Weekend Roundup: Updated

It was a great trip though I was unable to make some side treks.
On the road and what will be a busy mess this weekend, the North shore of Lake Tahoe and a quick leg stretch at a public launch.

This was taken about noon Friday and the skies are clear, they are black with smoke on the far shore as I type. The fire on the News burns there and kept me from returning the route I had chosen as it was right through what is now a true hell for the many residents. I know the area where the fire is burning very well and in the dense Jeffery Pine forests that dominate this fire will rage. Their needles and pine cones are some of the best fire tender there is and they are thick on the forest floor. I saw no signs of it though on my return back the northern route, though it has grown my a magnitude of ten since I came through there. I had heard of a fire near a town I would have gone through so I called off that side route. Anyway it was a gorgeous drive over the top.

The only bad part was traffic was brought to a complete stop for utility work for about 15 minutes but we had a great view with a sliver of the lake and a cool breeze. It is 250 miles one way with only about 10 on an interstate, my route is back country the whole way, two lanes and curvy.

Bridgeport Valley and Lake

A closer view

Finally off the paved stuff to some classic Sierra washboard dirt and only 8 miles to go, time for a cold Sierra Nevada Summerfest pale ale. We x-country ski and snowshoe in from here in the winter, welcome to the High Desert spring, its green. It is a bad wildflower year, low snow levels this year. I have seen these same mountains still white in July.

Yeah, finally here, the USFS says we have too much contrast of color and need more neutral tones and says we must repaint, poo on them.

Time to relax on the deck with a beer and cigar and absorb the view.

That is after a little walk to stretch the legs, we have summited the prominent peak in view. It is unnamed, we call it the Green lake Pyramid, that was a fun climb.

The new color, I don't know, it will take some getting used to, while they were painting a few of us gathered rock and redid the foundation on the left end. Our rock work of course looks great while the painters, well, they ran out of paint, nearest store, 90 miles. We had more work than expected so my side trips got cut out this trip but I secured my access to the cabin.

Cap'n Andy's Dutch Oven Kitchen, he insists all meals cooked up there are done old school and we eat well.

Cap'n Andy at work

The old sign still stands

Big Joe tending to the elk steaks, corn, beans and biscuits in the ovens.

Of course the smores come out once the fire gets hot.

Grown men muscling Little Joe away from the best marshmallow roasting spot. That is a fortunate young man, he has a good dad and experiences like this to grow on. Most kids his age don't get to hang with a bunch of old guys talkin' huntin' and fishin' constantly mixed with tall tales and war stories. I don't think I heard a swear word all weekend, a group of gentlemen, I'll call it cabin etiquette, words like that just don't fit in God's country even while cases of beer and wine vanish. I have never seen one irresponsible act in the decade I have been a member of the cabin club, it is an honor to have this access, though I can camp for free a couple hundred yards away. This kid learned a bunch just as I did in similar trips at his age, what us old guys are like behind the scenes, overgrown kids, fart jokes, tall tales, some work and lots of fun.

There was a couple of Scout troops camped nearby in the group camp and Little Joe got loads of fun catching trout in front of the city boys till we told him to go show them how, turns out they were from near where he lives in SoCal. We got alot done for a rather uncoordinated effort, I needed all the tools I took out of my truck to save weight,LOL, figures.

I had to stop and snap these couple pics in opposite directions from the same spot just outside Bridgeport, the South-westerly view, the Sawtooth Ridge providing the background.

The view to the North-east, Bridgeport lake a slim sliver in the middle, Gayle will know this view as it looks towards Yerrington, about an hour away. Some of the best trout fishing anywhere can be found in that lake if you time it right. I have left several times with a five trout limit over 10 lbs., grin. I can attest to the fine taste of the beef you see be raised here, though elk has passed both lamb and beef in taste for me, time to get that .300 mag. I have been wanting and line up a trip or two.

Update: The fire is not in wilderness area, it is in a resort summer home area this does not look good, it is a baby monster that could go really bad. I do not have anything beyond local NBC. The area is overgrown despite the number of houses, the survivors had defensible space and properly built homes.