but always try to keep them topped off. Lots of blankets and lots of candles.
Next is your car. You can throw together a little box of things that won't take up much room in your trunk but could be really helpful in the advent of your finding yourself in a compromising situation. A plastic tarp, a blanket, large bottle of water, first aid kit, your tools, and some snacks like energy bars and jerky which have a long shelf life.
I don't mean to come off as sounding all paranoid, I'm just saying its easy to do these things and it could really could make a difference if you find yourself in a bad way. We are also working on our "to go boxes". These are Rubber Maid plastic totes, kinda like half a garbage can with a snap on lid. In these we will stash food , first aid , water, and all the other stuff so if we have to leave in a hurry we can throw these in the truck and go to wherever.
The other day, after the first nuclear explosion, a friend said, "Oh, that radiation will never get here, we're to far away." I'll tell you this, several years ago there was a light yellowish tinge to the sky. At first I thought it was smoke from a forest fire but I couldn't smell smoke. It turned out what was overhead was dust from a wind storm in Africa and these little particles had traveled around the world. Japan is not all that far away in the grand scope of things . BE PREPARED!!
Bob (the boy scout who never was one), cub scout for a half a year
All these events bring me to ask, are you prepared? Are you prepared for flood, fire, earthquake, or severe weather? How about an economic collapse or a highly contagious disease? These things happen suddenly and you have no time to get your stuff together at the last minute and head for the hills or wherever. Have a well thought out plan and leave it open to modify as you wish.
Here are some tips as to what I've done. Start at home, stockpiling canned goods and jugs of water, flashlight, and portable radio with spare batteries. Buy a couple of folding multi-tools. I liked my Leatherman so much I bought one for Christy as well. Small first-aid kits and extra medication if your on it as well as extra soap and toiletries. Plenty of pet food, don't forget your furry friends! I bought a portable generator years ago and, though rarely used, it gives me a sense of security knowing I can have electricity in the event of a loss of power. Always keep at least 10 gallons of gas in your garage or stored somewhere. I use mine for the snow blower but always try to keep them topped off. Lots of blankets and lots of candles.
Next is your car. You can throw together a little box of things that won't take up much room in your trunk but could be really helpful in the advent of your finding yourself in a compromising situation. A plastic tarp, a blanket, large bottle of water, first aid kit, your tools, and some snacks like energy bars and jerky which have a long shelf life.
I don't mean to come off as sounding all paranoid, I'm just saying its easy to do these things and it could really could make a difference if you find yourself in a bad way. We are also working on our "to go boxes". These are Rubber Maid plastic totes, kinda like half a garbage can with a snap on lid. In these we will stash food , first aid , water, and all the other stuff so if we have to leave in a hurry we can throw these in the truck and go to wherever.
The other day, after the first nuclear explosion, a friend said, "Oh, that radiation will never get here, we're to far away." I'll tell you this, several years ago there was a light yellowish tinge to the sky. At first I thought it was smoke from a forest fire but I couldn't smell smoke. It turned out what was overhead was dust from a wind storm in Africa and these little particles had traveled around the world. Japan is not all that far away in the grand scope of things . BE PREPARED!!
Bob (the boy scout who never was one), cub scout for a half a year
Sunday, March 6, 2011
My First Rock and Roll Show
So back in about 1963 or '64 I was still working at Ski Run marina during the summers. They doubled my salary; I was now making $2.00 dollars a day. What was I going to do with all this new found wealth? But along with the extra dollar also came more responsibility. I was now giving instructions to the people renting the boat on how to operate it and how to find their way back to the marina, using the face of Heavenly Valley as a point of reference. I'd load up the life jackets, give my little talk, untie them from the dock, and send them on their way. If they didn't return by late afternoon the boss would send me out in a 14 foot aluminum fishing boat to go look for them. We didn't have radios or walkie-talkies. I'd just head out in a little boat with a length of rope to tow them in if they were broke down or if they were lost and couldn't find the marina I'd have them follow me back.
Now across from the marina parking lot was a large four story hotel. This place was real popular with the college kids as was our motel which was just a short walk away. The word gets out that the owner of the hotel is going to throw a birthday party for his daughter at the beach where I work, I think she was turning 18.
So one morning after I finish my morning garbage detail and working with the rental boats a crew of guys show up. They remove the pinball machines from the little chicken wire enclosure and start setting up the bands equipment. Now, this is a small space, maybe 10 by 25 ft. But it is open except for the chicken wire and it faces the beach.
As fate would have it, the group that was hired to play was staying in the motel next to ours. I was riding my bicycle around my folks place and saw this purple van next door with the words "The Kingsmen" painted on the side. They were popular at the time for their hit "Louie Louie". I had seen them on Shindig and I think one of my sisters had the 45 with their big hit. That song was everywhere.
The beach started to fill with kids mostly in their teens and early twenties. It was a sunny day and everybody was in their swim suits. Bikinis had just become popular but they weren't of the skimpy type like now, they looked more like grandma's underwear. The band crams into the chicken coop and starts playing and the college kids go wild! Everybody dancing in the sand, the frug, the watusi, the jerk, and all those dances that were popular at the time.
I was just standing there getting jostled about by all these older kids when the band finally breaks into its big hit, "Louie Louie." Now the crowd is really going crazy. Suddenly my boss pulls me from the crowd and says I have to go home. Some of the girls were starting to lose their tops and things were getting out of control. My boss called my dad and told him not to let me come back till the next morning. When I did get there the following day the place was trashed. Bathing suits, beer cans, and unexploded fireworks scattered everywhere. There were lots of people still sleeping on the beach. I guess it was quite a party as I filled up several big burlap sacks with beer cans and bathing suits and other assorted stuff.
So that was my first live Rock and Roll show. My dad had an "arrangement" with a big shot at Harrah's so we got to see lots of shows there for free in the South Shore Room. Those were performers like Donald O'Conner, Red Skelton, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis Jr... well you get the idea. While those shows at Stateline were fun I'll always remember the Kingsmen playing "Louie Louie" in the pinball chicken coop at the Ski Run beach when I was 9 years old.
Me gotta go now,
Bob
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie - 45rpm
Now across from the marina parking lot was a large four story hotel. This place was real popular with the college kids as was our motel which was just a short walk away. The word gets out that the owner of the hotel is going to throw a birthday party for his daughter at the beach where I work, I think she was turning 18.
So one morning after I finish my morning garbage detail and working with the rental boats a crew of guys show up. They remove the pinball machines from the little chicken wire enclosure and start setting up the bands equipment. Now, this is a small space, maybe 10 by 25 ft. But it is open except for the chicken wire and it faces the beach.
As fate would have it, the group that was hired to play was staying in the motel next to ours. I was riding my bicycle around my folks place and saw this purple van next door with the words "The Kingsmen" painted on the side. They were popular at the time for their hit "Louie Louie". I had seen them on Shindig and I think one of my sisters had the 45 with their big hit. That song was everywhere.
The beach started to fill with kids mostly in their teens and early twenties. It was a sunny day and everybody was in their swim suits. Bikinis had just become popular but they weren't of the skimpy type like now, they looked more like grandma's underwear. The band crams into the chicken coop and starts playing and the college kids go wild! Everybody dancing in the sand, the frug, the watusi, the jerk, and all those dances that were popular at the time.
I was just standing there getting jostled about by all these older kids when the band finally breaks into its big hit, "Louie Louie." Now the crowd is really going crazy. Suddenly my boss pulls me from the crowd and says I have to go home. Some of the girls were starting to lose their tops and things were getting out of control. My boss called my dad and told him not to let me come back till the next morning. When I did get there the following day the place was trashed. Bathing suits, beer cans, and unexploded fireworks scattered everywhere. There were lots of people still sleeping on the beach. I guess it was quite a party as I filled up several big burlap sacks with beer cans and bathing suits and other assorted stuff.
So that was my first live Rock and Roll show. My dad had an "arrangement" with a big shot at Harrah's so we got to see lots of shows there for free in the South Shore Room. Those were performers like Donald O'Conner, Red Skelton, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis Jr... well you get the idea. While those shows at Stateline were fun I'll always remember the Kingsmen playing "Louie Louie" in the pinball chicken coop at the Ski Run beach when I was 9 years old.
Me gotta go now,
Bob
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie - 45rpm
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