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by Pat Lowther and Ed Martin
photos
Hasta La Vista, Baby! to the last long weekend of the summer! Ed Martin and Pat Lowther hosted a near full house for an action packed weekend at the Lodge. Everyone made their way up to the Lodge on Friday evening in anticipation of the festivities planned for the weekend. Only a few were really late, but managed to wake up the next morning bright-eyed and raring to go! On tap for Saturday was some scenic hikeing, mountain biking the Flume Trail and kayaking at Sand Harbor. Since some of us arrived early for kayaking, we decided to get out on the water for a 3 hour tour south of Sand Harbor to the Thunderbird Lodge, previously owned by the eccentric George Whittell Jr., and beautifully located on the shore. Thanks to some local knowledge from Bob Sulz, we enjoyed the history of the house as well as some kayaking tips while paddling. From a kayak, the water is so clear and clean that one can see the rocks on the bottom. The water has many different colors of blues and greens that one only finds in the islands. Knowing this is in our backyard really makes one appreciate it all the more! Once back at "camp" we were greeted with the rest of the hikers who were happy to take over our kayaks and cool off in the lake. The afternoon was spent talking, swimming, kayaking and picnicking on Sand Harbor. We actually learned a new nautical term "butt to beam" ratio when Mark Nave decided to try one of the more popular kayaks and promptly spilled out into the lake! Our only real problem was being able to find the Tecates in the ice chest! Apparently this is an acquired skill that only few mastered. Meanwhile Nancy Cole, Greg Smith and Ed Martin took the 9:30am Mount Rose shuttle from Spooner Lake and rode the 20 mile Tahoe Rim Trail / Flume Trail combination. This is well known to be one of the premier routes in the country with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. It's a little challenging but not really technical, well within the range of those with some mountain biking experience. We lunched overlooking Sand Harbor, way too far above to recognize our friends, maybe we'll add a para-glider next year. After picking up our cars at Spooner Lake we arrived at Sand in time for an hour's kayaking but whether in time for beer is still in dispute. After a full day enjoying the sand, water, hiking and biking everyone was anxious to get back to the Lodge for the Margarita Making contest. Hands down winner was Dee Stoddard and her watermelon Margaritas! They were the hit of the evening! We started out with pre-mixed frozen margaritas in a tub then moved on to the blender drinks. Every blender in the house was well used. Mike Martin and Dee Stoddard. decided they were having "dueling Margaritas" with Dee making her watermelon treat and Mike opting for the more traditional version. However, everyone agreed that Mike had the best flair as the server. Once happy hour was well underway Mark, Ray, and Steve organized the piñata bashing event! Only the pictures can describe it. So, how many engineers DOES it take to string a pinata? Grand prize went to Scott’s daughter Olivia for providing the first AND final blow. A HUGE thanks goes out to Cindy Rizzo and Mike Genero for acting as Chief Chefs and getting all the cooks organized for the fajita dinner! The troops pulled together chili con queso, grilled fajita steak and chicken with ALL the trimmings, rice, beans, homemade guacamole made with fresh tomatoes from Cindy’s garden. I assure you NO ONE went away hungry! Dessert was vanilla ice cream and Kahlua or chocolate topping. Again MANY thanks to the hard work of the cooks and clean-up crew for the evening! Sunday found us rising to the smell of eggs, sausage, and pancakes courtesy of Mike Martin and Mark Nave - fondly called the "breakfast Nazis". Just try and tell them what to do and see what happens! With poor weather looming, many opted to do their own thing. Many walked around the Kings Beach fair, others played tennis, while others hiked and enjoyed a wine tasting at Squaw. Just ask Dee A. and Sandy K. about the sales! Ed Martin led the men and Renee on an organized hike to Five Lakes. In fact the poor weather didn't materialize allowing everyone to enjoy their choice. Sunday was capped off with grilling hotdogs and hamburgers outside and discussing the events of the weekend. Everyone rose early on Monday in anticipation of the drive back. Five hardy hikers met to hike to Summit Lake and stayed long enough to stick their feet in the water. Again, MANY THANKS to the people who helped with the cooking, clean-up and participated in the festivities. It made this a VERY memorable weekend. |