Day 9 - Lake Tahoe to Lassen Volcanic National Park

For Sunday, September 11

With the balloon event and camel races behind me, I woke up to a day with a very flexible schedule. I planned to be back in Reno on Thursday. But until then I could head any direction.

The morning was relaxing. I explored east of Dayton, Nevada a few miles on highway 50. I saw a motorcycle group ride for September 11^th.

Heading back west, I went along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, in Nevada. There was a big bike ride that day. It was a scenic route. But the mountainous roads are challenging when you are pedaling. There were many weary cyclists. On the northern end of the lake, I stopped at the state park to get better views of the lake. There was rain and storms on the west side of the lake. So my photos did not match some of the more typical Lake Tahoe shots. It was refreshing to take a very short swim in the clear water. I might have stayed a little longer. But there was a good chance of lightning striking the lake somewhere.

Leaving Lake Tahoe, I drove through a real nice downpour. The sign for the first road heading north said curves next 12 miles. Call me a party pooper if you wish. But I skipped that one and took the next one. That had a few more straight stretches. I wound back east to Reno and went by the airport I would visit later. On the way to Susanville on 395, I saw a shoe tree. There are others around. But I think this was the first one I had seen. My employer’s president is named Susan. And associating Susanville with work was about the most I thought about my job back home. I am on vacation.

Shoe tree north of Reno, Nevada

It was getting dark as I headed over to Lassen Volcanic National Park, north of Redding, California. I stopped briefly for some sunset pictures.

Northern California sunset

I arrived at the park in the dark, hoping they still had camping spots. There was one right in front near the parking lot. Favor! But I do admit it wasn’t exactly a flat spot. Using blankets or towels, it is pretty easy to prop up one side or end of a sleeping pad to make it fairly level. I slept all right. I had no need for the bear-proof containers. But it was a good reminder that I was out of the flat desert and back in bear country again.

Camp site (photos taken the next morning)

This is one type of bear-resistant storage container. The garbage cans here and at Lake Tahoe have levers that cannot be opened with bear paws.

Day 8 - Virginia City, Nevada

Continuing the morning...

After the balloons were mostly done in Reno, I headed over to Virginia City. The town has retained much of its Old West flavor.

I guess some people died shortly after large gambling losses.

Perhaps I can afford this one.

For me, it is fun to find splashes of color and growth in a dry, difficult environment.

A good deal?

I'm not sure which is more interesting: The old truck, the man, the skeleton in the window with its legs crossed, or the miscellaneous "stay away" messages.

I took a little train ride on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad to learn some history and see past and present gold mines.

Yes, there still is some gold, and other minerals, in them hills

Old gold mine

Strolling down the street as we returned

At noon, they had a short parade through town. I am not sure if they do that every day, every weekend, or just that one weekend. The parade included camels promoting the upcoming camel races.

Are they dressed up for a parade? Or is this business casual for their legal Nevada business?

I had read about their camel races. And those sounded interesting. I was hoping it was a distance race through the desert area there. I was a little disappointed that it was a company from Kansas that had brought in animals and the racing setup. But it was still fun to watch. It was my first time to see something like that in person.

Riding an ostrich can be quite difficult.

Zebras too!

Virginia City Camel Races 2011 - Surprise Ending 1

Virginia City Camel Races 2011 - Surprise Ending 2

Despite nearly zero sleep the night before, I felt pretty good. I spent the evening over at Dayton State Park and had a nice relaxing evening. After lots of rushing the past week, I was ready to just sit for a few hours - and backup over 1,000 photos.

This is dry land.

After seeing a little lizard, I was more diligent than normal to keep the tent zipped up.

Day 8 - The Great Reno Balloon Race

For Saturday, September 10

Saturday morning in Reno came early with only an hour or so of rest. I found my way in the general direction of The Great Reno Balloon Race. Sleeping in until 5:00 a.m. and trying to find a parking spot among the crowds, I missed some of the before dawn activities. But after sunrise over the mountains, I was able to see several balloons take off.

I had a nice visit with a guy who had recently moved to the area and was hoping for some nice photos, like the rest of us. If I remember right, he had come from the L.A. area. He worked on computer graphics. So now part of his work was for graphics in various slot machines and other gaming equipment.

Opening fly-over

The elaborately shaped balloons are fun. But, from what I have seen in a few places, many of them have a difficult time getting up in the air and flying well. Or perhaps their owners and pilots take fewer risks. So they stay near the launch ground.

And that was my early morning...