Description of the 1968 Mountain Loop
by David Steffen
1968 was the third year that the Modesto Roadmen rode a Mountain Loop. Thanks to Tom Woods, we have been able to identify everyone on this ride. From the club "Mach Schnell" was Mike Haack. From the Modesto Roadmen was Stacy Dull, Tom Woods, John Campopiano, Roger Farshon, Fred Brockman, David Steffen, Curt Thiemann, Jeff Cowdrey, and Ames Hanshaw. This ride went east over Tioga Pass, took 395 north, turned off to go to Lake Tahoe via Kingsbury Grade road and then headed back west. At that point, the group split with David, Stacy, and Ames taking highway 50 to cross the Sierras at Echo Summit and the bulk of the group Taking Highway 50 to Highway 89, crossing Luthor Pass, picking up Highway 88, crossing Carson Pass.
Pictures
In all cases, people are identified from left to right.
John, Mike, Jeff, Roger, Mike, Ames, and probably Stacy, pausing to enjoy a lookout by the side of the road.
Curt, John, Stacy, Roger, Ames, Jeff, and Tom outside a small store. We would often stop at these to pick up snacks and drinks.
A camp site.
A challenging road sign with bikes. The person leaning in from the right is Jeff.
Tom, John, Mike, and Ames at a camp site. This is probably first thing in the morning with everyone just getting up.
Mike, coming up a hill.
Stacy and Mike, being snarky with a sign. Taken at Crane Flat.
David's bicycle. Unclear why it deserves a spot on this page.
David, Ames, and Curt. For some reason, we found the "Glacial Moraine" sign highly amusing.
David, decorating one of the ever popular Mountain Pass signs.
Another mountain pass sign, with bike.
Stacy and Curt decided to strip to their undies and take a dip in a handy stream. I can't remember how many of us decided to join them, I seem to recall I declined. Tom thinks this is the Walker River.
Another campsite photo. I can't identify anyone in it. Picture taken in Walker, CA.
Tom (blocking a thereby unidentifiable person), Curt, Mike Stacy, and Jeff playing some sort of ironic game in the road.
Stacy, Tom, Mike, and John playing cards during a rest stop. Compared to 1966, I think there was a determination that this should be a fun trip with any kind of competition minimized, and a snarky tone missing from the earlier loop.
Stacy, Roger, Fred, John, Jeff, and Mike, taking a rest stop and setting up a photo op with a road sign containing an amusing challenge. Tom says that he has a memory that he is the barely-visible rider far down the road.
As in 1966, people would ride close behind a truck to go faster. In this case, Fred may have held onto the truck to get a ride up hill. Don't try this at home, kids.
Roger posing with one of the less interesting signs along the way. That said, this sign did help me reconstruct the route taken on this loop.
Curt, Ames, and Tom at a rest we took in a picnic spot at Tahoe State Park.
A view of Lake Tahoe in the distance.
Another mountain pass sign, with bikes.
All great rides must come to an end. Super Stacy is creating an ironic pose with Ames.