MONDAY,
TUESDAY, WED, SEPT 7, 8, 9:
Beautiful
days in the heart of the Sierra Nevadas - and Lake Tahoe. An easy
drive for us south from where we were staying in Cromberg. In spite
of our short stay there, it felt like home. Very nice and friendly
owners. They've only had this property for about a year; hope they
make a go of it.
We're
at another nice wooded campground here in Truckee. Unlike the last
few we've been in, though, this one is very large, and not family
owned. So more impersonal. Got set up easily, rested underneath the
pines, and went into town for dinner to THE place for burgers in
Truckee – Burger Me. Was on the main drag of town, and obviously
very popular with the locals. Nice friendly service. Truckee is a
historic frontier town. Has a rich history of serving as a stop on
the main route the early pioneers took to California, and then as
the site of some of the most difficult track-laying of the first
intercontinental railroad, and then as a notorious rough frontier
town. Its downtown buildings are wonderfully preserved – now
housing eateries, galleries, boutiques, etc. If we had more time
here, we'd explore the town itself more in depth.
On
Tuesday, we drove down the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe. We
were a little disappointed, as we anticipated skirting the lake all
of the way. But most of the time we couldn't see the lake – only
glimpses of it now and then. Until we reached our destination –
Emerald Bay. There we parked and were treated to wonderful views of
the lake. It's of course famous for its deep, clear blue waters.
It's
the 3rd deepest lake in North America, just behind Crater
Lake, which we visisted last year. And while it's undisputably a
beautiful lake, we honestly felt that Crater lake was more
spectacularly wondrous in its deep blue color. But then again, the
gorgeous surroundings of the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas make this
lake a true gem!
Went
for a spontaneous hike- the trailhead was just across the highway
from where we were at the viewing area. It was a little over a mile
each way, but over lots of rocks, especially the last part, where the
trail virtually disappeared and you had to scamper over big boulders
to reach the end – Cascade Falls. However, at this time of year,
especially with this particular dry year, the falls were barely a
trickle! But a nice hike nevertheless in the perfect 80+ degree,
dry, sunny air.
Grilled
fresh salmon for dinner. Relaxed and went to bed in the cool night.
In the middle of the night the temp will drop to the mid 30's . . .
brrrr!!! We've pulled out an extra blanket since being here (in the
Sierras). And turned on the heat in the morning. But by early
afternoon, we're down to a T-shirt and even sweating in that! A
variance of about 50 degrees in a 24-hour cycle! That's what the
6,000 ft elevation here does!
On
Wednesday, we spontaneously decided to drive to Squaw Valley and go
up in the tramway there. A stunning ride up some 2,000 feet
to
'High Camp,” the small complex of buildings and amenities at the top of
the mountain, including a swimming pool and hot tub (though both
closed now for the season).
We were reminded that Squaw Valley is where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held,
and after drinking in the views for a while,
we
spent some time inside the little Olympic Museum there. Very nicely
done . . . it told the tale of one man's vision to bring the Winter
Olympics to this unknown spot in California. (At that time, Squaw
Valley had only a single chair lift and a 50-room lodge) He was told
it could never happen – Innsbruck had it wrapped up for 1960, as
European cities traditionally had. But he persisted, building a
3,000 lb. scale model of Squaw Valley out of plaster to present to
the International Olympic Commission building in Paris, but it was
too large to fit in! So he got permission to place it in a room in
the U.S. Embassy just down the street, and campaigned for every IOC
member to go see it. Something in his presentation and determination
worked – the committee voted to award the games here. That
decision put this entire area, including Lake Tahoe, on the national
and international map, and a few years later, things really opened up
here when I-80 was built across the Sierras.
It
was an Olympics that boasted many firsts: the first winter games held
in the western U.S.; the first nationally televised games broadcast
live in the U.S.; the first time a woman took the Olympic oath on
behalf of all athletes; the first time women competed in speed
skating, the first – and only – time that all
of the athletes were housed and fed under one roof, and the first
time that computers were used to tabulate results. A primitive
computer - an IBM machine which held 5 megabytes of hard disc space
and was housed in a separate building, which often attracted as many
curious visitors peering in through the glass as did the actual
events – but a vast improvement over the previous method, where all
of the judges' scores had to be calculated by hand, often resulting
in a several hours delay of announced results. Now, the results
could be known in a few minutes! It's just astonishing the changes
that Bill & I have seen in our lifetimes.
And,
oh yes, this was the Olympics where the U.S. ice hockey team came to
be known as the Team of Destiny, winning gold . .. after first
defeating the USSR team, and then, in the finals, trailing
Czechoslovakia, during a break in the locker room, the captain of the
defeated USSR team pantomimed that perhaps if they took in oxygen
from the available tanks, it would help. Really memorable and
astounding considering that this was during the height of the cold
war.
This
was an example of the genuine fellowship among the athletes and
spectators alike, despite the intense competition, which has caused
the 1960 Winter Games to be regarded by many as among the best Games
ever held.
We
took a break and got a couple of panini sandwiches which we enjoyed
while overlooking the captivating scenery,
and
then took a short 1-mile loop warm and scenic hike. We will so miss
the abiding pine fragrance of these mountains.
And
then down again on the cable tram, affording truly magnificent views.
This morning, we were considering several different options for how to spend the day: bicycling, renting kayaks on the lake, or the tram. We're very, very happy we chose the one we did!
Entrance to Squaw Valley: original display of all of the crests of participating nations:
Tomorrow
we truly head east, across Nevada on U.S. 50. Decided to take this
instead of I-80. It's supposed to be more scenic, and is actually
more direct to Arches National Park in eastern Utah, which will be
our last stop. Have mixed emotions. Find myself feeling sad to
really be leaving California. We had
such a wonderful time here. It's hard to remember and categorize all
of our experiences here, over 13 or 14 weeks. Desert starkness, ocean
calm and wildness, mountain majesty, city stimulation, mission
history, forest tranquility, garden lushness, village charm, vineyard
palette.
And
of course the memorable, meaningful times with our families and
friends. Even a parent's death. Despite our cares at home, and
unexpected cares on the road (one memorable breakdown in particular!)
- or maybe because of them - we nearly always felt God's presence,
guidance, and protection.
We
thank Him for the great gift of being able to be completely immersed
in what we were experincing at the moment, leaving our cares and
concerns behind us for those moments or hours. But now it's time to
go home. To the joy of seeing our family and friends, to enjoying a
St.Louis autumn, and to deal with what concerns need to be addressed,
especially with Jason. The same God who provided all that we needed
on this trip, including miraculous provision which we had no idea
that we'd need, will provide the strength and wisdom we'll need at
home.
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