We Party at Donner Pass!

First a little business.

I'll be bringing a bunch of beer to The Kurth Friday night. If you are going to be attending but arriving late and want to reserve some let me know.

I'm giving The Kurth $20 since I'll be taking away from some sales so I'll have the donation hat out to recover some of the $20 and hopefully give the Kurth a little extra.

Reviews have been coming in pretty positive on Lazy Man's Porter. Only the amount of carbonation (bubbles) is a worry (on my part).
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Yesterday started with scrambled eggs mixed with fresh smoked salmon, cream cheese and caramelized onions bacon and OJ. I now weight over 300 pounds and have manboobs.

Then DJ and I went off to discover the Northern Lake Tahoe area by driving to Truckee to find a good liquor stored for California Craft Beer that can't be found in WI. We drove past Fifty Fifty, the only Brew Pub in the area but since it was like 10:00 a TAD too early.

We picked up s 6 of Downtown Brown produced by Lost Coast Brewery and a bomber of Fat Tire Amber. Then set out towards the Donner Pass Memorial. You can read about the Donner Party all over but the thing I found interesting was that the Donner Pass elevation is really only about 7100 feet. I'm sitting higher then the pass right now!!

Yet Donner Pass averages 415 inches if snow every year and if you are a wagon train in a very narrow pass . . . . . .

Here is a photo of the memorial.


OK - many people think I have a problem with the Engrish language so you guys will understand this completely.

OK! Makes sense to me! Is this some sort of puzzle?? Can you make a real sentence out of these words???


The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American settlers caught up in the "westering fever" of the 1840s. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, some of the emigrants resorted to cannibalism. Although this aspect of the tragedy has become synonymous with the Donner Party in the popular imagination, it was actually a minor part of the episode.

For more of the Party tales click here.


After Donner Pass we cruised to Squaw Valley - home of the 1960 Olympics and one of the largest and most high-concept ski areas in the United States. It receives 40 feet of snow per year with a 200 inch base.

Olympic Village

I did not get many photos of the because all the mountains look like Devils Lake and are underwhelming - Still the smallest run would be the largest run at Devils Head - AMAZING STEEP for the real runs. My god I would not walk down those slopes.

For a clue here is one photo - if you run a line straight up from the 8200 - THAT is a run!! Looks like a cliff to me!! But there is a little line on the map that shows it's a run for "experienced skiers".


Funny thing is the place was empty. It's the BIG off season. Summer is over and there is no snow yet. Almost everything was closed. In fact it was the FIRST day the lifts were not taking people to the outstanding views on top of the hills. grrrrrrr!

One thing that is a huge problem in this area are bees.

Most houses in the Lake Tahoe area don't even have screens. No bugs. All restaurants have outdoor seating. However - when you go into a park the rangers will warn you "If you are having a picnic you better eat in the car". YEA - that is a selling point.

There are these signs all over.

Big problem this year.

After Olympic Village we drove to Tahoe City and looked around at the stores. This area is just like Door County except the average SMALL house costs 2 million dollars. There was one sign for a parcel of land, no house, 1/4 acre, 26 million dollars.

Gas is $4.35 per gallon but our rental car came with a full tank at $3.20 per gal.

A photo from Tahoe City.


Lot's of haze here from Sacramento smog I am told.


Then we back tracked to Fifty Fifty a Brew Pub. Opened for 1.5 years and we had a "snack" and have some craft brew. I had a Donner Party Porter which was OUTSTANDING!!! DJ had Manifesto Pale Ale which we thought was a little hoppy but good anyway.

These are real barrels of brew that are aging in whiskey barrels, an Imperial Stout.

Today it sounds like we are going to South Lake Tahoe and maybe hit a casino. Not sure what else.

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Football - I'm 4th out of 300 in a $10,000 ATS contest.

Gotta run!

CHEERS
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In some very sad news keyboardist for Pink Floyd, Richard Write died from cancer.

OK.

WHAT? more photos of DJ?? OK!

Rod