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| PETE’s 73nd ANNUAL BIRTHDAY BIKE RIDE AT NORTH LAKE TAHOE, September 6, 2011 (Pictures)
Twenty - colorful 49er’s and friends joined Pete Kieffer on his 73nd annual birthday bike ride at North Lake Tahoe. Once again, the ride lived up its billing as a better than once-in-a-lifetime event. It was a beautiful day, made even more so by the fact that the wind was at our backs and the trails were downhill over the entire course of our 32 mile ride. The weather was balmy, the sparkling sun blithely danced over the entire course of the Truckee River’s roiling waters and the waters of Lake Tahoe. Watching very carefully, we witnessed scores of nymphs cavorting in the forests of verdant pine. On the lake below the Ehrman mansion at the Sugar Pine Point State Park, we settled in on the picnic benches and the soft, cool green grass and savored our sandwiches purveyed by the Tahoma Market. It was so difficult to leave our comfort zone to crank up for the leg back to our new watering hole, the Crest Cafe, nestled in the trees along Alpine Meadows drive. Members of the biking party restored their electrolytes with an indiscriminate pale/pale ale and root beer, and enjoyed generous portions of chips & salsa provided by the establishment. We were well rewarded for our collective effort and it was all downhill from there. All in all, it was a perfect day. Thanks to everyone who joined in, and to those who weren’t able to make it but who sent their well-wishes. We’ll do it again next year. Pete Kieffer LOON LAKE CAMPOUT, August 2-9, 2011 (Pictures) We arrived to discover that winter abundance had created a five foot beach and shallow water for quite a way out. The two large islands were now several small peaks. Wildflowers were in abundance and the weather was sunny all week. Prior tenters had set up a horseshoe court with a large stone wall at each end & holes drilled. Mel S just “happened’ to have his horseshoe set and poles with him. Can you beat that? He & Bill H and some of the visiting grandkids had a blast. The first hike was through the woods. Only Marggi H, Andrea W, Jane M, the Strattons and Bill H had the nerve to cross over the Rubicon. Fred T’s 5 a.m. coffee was a hit with many fisher people and tenting neighbors. He, with his two pole license, & Jack D took Jack U, Monte S, Terry T, Bill H, & the remarkable fisher lady, Marni L, out over several days. They caught lots and lots of trout. A fish fry followed with Marggi H inventing a tasty sauce. If you’re lucky, she may share her recipe. Morning kayaking was fabulous with clear water and more birds including diving cormorants often surfacing with trout and flying away while turning their prey aerodynamically.. Jane M went all around the lake one cool morning. Talk about capable! Andrea W was able to coax some nervous baby ducklings to paddle around some fishermen by the dam. She is now our official duck whisperer. Bridge games were popular with plenty of friendly, helpful table talk. These Loon Lake games are not for the purist! Our bratwurst dinner, BBQ’d & coordinated by Clark S & his chief assistant, Jack D, was very successful. Ellen D, the meal contribution organizer has this down to a science and there was good food aplenty. Andrea W supplied an antique triangle dinner bell which invited everyone to our shared meals. Fred T’s Bingo followed dinner on Wednesday & Friday. Some of the games were won by a cute couple from the same RV which caused much suspicion. Carol K, called the Friday game. A campfire was whipped up most evenings by Pat H who usually lost control to CK who had a poke stick. Carol T brought S’mores to share but she ran out of chocolate. Can anyone figure this out? The Mexican Train Tournament never ends. Lew can claim over 500 points. Jean H won. Another suspicious occurrence. . . . .guess who won last year!! Three RV (repair vehicle) proprietors performed roof & holding tank maintenance. One leaky roof was fixed with a little duct tape and the other with caulk. The tank problem RV forced the occupant to use the bathroom suites just like all the rest of we nature lovers. She probably never took a dip in the lake, though. Jim & Susan S led a long hike near Wrights Lake for just a few robust souls. An easy walk in the woods alongside the lake was led by Carol T. Pat H’s German Shepherd, Shasta, limped noticeably for a few days after. The Jeepers started their three day Jamboree through the boulders on the Rubicon Trail, across the lake, on Friday. Some 49’rs biked over and the rest tooled down the 4 mile highway. A shiny burgundy helicopter was very busy transporting party and jeep supplies.. The first set of boulders has been removed and the hard stuff is a bit further on now. Andrea W hitched a ride with Hollywood, a lady from there, and had quite a trip. The Friday rib dinner was sumptuous with all the pot luck contributions. The main attraction was BBQ’d by Joe in his surgical toque. Jack D, our photojournalist, was again the chief assistant, along with Terry T. The morning birding walk with Valerie P, Jim & Susan S produced lots of sightings of some elusive feathered friends such as the colorful Western Tanager, some woodpeckers, the yellow Wilson’s Warblers, Stellar Jays, a Merganser mommy with six babes on her back, a mama Bufflehead with three followers and naturally many more I can’t remember. Less than an hour after returning, a majestic bald eagle flew low over our campsite. Is that a good luck omen or what! Our Sunday brunch, orchestrated by Valerie P & Andrea W was the best ever with fluffy scrambled eggs overflowing with fresh veggies and cheese by Jean H & Marggi H, Clark’s hash browns with more veggies & some cheese, fantastic McGrath French toast, & ham a la Jack D who was unable to open the ham tin so tried a heavy knife for a wedge. Joe W came to the rescue by noticing that the handle under the label could be peeled and then pulled opened. Will Jack ever live this down? Everyone regretted their exodus from this pleasurable gathering. Happily submitted by Cari Butler BIKING THE GOLDEN GATE, May 18, 2011 (Pictures) Half the 49ers and friends signed on to do the ride on Wednesday the 18th were indeed disappointed when the ride was postponed a day to allow the Rain Gods to do their work. Fifteen of the original riders had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The remaining fifteen were welcomed into Tiburon on Thursday by brilliant sunshine and cool breezes. After a short briefing on the character of obstacles, our Leader Pete gently urged the group up the first hill through Belvedere. After that, it was all pretty much downhill with the winds at our backs …. until we later reached Sausalito. We had a major disappointment an hour into our tour when we arrived at the “Bay Model” to find the restrooms closed for renovation. This restroom stop is usually one of the highlights of the ride. We had to make do with Porta-Potties the Army Corps of Engineers had provided. Our gourmet lunch in Sausalito was again catered by the Venice Deli. They really do a good job. Then came the Hill …. the Hill …. The 15 mph wind accompanying us up the hill from Sausalito to the North end of The Bridge seemed to make the trek all that much steeper. It was unfortunate that it was blowing downhill when we were pushing up. Having reorganized at the top, thirteen survivors struck back out into the wind, wending their way through a sea of tourists. The bike rental business in San Francisco must be booming. There’s even a new rental kiosk on the South end of The Bridge. We’ve never before encountered so many mechanized tourists, all armed and dangerous. It was a relief to get down to Crissy Field where we began a leisurely ride through the open meadows, along the Marina District, over Ft Mason, out the Aquatic Center Jetty, and down to Fishermen’s Wharf for a Big ice cream cone. We napped on the Ferry back to Tiburon, preparing for our traditional dinner at Sam’s Anchor Café. That was good, and no big bird dared crap on our pates or plates. To sum it all up, it was a great day! We're ready to do it again! Pete Kieffer MAMMOTH LAKE SKI TRIP, March 6-11, 2011 Click here to read the full report well prepared by Rich Gregory and Wendy Stevens. As you all know, the customer at the June Mountain ticket counter is Judy Agid. What a precious moment! FERNIE SKI TRIP, February 5-12, 2011 (Pictures) On Saturday, February 5th, 14 49er skiers flew into the unknown- - - ski area, that is. Fernie ski resort lies at 3500 feet on the west slope of the Canadian Rockies accessing 5 alpine bowls of groomed blue runs. Mostly unknown to the 16 of us who had signed up to ski there. The Champaign powder was not forthcoming that week, however the below freezing temperatures kept the runs very user friendly. We started on an overcast Sunday with a tour of the mountain given by our mountain guide, “Nature Bob.” This tour helped us understand the very large expanse of skiable mountain. On Monday the sky cleared and under a sunny blue sky we skied as long as the body and legs would allow. During the next 4 days the weather challenged our visibility off and on. Monte was the most stalwartly, skiing 6 out of the 6 days. One day Ellen, Hilde, and Diane put on snowshoes and clumped about. Others chose snowshoeing another day. Some took a day off to bus into the town of Fernie. Highlights of the town were the thrift store, a small museum about the coalmines that cause the town to be so located, and a restaurant for serious breakfasts. The rooms were comfortable with a frig and coffee maker. We picked up our skis from the downstairs lockers in the morning and were able to ski to the entrance to the lockers in the afternoon. We met after skiing in the large meeting area next to the front desk for tiddlies and Sunday evening, to watch, drink, and eat through the first half of the Super Bowl. During the second half we adjourned to the Kelsey restaurant for dinner and a rowdy time trying to out shout the table of young’uns next to us. This restaurant let us order off of the children’s menu and we tried not to live up to the implication. Lunch became standard at the “Big Bang Bagel” where the employees wore t-shirts imprinted with, “we bang all day, etc.” The foursome in the condo being more mobile with the car that Bill and Maggi arrived with explored areas around our home base. Eventually Hilde brought out the “Farkle” dice and a group became hooked on the game (also at the Seattle Airport during our return flight long wait.) Our group dinner took place Thursday evening at the Griz restaurant, mostly empty except for the 16 49ers. The mountain is world class. The slopes well groomed providing us with a lot of variety during the day without any crowds, even the days when we could not see the top of the peaks. We skied as a group the first few days always an interesting fun ride. The weather could have been better (how come Canada didn’t arrange that better for our group?) The small village at the base of the mountain, was, well, small! The amenities did not live up to the magnificence of the mountain they served. We adjusted to the limited eating establishment. No one starved. My feeling is that we were a great sociable group making the week a good time for all. The shuttle bus for the return trip to the Kalispell Airport, gave us a short stop in Whitefish, Montana. Great town for tourist, big mountain for skiing only a short ride. Next year??? Carol Klein SALT LAKE CITY SKI TRIP, January 9-14, 2011 (Pictures) The Salt Lake City Ski Trip was a great success. The fifteen 49ers who stayed at the Comfort Inn in downtown Salt Lake City included Diane Taggart, Fred Tiff, Monte Schmid, Linn Ferguson, Frank Tiff, Mona Tiff, Michelle, Jim Eckman, Kathy Eckman, Gary Reents, Cydney Reents, Wendy Stevens, AnnMarie Buchanan, Marggi Holtze, and Bill Hammond. Merrilee Davidson, Jane Mendenhall, and Sue Worrall stayed at other places but were able to join us on the ski slopes. On Monday, January 10th, we traveled to Park City for a wonderful but very cold day of skiing. Merrilee, Jane, and Sue were able to find us on the hill with the help of the 2-way radios. As usual the large group soon split into two (the fast and more aggressive skiers and the more conservative group). Tuesday we all ventured to Alta for another beautiful but cold day of skiing without any snowboarders. We missed Merrilee and Jane, but Sue caught a ride with Wendy and AnnMarie. Sue is a new prospective member, and we all feel that she will make a perfect fit for the 49ers. The group decided to ski at Snowbird on Wednesday. The weather was cloudy but much warmer than the previous two days. This is Wendy’s favorite spot so she was in charge of showing us around the mountain. Jane and Sue were able to join us for this day of skiing. Thursday the weather had warmed up considerably and this hardy group of skiers including Jane and Sue traveled to Brighton for a wonderful sunny day of skiing. The snow was great, and we all enjoyed the day. While the group skied Kathy Eckman, a nonskier, explored Salt Lake City and found all the TJMax stores. I think there were 4 in all, and she went to at least 3 of them. On this day some people decided not to ski, and Kathy was more than happy to take them all shopping at TJMax and Dillards. Friday was a day for the group to go different directions. One group went to Snowbasin, another to Sundance, and the last group of skiers checked out Solitude but then decided on Brighton. At tiddlies all groups agreed they had a wonderful last day of skiing. Everyone seemed to have a great time enjoying the tiddlies and conversation after a wonderful day of skiing and/or exploring and shopping in Salt Lake City. The Comfort Inn provided complimentary appetizers, wine and beer for the 49ers on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All in all another great trip for the 49ers of Sacramento.! Diane Taggart SNOBALL, December 4, 2010 (Pictures) This year 74 members and guests were treated to a great evening with festive decorations, including “SANTA BEAR”. The Hors D’oeuvres added a nice compliment to the cocktail hour which lasted 1 1/2 hours. During the cocktail hour members were given the opportunity to have their portraits taken which they could then purchase at a later date. We enjoyed a dinner of Chicken Cordon Bleu, Salmon or Prime Rib. Gary Agid led a short meeting during dinner. The DeLeon’s played soft background music during dinner. Dancing started and the 49ers began to show their stuff and danced all night to the DeLeon’s singing. At 10:00pm we turned out the lights and went home. A fun time was had by all. Bev Udlock EAGLE LAKES HIKE, October 13, 2010 Twelve hikers, led by the scout-dog Brandy, discovered the location of Eagle Lakes in the Tahoe National Forest . The group consisted of Jim and Carol Johnson; Gary, Judy and Brandy Agid; Roberta Blagg; Ben and Mary Ann Fleming; Dick and Irene Miller; Ernie Dahl; Dick Pryor and Hilde Bly. After overcoming a boulder-strewn ORV track in a hilly terrain, the group smiled and shrieked with delight when the lake was found. The small lake was rimmed with algae and the skeletal remains of long-dead pine and fir trees. It looked to be all of three-feet deep. Brandy inspected and approved the lake after tasting the water and swimming in it. The brief shower from her shaking was a cooling relief on a warm day. After dining on a well-earned sack lunch, the hikers trekked back to the trailhead, said their goodbyes and headed down the mountain. Ben Fleming MONTEREY FALL TRIP, October 3-8, 2010 (Pictures) We had a total of 42 participants on our annual excursion to the always-beautiful Monterey Peninsula . This year, in addition to the usual activities of hiking, bicycling, kayaking and golfing, a small group played tennis. One of the highlights was the bicycling outing to the world-renowned The Lodge At Pebble Beach, which hosted the 2010 U.S. Open. After bicycling 14 miles, 34 sweaty bodies bedecked in bicycle gear (shorts, colorful jerseys – some still wearing their helmets and gloves) clomped on their hard plastic soled bicycle shoes to the dark paneled, stodgy Tap Room which was adorned with photos of Hollywood celebrities, golf celebrities and other famous and not so famous personalities. Now, what shall we have for lunch? A sample of the choices included: American Kobe Filet Mignon at $79, Tap Room Meatloaf Sandwich at $23.50, New York Style Reuben at $17.50. I chose the Tap Room Burger at $16.75. It consisted of a half-pound black angus burger, pepper bacon, sharp cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. Without a doubt, it was the best burger I ever ate. Another highlight might have been the wine tasting event hosted by John & Judi Clayton at their home in Carmel By The Sea Wed. afternoon and evening. 33 participants under the expert guidance of sommelier Sue Wyman sampled ten different wines from the Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg , CA. Sgt. Wyman had her hands full trying to control the irreverent, unruly crowd. After ten samples, the noise level had built to a crescendo. Margge Wood coordinated the table full of scrumptious hors d’oeuvres. Monte Schmid celebrated his 70th birthday. Fittingly, this guy who posses all that G.I. ingenuity, was presented with a salamander manufactured from rebar, rocker arms, valve guides and other recycled parts. Many thanks to Pete Kieffer who led most of the bike rides, John & Judi Clayton who hosted the wine tasting, sommelier Sue Wyman, hors d’oeuvres coordinator extraordinaire Margge Wood, the other coordinators (Cari Butler, Joan Quinn, Bev Udlock and Agathe Carroll) who coordinated the evening cocktail sessions, everyone who contributed hors d’oeuvres, and especially everyone who brought their fun to this enjoyable outing. I heard several comments that this might have been the best of all Getaways. Lew Wahl OKTOBERFEST, September 25, 2010 (Pictures) Sixty five members and guests enjoyed having good food, weather and a perfect setting for the Oktoberfest party. The weather was perfect for this informal outdoor setting. Several members brought delicious red cabbage, sauerkraut and potato salad dishes. Many thanks go to our hosts Jean and Pat Hardy. We also want to thank all or our helpers: Table set-up – Jean Hardy, Ulla Chapman, Paula and Joe Dewald; Bartender - Joe Dewald; Cooks - Frank and Fred Tiff; Pete Kiefer and Clark Smith for directing parking; Lew Wahl for bringing the BBQ and sausages; Joy Mueller for purchasing the drinks, apple strudel, pretzels and buns; Allie Huberty for providing the decorations; Paula Dewald for purchasing the paper goods; Sign in – Carol McKenzie and the clean-up crew - Monte Schmid and Terry Tice. Co-Chairman: Dick Pryor/Jane Mendenhall |