The ever anxious Mousse was up far to early once again to start the vacation in the woods as soon as possible. Due to a deal struck with Micki the day before, she was to be the first up on this morn to let the dog out. Her sacrifice would give the remaining slumberer's more time to rest and was much appreciated as the long and hectic drive of yesterday had plum worn me out.
It was colder than expected outside and after a short walk she returned to put on some socks. Mousse of course found this unacceptable, and demanded the blue disc of joy be thrown over and over again until the rest of us could join in the never ending wonderment that is the game of "fetch". I rose some time after to help with the dog tending duties. I decided to take her further up the road and see if there was any possible camping or trails in the area. I was determined to figure out Dale's suggested location, but after a great distance I gave up and returned via an alternate route. This little bushwhack revealed a virtual valley of paint-ball death just behind were we had set up the night before. Various log structures had been built among the dead fall and boulders. Each point of security peppered with multiple splashes of exploding color, telling the tale of battles once fought.
Even after all this time, it was still very early. Andooke began to stir and soon enough the trailer was being broken down. Brooke returned from her short morning walk with a large water bottle she had found. Even though this score brought about ridicule from the group, it actually turned out to be a pretty worthwhile during the rest of the trip. With the winding of the winch motor reaching the end and the four clicks of the trailer cover closed it was simply a matter of reconnecting the HiHy and driving back into town for some breakfast.
Pancakes....
After a few missteps, Tahoe was beginning to reveal itself as a much bigger town than we expected to find. "Bert's" was recommended to us and then found. Food was ordered and the local phone book was investigated to locate some gas line which would allow the trailer to be repaired. As it stood now, we had no heat, no cook-top and possibly no fridge... which of course was unacceptable. With a few calls a helpful store was located and our first trip around Lake Tahoe had begun.
The lake itself was very impressive. So vast, the opposing shore was all but invisible. Deep shades of blue seemed to transition with perfectly linear breaks in rich color as the hue shifted from pale green to dark blue the farther one looked from shore. We came across a lot of traffic and even found a set of casinos. We must have crossed over to Nevada and after a quick loop or two made it to the hardware store.
Plumbing for gas lines tends to be far more complex than it really should be. You have compression fittings, flared lines, pipe thread, non-pipe thread, sweat couplers, tubing diameters and thread pitches to worry about. After working with helpful and non-helpful staff for about an hour and a half, I was fairly confident I had the materials needed to complete the required repairs. In the mean time, Micki had found an awesome new top as well as reconnoitered some local trail information. The plan was to quickly find a camp spot per Dale's suggestion and then go hit the "Flume Trail" to begin the actual riding portion of the vacation.
The Never Ending Median of No Return
GPS, maps and E-Mail notation all sat in Micki's lap. The route was straightforward but the distance was not. This lake was proving to be quite the monstrosity as we wound along it's back turn after turn after turn. Finally, the exit we sought was located and eagle eyes started to search for the dirt road of mention. Camping was to be moments away. Suddenly, the road appeared to the left. A huge "ROAD CLOSED" sign blocked the entry and before I realized what was happening, we began to head down the mountain towards Carson City. Disappointed that the last place we had to look for camping had just evaporated I began to notice there were no obvious breaks in this now divided highway. Down and down we went, always searching for a crossover or place to turn around. There were none. Nothing. As in no way. A 3' concrete wall was seamless and completely uninterrupted until mile after downhill mile passed by.
Almost at the bottom of the hill, with Carson City well within site... we could finally make a U-Turn.
It was hot. The trees were had disappeared with the lower elevation and the only options we had been given foe camping were non-functioning. The girls broke out there smart phones and as calls were made backup plans began to be discussed. Thoughts of Summit County and it's perfect temps began to rush through my mind. A reboot of this trip was even considered with a long drive to CO when Brooke struck gold with a camping spot that happened to be available. The only catch was it was located on the opposite side of the lake. Big deal... how long could that possibly take to drive to? Hell, we'd even have time to catch the last shuttle for the Flume Trail on the way. Perfect... the day was to be salvaged after all.
Grinding back up this never ending hill we had already driven close to 40 miles for the day and had not made it anywhere. Back to the lake shore the winding continued and traffic began to build. Approaching possible parking for the Flume Trail, the roadsides were full of tourist vehicle leaving limited space to park with a trailer. Shade was limited and concerns about leaving Mousse in the back of the car for the duration of our ride started to surface. I missed one turn and then another. Swinging the trailer through neighborhood four way stops to complete 180's. Finding empty parking lots to pull through or turn around. Thoughts of food rotting in the fridge without a reliable gas supply. Breakfast long forgotten and the only reminder of food brought to me by pangs of emptiness in my stomach. One more wrong route choice to a dead end and I snapped. I was done. I threw a tantrum and the Flume Ride was forgotten in order to appease me weary soul. We headed straight to camp instead with hope that tomorrow might reveal a better side of Tahoe to us all.
The tension was thick in the HiHy as every crowded, twisted mile seemed to take longer than the last. A pee stop was requested and then a final intersection was missed, sending us about 15 miles in the wrong direction. After realizing our mistake, we finally made it to the campground and began setting up the trailer. Once erected, Andy set about helping me with the various required repairs. Under the trailer damage was much more than I had imagined. Two out of the three gas lines would have to be replaced and the heater would need to be rewired. With four hands and two minds on the job, things moved along fairly quickly (much to the amusement of our spectating ladies). Before we knew it, the heat was on and the grill was fired up. Brauts were cooked for Andy and I, Brooke opted for the smaller, less threatening hotdog option and Micki bested us all with a nice bowl of soup. I set up our new REI folding recliner chairs and for the first time on this trip was actually able to sit down and relax.
We had driven for over 75 miles just since breakfast and had only made it about 3/4 of the way around the lake. Tahoe is ridiculous in regards to ride locations and distances needing to be traveled. We were learning however and were hopeful things might start to fall into place for the rest of our visit. I took Mousse for a walk outside of the campground and found a nice network of abandoned mining roads with a few relics of the prosperous days past. A well deserved rest was had by all as conversation dropped of quickly with heavy heads on soft pillows.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to comment on this post.