I've likely mentioned before in our conversations that I grew up on ranch up above Fiddletown. In the video at the 1:06 mark is Cap's Garage. We used to take our vehicles there for service. Had to drive our surplus jeep over the back roads because it wasn't licensed.
At that time, Cap's was owned/operated by Chester Viara who lived his entire life (1927--2000) in Amador County. He was a gregarious personality and knew everybody. He and a buddy used to come to our ranch to hunt quail, and I would go out with them. Another time they took me along on a day fishing trip. First day of the season, we drove up Hwy 88 to Peddler Hill and parked because that is how far they cleared the snow on the road. From there, Chester fired up the county owned surplus Weasel, and we drove over the snow to the dam at Silver Lake to fish. It was a gorgeous, clear, shirt sleeve day. Chester caught the only fish.
To ourselves indeed. Funny you should mention. With apologies to Paul Harvey, and the kind indulgence of our host, the rest of the story.
So just past noon or so, a guy hails us from the resort area over beyond the north end of the dam. He comes truckin' over on his cross-country skis. And yeah, Chester knows him too. Turns out he is the PG&E winter lineman. He and his family literally get snow bound in the winter (Don't recall just where now). PG&E would get them all stocked up and prepped for the winter. His job was to go out cross country on his skis to inspect/repair his section of the power transmission lines.
He had come over to the resort as a favor to check on the roof snow load. As I recall, it was about 8 feet deep, and all the roofs were flat. The laundromat roof had already caved in. He, Chester, and Chester's buddy spent a few hours with one of those long, two-man lumberjack crosscut saws cutting auto size blocks of snow and pushing them off of roofs.
As for the fishing, I think we were just too early. The entire lake was still frozen over, with just a small area of clear water behind the dam.
Sounds like the PG&E man had the perfect job. A friend's in-laws had a job like that, as winter caretaker and watchman at the Bowman Lake dam in the winter. It was a 5 mile snowmobile trip when snow wasn't heavy and a 10 mile trip to the state highway when it was heavy. The perfect job for a hermit.
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Kinda long, but it sure is interesting. And fun.
ReplyDeleteWow, talk about memories. Thanks, Elmo.
DeleteI've likely mentioned before in our conversations that I grew up on ranch up above Fiddletown. In the video at the 1:06 mark is Cap's Garage. We used to take our vehicles there for service. Had to drive our surplus jeep over the back roads because it wasn't licensed.
At that time, Cap's was owned/operated by Chester Viara who lived his entire life (1927--2000) in Amador County. He was a gregarious personality and knew everybody. He and a buddy used to come to our ranch to hunt quail, and I would go out with them. Another time they took me along on a day fishing trip. First day of the season, we drove up Hwy 88 to Peddler Hill and parked because that is how far they cleared the snow on the road. From there, Chester fired up the county owned surplus Weasel, and we drove over the snow to the dam at Silver Lake to fish. It was a gorgeous, clear, shirt sleeve day. Chester caught the only fish.
CooI. I noticed Cap's Garage the first time I watched the video.
DeleteWhat a great trip in the snow to Silver Lake, one of the prettiest places on Earth. And you probably almost had the lake to yourselves.
To ourselves indeed. Funny you should mention. With apologies to Paul Harvey, and the kind indulgence of our host, the rest of the story.
DeleteSo just past noon or so, a guy hails us from the resort area over beyond the north end of the dam. He comes truckin' over on his cross-country skis. And yeah, Chester knows him too. Turns out he is the PG&E winter lineman. He and his family literally get snow bound in the winter (Don't recall just where now). PG&E would get them all stocked up and prepped for the winter. His job was to go out cross country on his skis to inspect/repair his section of the power transmission lines.
He had come over to the resort as a favor to check on the roof snow load. As I recall, it was about 8 feet deep, and all the roofs were flat. The laundromat roof had already caved in. He, Chester, and Chester's buddy spent a few hours with one of those long, two-man lumberjack crosscut saws cutting auto size blocks of snow and pushing them off of roofs.
As for the fishing, I think we were just too early. The entire lake was still frozen over, with just a small area of clear water behind the dam.
Sounds like the PG&E man had the perfect job. A friend's in-laws had a job like that, as winter caretaker and watchman at the Bowman Lake dam in the winter. It was a 5 mile snowmobile trip when snow wasn't heavy and a 10 mile trip to the state highway when it was heavy. The perfect job for a hermit.
DeletePattern making and casting is an art. That's a skill I wish I'd had.
ReplyDelete