The road in (and the lake)

There is always a sense of excitement driving in to the resort for the first time in the spring. Like visiting an old friend or a childhood home there’s a sense of renewing memories. “Look, there’s Cressman’s, let’s stop for something tasty”, “Hmmmm, Shaver Lake is looking pretty good”, “Wow, this is where the deer hit me last summer”….  a steady stream of internal commentary all the way in. Traffic slowly drops off the higher you drive, and once you go through the locked gate, you’re the only vehicle on the road (sometimes… sometimes there’s the surprise of SCE or USFS road equipment).

Feeling pretty confident I WAS the only vehicle on the road since it was a Saturday, I had time to stop at some of the most beautiful vistas and take a few photos to share.

This spring we’re seeing a little more snow up high, which is good in so many ways, and makes for jaw-droppings panoramas. My favorite hairpin curves just also happen to have the best views, and it was relaxing to not have to peer ahead to make sure there wasn’t another vehicle coming up the road.

Its still a long drive in, and I was ready to reach the dam at Lake Thomas Edison. I took a short detour to the Vista Point to shoot a couple of photos of the lake, since we’re getting so many questions about the water level. Well, here it is.

Not a lot to start a summer with, but its what we’ve got. It’ll go down as SCE pulls for hydro and other water needs, but there is a biological minimum that has to be kept to maintain the health of the fishery and the creek below. We hit that minimum last year and the year before, so if you were up in August or September, you know what that minimum looks like.

The resort wintered well. No trees came crashing down on to structures (always a plus), and the lack of snow makes the process of opening so much more straightforward. The water’s on, the generators are fired up, and we’re busy prepping for early hikers and our open on May 19th.

Going In

You never know what you'll find during the first trip in, but you can usually count on some kind of road blockage. Trees come down in the snow, in the wind, when it's really wet. Rocks slide. Snow melts and then freezes into black ice.

We're starting the process of opening for the 2014 season and our first trip in was exhilarating. A small group of friends joined us for some wood-cutting, boulder-moving and water pipe repair.

Kaiser Pass Road is never boring, and winter never fails to leave us a few surprises. This largish rock was smack in the middle of what we call “the ladder”. It took some doing but it gave way to our collective energy and we were in.

Lots more photos to come. The lake is low, and will stay low this summer. Grass has been growing on the lakebed and it's taking on the look of a meadow. We wish it were covered with water, but we see the beauty in it anyway, and we're finding more ways to enjoy the extra space – however temporary. This year we have “The Boggy Creek Executive Nine” golf course, we're putting in a disc golf course, and we're going to encourage kite-flying.

You can drive out to the lake as long as you stay on the packed roads (off-road you run the risk of sinking your vehicle to the axles or worse, and it's a long way for AAA to come out), and the fishing is great. We encourage catch and release since the drought is stressing the fish along with everything else, but that doesn't mean you can't fry one up for breakfast.

Around the resort we'll have a slack line up this year, and our almost-famous horseshoe pit, plus we're encouraging visitors to bring their mountain bikes and hiking shoes – we've got some great trails around. High Sierra Pack Station is just a mile up the road offering hour and day rides, along with overnight trips.

It's sure to be another beautiful summer in the Sierra and we're excited to see old friends and make new. Stay tuned for more updates as we draw closer to May 19th, our opening date for this year.

 

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Technology and the VVR

 *Guest post by Dave Mau… be sure to check out Dave’s other writings at http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/, and http://www.dinnerwithdave.com

There’s a lot of history as you meander along Kaiser Pass road, if you know where to look for it. A not-so-hidden gem is the network of telegraph towers that relayed signals from Big Creek to Camp 64, near the inlet of Ward Tunnel at what was to later be Florence Lake. You can see them along the rockier parts of the road, especially the stretches between Tennessee and Blacksmiths points and the stretch between Ward Lake and Florence itself.

Communication in the backcountry has always been a sticky proposition and in earlier years the only way to communicate was with CBs or Forest Service radios. The technology in our lives changes at a lightning fast pace and the same is true at VVR. Although, up here, the pace of change is more like a glacier and just at relentless.

My first season (18 years ago now!) working the VVR kitchen under the Wiggs was interesting, to say the least. Back then we got a few minutes of KMJ news radio out of Fresno when the ionosphere was cooperating and we could get what is called a “skywave” signal bounced to our radio. It usually crapped out by the time the restaurant opened so the fresh off the trail hikers couldn’t get any firsthand updates. We’d do a town run once or twice a week and we’d always grab a Fresno Bee or, if an incoming guest remembered, they would as well. Believe me, we swooped on that newspaper like a pack of hungry jackals.

The first cell phones of any use back here were those clunky bag phones that looked more akin to a Korean War era walkie-talkie than anything else. Stony O’Neill had a VVR-issued phone he called “The Brick” since it felt as heavy as one in his shirt pocket. We had a weak signal at best; having to call the answering machine at the Wiggs’ ranch to take reservations and call in credit cards hoping the transactions went through. Prior to Butch and Peggy, the only phone was located in an SCE lockbox at the dam, definitely for emergencies only. The second year they had the resort, Butch started hammering the phone company for better service. That was when he put the first cell antenna high atop a tree near the main building to bounce a signal off the dam. Steve Sturgis, one of our outside guys and one crazy SOB, free-climbed that tree to install it and he was up and down a few times that first year adjusting it. You don’t wanna know where Butch got the roll of very expensive coaxial cable to run up that tree.

Our spot to get a clear signal and call out from VVR is located on the vista point at the east end the Edison Lake dam. Aptly called God’s Phone Booth, you get a solid signal and a spectacular view of Silver Divide, Vermilion Cliffs and the whole drainage of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. Truly a spot from which God himself would make a phone call. The punch line about the repeater on White Bark vista is I get five bars on my phone while hiking and/or fishing the far reaches of upper Mono Creek but can’t use my iPhone in my bedroom at home in Orange County.

Butch’s Mom, Betty, wanted to watch her afternoon soap operas in her Airstream (at that time parked directly behind the store). Since I had some experience with video, Butch enlisted me to put in the first satellite dish. Up the hill came a giant box filled with all the necessary parts and I was off kitchen duty and on cable install for two days. (You can still see the original mounting block on a tree by the front corner of the patio). That changed everything at VVR considerably – we now had live news, movies and, most importantly, Monday Night Football on the patio! Later, under Jim’s ownership, we got real satellite internet access and now we no longer use cell service for our phones at the resort.

I was actually on the ferry when the very first email was ever sent from a phone at VVR. There was a hiker, who’s name I can’t remember, who came through with what was basically the first smart phone ever and Butch took him out on the lake so he could get a solid signal. But a real watershed moment was last summer when I was able to FaceTime wifey from my cabin via VVR wifi.

Time and technology march on, even here at our humble mountain home, which can be both good ad bad. But at VVR you can always turn off your phone, power down your laptop or just pretend there were “technical difficulties” if you wanna take a zero-technology day off.

*Note from the VVR: While we acknowledge the improvements in communication we still caution our guests to be careful about bandwidth… we pay by the gigabyte and it ain’t cheap!

The Perfect Storm

Occasionally the planets line up and all the forces come together to form the perfect situation. One never know when it might happen so it is best to just dive in hoping that it will end up such an event. It happened for us this month as we prepared to open the resort and decided to do a little bit of long-overdue upgrading to the store and restaurant.  We weren’t sure how much we’d be able to accomplish before opening and the list was long, but we had the advantage of good weather, an early road open, and our long-time crew of dedicated and experienced resort-openers.

Then came the perfect storm part. Out of an almost completely new crew arrived Bill, Ron, Kevin, and  Anthony; and we were graced with the return of Melissa and Jason. Bill immediately became the “fix anything and everything” man and with his energy and expertise we knew we could move mountains in a short amount of time.

Dave arrived with Carl and Craig, and things started to happen all at the same time. Simultaneously walls were being rearranged, ancient linoleum was being removed, furnishings and equipment shifted around, regular opening chores like setting up tent cabins, putting up the overhangs and patio canvas cover were being magically completed, RVs were being hauled in, leveled and readied, the store was being stocked…

It was amazing. Through it all, Ron and Jason kept cooking and serving up the best possible food for a storm such as this, and never once complained about the dust and the commotion. At one time, all the dishes, pots and pans were stacked around in clean garbage bags and we’d have to go rooting around to find plates or a colander. But it really didn’t take long at all for order to begin to emerge from the chaos.

There are so many people I don’t have photos of who came to help over the first few weeks of opening 2013. Don the Plumber was crucial in getting the fixtures into the new bathhouse, and Mark the Electrician wired and installed all the lights and other electrical. Lester oversaw all the finish work and came up with creative solutions for many of the details of the shower areas – such as horseshoe hooks instead of towel racks. Gary was critical on the outside getting everything to happen even as people were sucked into the vortex of the store/restaurant – he did it all with a small but energetic crew. Dave W. was everywhere at once helping, snapping photos, providing an extra set of hands when needed, floating and showing up just when you needed someone’s help the most.

Thanks to the completion of the bathhouse, we were able to lose the store bathroom, which may not seem like a big deal unless you’ve worked in the store. If you have, you are applauding this now.  Gone is the cheesy paneling – never to show its ugly face again.

Now we have an alcove with extra space for merchandise – and its a good thing too, as we are expanding the store offerings this year. We’ll still carry all the backpacking and hiking / camping basics we’re known for, but we’ve slowly been expanding our soft goods and this year expect to see more clothing, more options for kids, more VVR-branded goods. We’re seeking out small vendors, like Dirty Girl Gaitors and Kara’s Earth balms & ointments. We’re carrying stickers from Alpine Signs in Bishop. Expect to see some awesome hats by XOB. And more.

We have a new logo this year that is gracing our ball caps and t-shirts. We’ll offer more hiker / camper friendly clothing, and carry lightweight camp shoes and flip flops. Our beer selection continues to amaze our visitors and we are happy to report that our distributor has expanded the microbrew offerings we can choose from. You won’t be disappointed! Vickie is making sure that the wine stays stocked so that Jim does not have to resort to selling her personal stash any more – and we have some good local wines we’ll try to keep on the shelves.

Along with the iconic VVR pies, we’re looking to bake more “grab and go” goods, such as the Magpie apricot oat bars (world-famous in Sierra Valley!), scones, rice krispy treats, cookies, and other tasty treats. Carol is being kept pretty busy by the grandchildren, but we hope she’ll be up to bake zwieback, her incredible staff birthday cakes, cinnamon rolls, and amazing cookies.

Another welcome sight is the linoleum-free floor in the restaurant. Tile is being set as I write and it will transform the look of the dining area to say nothing of making it easier to keep clean. We’ve been replacing all the carpet in the motel rooms with tile over the years and everyone from staff to guests gives tile a big thumbs up. Its durable, it looks good, it is easy to clean and it winters well. Another future plan is to install reproduction tin ceiling tiles in the restaurant.  We’re planning on making that a fall project, so look for it next summer.

Hats off to Dave and Carl, who did by far the majority of linoleum removal. It was no easy task. Even though they had use of a pneumatic tool that sort of wedged itself under the tiles, there were high traffic areas that resisted even that and the tile broke off in tiny chips. They were determined, and persistent, and won out in the end.

Most of the lumber used for this project was milled last summer by a small crew with a portable mill. We purchased some down trees from the USFS and over several weekends they were transformed into 2x4s and 4x4s. I photographed the milling and posted many of the pictures on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vvr.edisonlake) and will try to do a blog post on it later this year. We may repeat the process if there are more trees available for purchase as it feels right to use local wood on this backcountry project.

I should mention, for those who may not know, that all this was done with power we generate ourselves with diesel generators as we are completely off the grid and 27 miles up a one-lane, winding mountain road. It is a good long drive to the nearest hardware store so this crew is good at making do with what we have.

Under the paneling on one of the walls we found some vintage wall-covering – I guess you call it linoleum as well – with 60’s stars, sparkles and colors. I kept a piece and want to frame it and hang it as a piece of the past.

Everything was insulated and dry-walled, which is going to reduce the noise clutter from room to room, and we choose some subtle paint colors to introduce into the store, a very pale sage green and a muted blue. We love the look of the wood siding we’ve added over the years, and the big beams that run through the store and restaurant, but wanted to add clean color to the mix.

I’ve been working with mountain home designers all winter and have some great ideas and input for adding “curb appeal” to the resort this year. There’s nothing like starting with an almost clean slate, too, and you’ll find that the store has a different layout this summer. Melissa has been a great source of ideas and action, and one of her many goals is to organize Jim’s command center. I wish her the best of luck, as I try all winter to keep his desk contained in one area but he is a “spreader” and likes to work with everything where he can see it.

This alcove added seating for 4-6 in our restaurant, and provides a space for larger groups and families to sit together. We removed what used to pass for a bus station in that area and now it is all dining space. In the opposite corner, under the TV, is now a beverage cooler so that our wait staff doesn’t have to run to the back of the store to fetch customer sodas and beer.

That little window on the upper right is over the new bus station, located now around the corner in the kitchen. It adds light as well as a way our wait staff can keep an eye on unruly customers (or people who just want more coffee) as they work back there. We scored last summer on some restaurant furnishings our scout, Carol, found at a Fresno thrift store. Carol and Vickie loaded up a flatbed trailer with nearly new chairs, tables, and two beautiful granite-topped cabinets. One of those has become the bus station and the other will either house the coffee station, or another, smaller utility area in the restaurant.

Old wood shelving was torn down and has been replaced with commercial steel shelving and racks. Our kitchen staff put their heads together to work out a more efficient kitchen and cleaned out a lot of old, unused stuff that was just taking up valuable space. It will take awhile to get everything back into its home and for it to be rearranged until it truly works, but again, starting from a clean slate is so much easier that simply rearranging old stuff.

Like many older resorts, we’re dealing with the hand we’ve been dealt in terms of the square footage and the basic layout of the buildings. Our kitchen is long and narrow and the only way to expand it is at the expense of something else in the building. Jim’s office is now a closet, but that’s okay as he’s rarely in there – he’s just taken over part of the front desk. We’re happy that computers have gotten smaller and we can almost do away with our big desktop monitor, tower, and desk and instead, perch anywhere with our laptops.

Everything has a fresh coat of paint on it and we’re off to a clean, fresh start to the season. We can hardly wait to see your response to the new and improved VVR dining experience. There’s more to come – the photographer had to go down the hill for awhile but I promise more pictures of the (nearly) completed improvements. Or, better yet, get yourselves up there for a first-hand look!

Guest Post: Hard or soft, it is time for another VVR opening expedition.

by Dave Mau

I’m sentimental to a fault and it doesn’t stop when I start up the four lane to Vermilion either. It might, actually, get considerably worse.

Our opening isn’t quite what it used to be. Years ago we would have what could be called a “hard opening”, meaning we were basically right behind the SCE snowplows and had a few short days to get the place ready before the gate was unlocked and the masses released into our big, beautiful, backcountry home. Back then, most large projects were usually reserved for autumn when the road was still open and the hiker traffic slowed down. With the advent of access via quad for late spring fishing and exploration, we have more of a “soft opening”, nonetheless daunting but not quite as compressed and frantic. Okay, I take that back, it’s still pretty gnarly. Nowadays though we usually have a few bodies back there early to start to turn on the water, propane, pull a few shutters and otherwise get the place ready for the season. If we have the time and resources we might even try and get some repairs and improvements done. Properly planning the fall closing can make or break an opening as well; it’s much easier to get the extras done if everything is already in place from the previous season. There’s no Home Depot at 7700 feet and we have to rely on whatever comes up that goat path called Kaiser Pass Road.

I love the opening in all its forms and I’ve seen some rough ones. Like the time a bear and three of her cubs decided to winter in the main building, feasting on cases of mayonnaise that were improperly secured. Now that was a mess for the ages. I wasn’t there for it but I remember when the opening crew had a substantial flash fire from a broken propane line that almost took the whole place out. Opening can be treacherous and don’t forget we’re two and a half hours from Fresno even when the road is open. During late spring with a closed road you are on your own.

Where my sentimental nature meets the nuts and bolts of the opening is where my favorite traditions reside. And here they are.

I’m not terribly religious but I do believe in God and describe myself as a “half-assed Catholic/aspiring Lutheran”. Every year for opening I bring my Grandmother Lola’s Bible (dated 1916) with me. When we get to Kaiser Meadow, either a snowy paradise or epic bog during late spring, I always walk out a bit with Grandma’s Bible and say a little prayer. I give the Big Guy upstairs a heartfelt thank you for allowing me to experience the “new morning of God’s creation” one more year, enjoy the kind company of my mountain family, make some new friends and have a bit of peace and quiet even for the shortest of times. Silly? Perhaps, but it makes me feel damn good nonetheless.

I love collecting books about the Central Sierra and have some real gems, including a first edition of “The Story of Big Creek” signed by the author, David Redinger. (I’m also a huge narrow gauge railroad nerd but I’ll save that for another time). He was chief engineer for the whole Big Creek project, which created the chain of lakes that allow us to have our little slice of paradise. In it (and all subsequent editions) is a photograph of Mr. Redinger standing on the top of Kaiser Pass for the Edison Company’s own version of opening season in 1940. He is standing in the road, arm extended to show how high the snow was. I do the same thing every spring. There is more snow some years than others and I generally look like a one-armed referee standing there, but I do it anyway.

My Father, Robin Mau, has been gone ten years now, passing away all-too-young at the age of 64 (note: don’t smoke cigarettes). He was the one who put the mountain bug in me, from my very first camping trip to Yosemite Valley as an infant to subsequent trips to Florence and Ward Lakes. He loved Ward in particular, the late afternoon thunderstorms booming off the polished granite above it being a particular highlight for him. We scattered his ashes nearby. My brother Chris’ went there as well, six years later. I still have a shirt of my dad’s, a boxcar red button down that somehow fits me. Every year that is the shirt I wear for that first run over Kaiser. More of a gesture than a thank you, it embodies gratitude to my old man nonetheless.

Opening season up here is a very special time for many reasons and right now I’m chomping at the bit waiting to get in. Packed and ready, various gear in hand and counting the seconds. When that starting gun goes off signaling time to go up, you gotta know I’ll be out the door in a flash. And I’ll see everyone at that gate to paradise for a cold beer.

Dave Mau is an Orange County-based chef, photographer and food writer who has helped man the kitchen at Vermilion for 18 years. A great supporter of he VVR mission he recently came on board to contribute to the Vermilion blog, sharing personal stories, tall tales and high country memories of the people and places of the Edison Lake area.

How to open a backcountry resort (part 1)

Jim is gearing up for opening – accumulating supplies, ordering stock, packing his gear. Opening up the resort varies from year to year, snowfall to snowfall, project to project. This year we have our priorities – finishing the bathhouse, planning for hiker shuttles if the lake is low – but we always have certain chores. I revisited last year’s photo album and think that it’ll be a similar process this year.

Opening of 2010 was quite a different story – we had an big snowfall year and an entire crew went in to dig out the store, motel rooms, and yurt. Working in those conditions is a challenge because there’s no water except snowmelt until the crew can get to the lines, valves and tank. Roy, Jamie, and John were a big part of getting the resort dug out, keeping the fires burning and the food coming, and making it happen for 2010.  2011 was even more of a challenge as it kept snowing through the spring and it was only because the dam at Edison Lake needed some attention that Kaiser Pass Road opened as early as it did. Again the VVR crew rallied to wrestle the forces of nature in time to get the resort open by Memorial Day.

Well, we won’t see that this year. Instead of digging into buildings we’ll be able to focus on projects, improvements, and pretty things. Rooms will get a fresh coat of paint, the store may get a remodel, and perhaps I’ll get my boat planter completed before opening.

*Something along these lines anyway* as this is someone else’s work of art and I have a fishing boat to work with, not a canoe, but I use this photo as a source of inspiration. We’ll have to do native plants so my choices will be penstemon, columbine, and manzanita instead of lettuce and other veggies.

Last year we experienced the big Sierra ‘blow-down’, with hundreds to thousands of trees uprooted. Jim and I took our first hike in mid-May last year and had to clamber over more than a few large trees that blocked the Mono Creek trail early season, and more than one hiker told us tales of the trees down on the PCT and JMT. Trail crews had their hands full and the Backcountry Horsemen groups did an incredible job early in the summer getting the trees off the trails.

It is always wonderful to be out in the Sierra when the melt is happening and creeks are rushing. Mono Creek carries water from the high Sierra into Edison Lake and is beautiful any time of the year but especially in late spring and early summer when the water is high and fast.

We try to make a point of getting out before the resort opens and after it closes as it can be very difficult to walk away during the season. Only important events like grandbabies and other milestone family events pull us away when we’re open. And even when I do drag Jim out for a hike or a ride he’s got his phone glued to his hip and is often in this pose:

What can you do?

All signs point to early hikes this year. My advice is to get into the Sierra early and often. You’ll see wildlife you don’t see later in the season, have the mountains nearly all to yourself, and extend a season that is often fleeting. We can’t believe how quickly it goes by once it is here.

This summer promises to be a long one with an early start and we’re working on bringing in music on mid-summer weekends, setting up a volleyball court out on the lakebed sand, and perhaps even hosting open-mic and game nights. Bingo in the backcountry, anyone?