My Summer Vacation OR ( Hell Week with Hallgren)

Shaver Lake California August 2000

Blast Off , Oh my god its Early on Saturday morning, and we head out Meet Bobbo and Diane at Gorman for some food and fuel. Take off up the grapevine. Some where outside of Clovis Iceman throws trailer tread at Sean and Debbie. He lost a rear trailer tire, a stop made and tire changed on the side of the freeway we're off again.

Stop in Kingman and get lunch and new tire for the trailer. This is getting to be an expensive trip, and the best is yet to come.....

Gas up at Sanger and head up the Kaiser pass, it takes all the engine can do to pull us all up the hill. We still think that Sean put on a tow strap to Iceman's trailer to pull him up the hill....Get in to Beautiful Downtown Shaver Lake around 3:30 pm.

Setting up camp was real fun, set in a valley we had to pull in all vehicles off the road. Bobbo pulled a real good one and knocked off the parking barricade into the campsite with the trailer, thanks to the excellent spotting done by Iceman.(see photo) Iceman scraped off a couple of inches of asphalt with the trailer pulling into his site which was near a turn in the road as well as the bottom of the hill. All set up dinner fed and campfire burned out and bed time. Midnight, Iceman had a rude awakening, a midnight arrival from across the road pulled in and clipped the trailer did some damage to the trailers light box, but the Goober got more and tore out the side wall of his passenger side front tire.... SO THERE>>> Guess who was NOT A HAPPY CAMPER....

Good morning and headed out to do Bald Mountain.... fantastic scenery and trails, Waterfalls and Moonies. Sean did a great job of driving on his own for the first time in the Suzy.

Swimming in Shaver Lake was a refreshing and cleansing experience for some folks, Debbie had to get the water everywhere we went. You'd think she was half duck. Sean even took his whole tire for a swim, we just don't take the inner tubes, we're Roughwheelers.

Brewer Lake run was a giggle with a couple of almost stucks by Sean, and Diane had to do the "Spa Treatment" at the lake with a unintentional mud bath, Bobbo and Debbie went swimming.

Dusy Ershim Trail was fun, Sean had to be pushed over a hole by his "little sister" he got himself left rear and right front off the ground and couldn't make traction. Sis helped him out.

Chicken Rock was not. However there were a few new bigger boulders in the middle of the "on ramp" not remembered by those who had been there before, however they are older now. "Shut Uuup!" was the phrase of the day, as we were all picking on the teenagers. Beautiful day for the sightseeing of the reservoir and mountains. Back braced and good to go Barbara made it through the day and Diane's "goodies" helped with her headache.

Iceman lead the important food runs into town the most auspicious occasion was the Dryer's Ice Cream Run. Iceman had a double scoop on a waffle cone downed before anyone else got out of the store to sit outside with him. Then he tried to beg off of Barbara and Bobbo.

Lunch in town at the Burger Hut cost Bobbo a Strawberry Shake being sampled by Iceman before he even knew that the thing was even missing, never seen an old man move so fast.... Love them strawberries.

Courtright Dam was a sight to see and enjoy got some picture perfect photos from there.

Thursday was a town site seeing vacation from vacation day. Tourist made their way into town and purchases made and the Women were kept happy.

Then Friday we go for SWAMP LAKE, OH MY GOD. Made Outer Limits look like a freeway. Barbara trussed up the chest with the back brace because it was so rough. Ice man was impressed with the technical difficulties of the trail and was glad he is deaf in the passenger side ear. There were a few anxious moments for Sean with out lockers and low gears. Rooster rock otherwise known as "HELL NO HILL" was the turn around point. Bobbo went up with a prayer and a giggle and then had to come back down as Sean's Samurai couldn't make it up. I think the trail out was rougher than the trail in.

Saturday we pack up and head for home, somewhere between Bakersfield and home Iceman lost tread on another General trailer tire. Expensive buying 5 new ones. Had a great trip and plan on it next year. The only thing that could have been better, NOTHING :)

Barbara