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July 23, 2008 Town of Johnsville reopens historic church
Johnsville is the tiny community at the base of Eureka Peak, about 15 minutes west of Graeagle. The town is full of quaint old buildings that are remnants of its gold mining past. One of these was the church, which was ready to fall apart when residents began an effort to save and restore it.
It took a little longer than expected, but the 1890s building finally welcomed visitors again last Sunday, in conjunction with Gold Discovery Days at nearby Plumas-Eureka State Park You won't find church services at the church, but it's open as a museum (not yet sure of the hours) and can be used for small weddings or gatherings (maximum occupancy 49.) Congrats to the folks in Johnsville for all those years of hard work and dedication!
7/15/2008 Come on up - the air is looking better - so many things to do! Smoke conditions can change dependent upon the wind. All roads are open! What's happening this weekend?
Art Around the Lake, Lake Almanor, July 18 (Reception) and July 19 (Artists in Action). Enjoy great art and the beauty of Lake Almanor. Photo on the right. The famous Graeagle Art and Crafts Fair on July 19 and 20 is a good place to buy your early Christmas presents from fine artisans. And there's more: The annual Greenville Gold Diggers Day is also July 19 and 20. Join with the locals for some fun events, like the Horseshoe Tournament. Many music opportunities this
weekend: In Quincy there's the
Gold Run Motorcycle Rally which includes Music on
the Green (July 19) at the Fairgrounds.
Several bands are playing for many hours. Portola
City Lights Concert Series is featuring 5 Alarm Band
(Rock n Roll and Blues) on July 18 at the Portola City
Park - starting at And if that's not enough check out the events calendar. 7/11/2008 Fire updates: Call us for air quality reports as it changes day to day and region to region. 800-326-2247. The wildflowers are still blooming in the higher elevations Thanks to Carl Raymond for the great photos.
Bucks Lakes Area has some nice displays of flowers off of the Quincy-Oroville Highway near Grizzly Campground. There's probably some good patches of flowers on the Pacific Crest Trail but unfortunately it's closed presently because of fire risk.
July 9, 2008 Fourth of July Celebrations!
Graeagle parade, fireworks, and civil
war enactment
Ever tried to maneuver a greased watermelon? Greenhorn picnic
July 7, 2008 High Sierra Music Festival Comes to Quincy
Th Thanks to Bob Burney for the photos (top left and right) and Karen Kleven for the other two.
July 4, 2008 Happy Fourth of July! We're very happy because a lot of the smoke has cleared and the fires are gradually getting put out. No good updates on the Belden fire but a lot of the fire fighting resources are being re-directed to that area. High Sierra Music Festival is in full swing and fireworks are happening (on the water of course) in Lake Almanor tonight and Graeagle on Saturday night. Have a fun and safe Fourth of July.
If you thought this face mask was for the smoke last week you would be wrong. It was just a painter protecting himself. The Visitors Bureau is getting a new paint job so come by to take a look in a week or so.
July 2, 2008 Mom of firefighter sends a thank you Hello, July 2, 2008 Lets start with wildflowers and waterfalls and save fires for last
The Lakes Basin area near Graeagle is looking quite refreshing with waterfalls and wildflowers. Fern Falls (off the Grey Eagle/Long Lake trail) is the photo above. You can't see the whole cascading falls, but the top photo of the falls flows into the bottom refreshing pool. There are other great waterfalls in the area including: Jamison Falls (near Johnsville), Frazier Falls (up the Gold Lake Road), and Halsey Falls (near Grey Eagle Lodge on the Long Lake trail). Fern Falls is little tricky to find if you haven't been there because there doesn't appear to be a sign. You can hear the falls at the intersection of the Long Lake trail where it turns left to the Lake Basin Campground. Do a little scampering on the rocks and there it is. If you'd like to do some interesting climbing you can reach the pool at the bottom which is great for swimming. Now for the Plumas Fires Looks like our fires are a little
less severe than other parts of Northern California but
The Plumas National Forest Service report states that the smoke should clear creating mostly sunny skies today but as the weather becomes warmer and drier increased fire activity is expected. Presently the air in Quincy is somewhat like a smoggy city, but things look better in the Graeagle and Lake Almanor area (most of the time). It's hard to say anything about air quality because it rapidly changes depending on the wind. You can give us a call for the most up to date reports 530-283-6345. Some areas are closed due to fires including public land bounded by the North and middle Ford of the Feather River toward the Pacific Crest Trail, the Bucks Lake Wilderness and land surrounding the Cold Fire. Campgrounds currently closed due to wildfires include Milsap Bar, Little North Fork, Rogers Cow Camp, Feather Falls, and Harman Bar. Roads: Highway 70 (Feather River Canyon) is closed from Pulga to the Highway 89 junction as of this morning due to rock fall and fire activity. Highway 32 is closed from the Junction of SR 36 In Tehama County to Butte Meadows in Butte County due to wildfire. Highway 36W is currently closed 55 miles west of Red Bluff near Wildwood to the juntion of SR 3 and 36 due to numerous fires in the areas. But alas there are other ways to get to Plumas County. Check out the June 27 Buzz story. June 27, 2008 Fires and Flowers We'll start with the Canyon Complex (including Cold Fire). The most up-to-date information is found on the Plumas National Forest Service web site. But the quick glimpse is that the air is better especially in the north (Indian Valley, Chester Lake Almanor) and the east (Graeagle, Portola). Quincy is still hazy but quite a bit better than the last few days. There is a high alert for possible thunderstorms with lightning in the next few days but impossible to say the impact of those storms. The fire is not close to Quincy for those coming to the High Sierra Music Festival. Routes to Quincy: So far only Highway 70 (Feather River Canyon) is closed. From the south (Sacramento, SF Bay Area, etc) there are a few other routes. Recommended routes would be taking Interstate 80 towards Truckee, at Truckee take Highway 89 north toward Quincy, Sierraville, and Graeagle. From Graeagle take 89/70 towards Quincy. View map The other route would be the Quincy-Bucks Lake Highway that takes off from Oroville at Highway 162 (Oroville Dam Blvd). You'll go over Lake Oroville and continue on to Bucks Lake and then onto Quincy. (map) Sorry the map goes backwards from Quincy to Oroville. There are other routes from Marysville (Highway 20) to La Porte and how about the Gold Lake Road that connect highway 49 (Bassets) and highway 89 near Graeagle. These will increase your driving time and mileage but it could be an adventure. You'll have to check a map for details. More than fires, some great wildflowers
The Lakes Basin area near Graeagle should be bursting with with wildflowers. Try the Long Lake trail taking off from Grey Eagle Lodge. You'll also pass a few waterfalls. That trail was a recommendation from Tom DeMund, author of Feather River Country Adventure Trails, who just popped in before a book signing at Epilog Book store.
Joe Willis found a few summer flowers (Farewell to Spring-right, Leopard Lily-left) on the new Community Trail near Feather River College and some Columbine on Claremont near Quincy. You should also be able to find the Leopard Lily and Columbine in the Lakes Basin area.
June 26, 2008 Plumas Fires update 5 p.m. The fire folks have just
updated us here at the Visitors Bureau. With fires
happening all over Northern California, you may not know
we've had a few here in Plumas County. The main one,
called the "Cold" Fire, is roughly at 4,000 acres,
located in a very remote area of the Plumas National
Forest south of Quincy. For regular updates and maps check the Plumas Forest Service. June 25, 2008 "These are from our front door deck in Sloat at the time the Cold Fire on the Plumas National Forest broke out (June 22). It is about 4 miles from our log cabin. Tom has cut the firebreak in farther and we have sprinklers on the roof. Forest Service says they'll give us 12 hours to evacuate if it gets to their target points. Have heavy smoke, ash and cinders the size of quarters. Sure glad to see fire crews arriving!"
For up to date information go to the Plumas Forest Service site. Forest Service closure include land generally bounded by the North and Middle Forks of the Feather River toward the Pacific Crest, the Bucks Lake Wilderness and land surrounding the Cold Fire. Maps are available on the Forest Service website. Private businesses and resorts, including facilities around Bucks Lake, remain open along State and County highways and in communities. Highway 70 remains closed by Caltrans from Pulga to the Greenville Wye because of debris and rock slides but the Bucks Lake - Oroville Road is open. Hopefully we'll have some non-fire stuff soon to report including blue skies. June 24, 2008 Fire Update 12 p.m. New update by Forest Service for Canyon Complex and Cold Fire. 10 a.m. It's not real easy
getting information so we'll let you know what we know.
This is as accurate as we could find. We called the
Forest Service number at (530) 283-7884 to get some
updates. Canyon Complex Fire: There have been 46 fires (7 contained) within the area of the Feather River Canyon. We've had a few fire related personnel coming into the Visitors Bureau looking for places to stay. One was the aerial attack coordinator who flies around checking out spots to send the helicopters. He came from Southern California arriving on somewhat short notice. His first concern was a place to stay and then to figure out where he had actually landed. Where is Quincy? He was quite happy about the bikes now being offered to pilots at the airport so he could get to and from the airport. June 23, 2008 It's pretty smoky here! Lightning started several fires in the Plumas Forest last weekend. Check Plumas News or the Forest Service site for up-to-date information or give us a call at 800-326-2247. Check out this video of the Cold Fire four miles south of Highway 70 and the communities of Greenhorn and Spring Garden. We'll try to keep you posted. June 18, 2008 Golf Media Tour goes green The 10th annual Golf the High Sierra
Media Tour brought quite an impressive crowd of
about 20 golf media members to Graeagle and
Portola this month. The guests played rounds
at Whitehawk Ranch, Grizzly Ranch, Plumas Pines
and Nakoma, and were wined and dined at the Lodge at
Whitehawk Ranch. The evening took on an Irish theme with
musical entertainment by a fairly new Graeagle
band, The Whiskey Dents, who play "Irish drinking
songs."
One of the attendees was Joe Starkey of Bay Area's KNBR radio, who has long been the announcer for San Francisco 49ers games. Starkey (golfing at left and in green below) proved his famous voice can also belt out Irish ballads, as he upstaged the band with his version of "Danny Boy" and a few other tunes. That impromptu performance then led to a long-winded Irish joke told by tour organizer Phil Weidinger (in red).
June 13, 2008 Butte fire not impacting Plumas If you're wondering about fire danger, please note that travelers to Plumas County WILL NOT be impacted by the Humboldt Fire that is burning between Chico and Paradise. The location of this fire in neighboring Butte County is north and west of Quincy, and Highway 70 (through the Feather River Canyon) is OPEN and not impacted. Highway 32 from Chico is also open through to Hwy. 36 to access Lassen Park and Chester. There also is no visible smoke, and winds are predicted to die down today. June 12, 2008 "Sit out the rest of my life" in Plumas County Tony Mindling, a wonderful photographer,
reported, "I thought you would enjoy reading what
someone from the east coast thought about the
Plumas County scenes," (a photo essay of
northern Plumas County). June 11, 2008 Plumas County history comes to life for kids
Last week the Plumas County Museum held historic days for lots of fourth grade classes. The museum staff was exhausted by the end of the week but the kids had a great time making candles, cooking biscuits in a woodstove, washing clothes in a wash tub and panning for gold. They also had a school lesson in the old Pioneer School at the Fairgrounds. To get more in the spirit the kids, teachers, and museum staff wore pioneer outfits The gold panning was a special hit because it was "hard to get the gold in the pan". The kids also toured the 1878 Variel Home (next door to the museum) wondering if it was haunted and did some folk dancing on the lawn. How lucky we are to offer this experience to local kids. Travel writers passing through David and Kay Scott, travel writers for
the Globe Pequot Press (and are also freelance travel
writers) stopped in at the visitors bureau for some
travel advice and friendly conversation on their way up
to the Oregon coast. The Scott's have written several
travel books including The Hikers Little Book of Wisdom,
Guide to National Park Areas: Eastern States and the
Complete Guide to National Park Lodges just to name a
few. They have also written travel related stories for
the Miami Herald newspaper as well as other
publications. May 28, 2008 Indian Valley is a happening place!
Plumas County: It's a peaceful place Two visitors in the last month have described Plumas County in similar ways: A man from Tahoe area said, "It's
calm". Bodfish Bike Shop in Chester has the alternative to gas
Check out the photo in front of their shop. Bodfish has a bike for everyone. They also have some great trail maps and bikes to rent. Or just stop by to talk to Chuck "Bodfish" Elliot.
May 16, 2008 Lake Davis Restock: Big Media Day
May 9, 2008 Come to Plumas County for lilacs John from Napa called us yesterday to
see if the lilacs were in bloom. Not sure if we've
ever had that question before, but John figured his wife
would come on a fishing trip with him if he could
promise lilacs. He'd discovered that some of the
best places for lilacs were Quincy, Burney and
Chester (not sure where he got that information) but
we didn't disagree with him. Chester being a higher
elevation was out because the lilacs won't bloom there
for a few
weeks yet, but he thought Quincy might be perfect right
now. April 29, 2008 Dude that guy is crazy! (Video: Kayaking down Indian Falls )
Karen Kleven: I took the hike down to Indian Falls last weekend. While I was enjoying the falls I saw a guy carry his kayak over the rocks upstream from the falls. I kept thinking - is he going over those falls and can I can get it on video. So I pointed the camera. Look carefully and you can see the kayak going over the falls. He made it and liked it so much he went up an did it again. Recommended for experienced kayakers only. Bears and Big Fish!
"Arnie" the black bear (I realize he
looks brown if you can even see him) was sauntering
through a spring meadow on the east side of the county
last week. Jim Wilcox, the photographer, said that
because of the wind "Arnie" couldn't hear him or smell
him so he could get close. Bears can't see very
well. Jim even yelled at him so he would lift up
his head for the photo.
Becky was doing some fishing last weekend and look what she caught. Rumor has it that it's a mackinaw weighing about 8 pounds. Those fish might be pretty hungry after the winter at Bucks Lake. Too bad Arnie, the bear, wasn't over by Bucks Lake for a good high protein meal.
April 25, 2008
Our first video: Historic Longboard Races The Visitors Bureaus and Plumas Ski Club would like to thank Steve Liebenberg for all his efforts in putting this video together. We hope you enjoy it. Steve would be glad to help you or your business with a video or virtual tour.
April 25, 2008
Travelers from Nova Scotia visit Collins Pines Stephen and Irene Read from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia stopped in at the Visitors Bureau this morning. They have been traveling around the United States on their honeymoon, starting on the east coast and making their way back to Canada along the west coast, stopping in Quincy on the way. Stephen is a retired forester who owned his own sustainable forestry business in Nova Scotia and Irene is a teacher. The visitors bureau staff told them about the Collins Pine Company in Chester, and about the recent spot on NBC nightly news that did a story on Collins Pine and sustainable forestry. After a quick call to the Collins Pine company, Collins Pine staff kindly agreed to show the Reads around and give them a tour of the facility. April 23, 2008
Looks like spring will return for the opening day of stream fishing on Saturday. The high should be in the 60's and 70's but the low will be in the 30's so bring warm clothes. Might want to take in the Caribou
Crossroads Opening Day Party on Saturday, April 26 (
Hwy. 70 an hour north of Oroville, or about a half an
hour from Quincy). Win prizes for the biggest fish
and eat some yummy food. Call (530) 283-1384 for
the details. Lake Davis is thawing out.
Lots of fishing around the shores but there's
still some ice floating around. Lake Davis has
been rated as one the best fishing spots in northern
California. This aerial photo of the lake was taken last
weekend from a small local plane.
April 18, 2008 Our little town of Chester made
national news this week! On Tuesday, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams featured Collins Pine logging company of Chester for its environmentally-friendly logging practices. (Photo: Terry Collins, one of the owners of Collins Pines, stands in front of the Collins Pines Museum illustrating tree rings. )
Here's what Outdoors Editor Tom Stienstra wrote about Quincy, following his survey of outdoor writers: 5. Quincy, Plumas County: Quincy is located where the north Sierra gives way to the Cascade Range. That geologic matrix creates fantastic mountain beauty and dozens of gem-like sub-alpine lakes fed by pristine streams. To the north, Lake Almanor and its giant trout is a crown jewel, and to the south, the Sierra Buttes feature one of the best climbs to a lookout in California. In between is great hiking, fishing and boating, and a winter season with surprising snowfall that is off the radar of the mainstream April 11, 2008
Jessica is so proud of her new skirt The other day Jessica Albietz, a white water kayak enthusiast from Quincy, received a UPS package which she quickly tore open. She exclaimed, "My new skirt is so beautiful!" No it doesn't look like the newest fashion in women's attire, but it's pretty stylish on her kayak going down the North Fork Feather River. April 8, 2008 Spring has sprung but it's still winter up high A gentleman from San Francisco came up last weekend to check out the wildflowers on Table Mountain. After Table Mountain he drove up the Feather River Canyon staying overnight near Graeagle. Seeing the green grass around Graeagle he naturally thought that Frazier Falls in the Lakes Basin area would be open for business. He had read about it's splendor in Tom DeMund's book, The Feather River Country Adventure Hikes, so off he went up the Gold Lake Highway. Everything was fine until he turned off onto the Frazier Falls road and much to his surprise he found a large snow drift in front of him. Yes, in the higher elevations we still have lots of snow. We did direct him to some waterfalls down the Feather River Canyon which are snow free and flowing. The wonders of the high country - lakes, falls, flowers - will have to wait awhile. March 31,
2008
Karen Rodriguez spent some time at Table Mountain last week and kindly shared some photos (left and right).
Cora Dittrich, Director of the Sierra County Chamber, wanted us to know that the water is flowing in Sierra County between Bassets and Sierra City. Look at the great photo of Big Springs Waterfall cascading over the rocks (right).
The Feather River Canyon is alive with Redbud in the lower canyon and waterfalls are rushing off the canyon walls. Won't be too long until the whole canyon is in bloom. Thanks to Pete Dryer for the photo (left).
For more details and photos check out the "Bloom Blog". and self-guided wildflower/waterfall tours. March 31,
2008 March 24, 2008
March 18,
2008 Lucas MacMath from Santa Rosa: "We spent a long weekend in Plumas County trying to take in all the activities, but had to say no to the St. Patrick's Day dance in Portola because we were exhausted after having done so many other things by Saturday night. We did make it to Words and Music in Quincy, the Cowboy Poetry Show in Vinton and the Longboard Ski Races near Graeagle. There is so much do in Plumas County!" The Historic Longboard Revival Ski Race on Sunday brought more media attention. The Denver Post sent a reporter out to write about the races and the article went to press yesterday. Check it out and don't forget to look at the slide show. Isn't technology wonderful! And there's more: Steve Liebenberg, a videographer from Chico, took a lot of footage for the creation of a new video of the races. Ought to be some good shots of the skiers, musicians and people attending in period attire. When it's finished we'll put it up on our website for your viewing pleasure. Martha Flynn, a Quincy photographer, was able to capture some great photos of the Longboard Races below.
It was a fun
family event with something for all ages. Everyone young and
old had a wonderful time watching the races, sledding
and playing The great food
served at the event would not have happened without these fun-lov
And as for the actual racers, here is a photo of Phil Gallagher of Meadow Valley carrying those heavy wooden skis up the hill for the final race - which he won, making him the Men's Longboard World Champion for 2008. Alyson Young, a Quincy local, was the Women's Champion. Don't miss out on all the fun at next year's races which will be held on January 18, February 15 and March 15, 2009 (all dates are on a Sunday). Bring your family and friends to watch and have a great time or rent some longboard skis and participate in the race yourself! For more information contact the Plumas County Visitors Bureau at (800) 326-2287. March 13, 2008 Can you believe it? Two accordions at two different events for this weekend! Can it get any better than that? Even if you don't like accordions the events will be great fun from cowboy poetry to historic longboard ski racing.
The 15th
Annual World Championship Historic Longboard Revival Races,
March 6
Plumas County has more than great outdoor stuff like birding, wildflower viewing and hiking because Plumas Arts makes sure that we also have culture. Last night at the Quincy Town Hall Theater a wonderful concert took place with Alfredo Rolando Ortiz playing the South American harp - great music plus a personable performer. Using Yankee Doodle as a well-known song, he showed how the rhythm would be adapted in Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba. When he asked how many folks in the audience played the harp more than five people stood up. Not only did Ortiz perform for the adult audience last night but he spent the last three days giving performances and telling stories at the local schools . Actually many students brought their parents last night because they were so enthralled by Ortiz and his music. Because we have so much culture up here we needed to add an arts and culture page to our website. March 3 The birds
are coming back! What a splendid description of
spring. The Birders News is an up-to-date report of bird sightings throughout Plumas County brought to you by Plumas Audubon bird e-mail list. There were at least five new postings over the weekend. February 28
February
21 February 19 It’s that
time of year when winter and spring get a little blurred.
February 15 It's getting crowded around here!!!
February 12 The winter
events keep rolling along. It's amazing what a lot of
snow can do. February 8 How many poems are written about Plumas County? Well here is one. That’s
Plumas County by Margaret Garcia-Cough from Crescent
Mills February 5
Some of us may have dreams of summer. How about a nice warm day camping out in a tipi? Can you believe it - this tipi is open for summer reservations.
January 30, Wednesday
Another guy called for a visitors guide in order to get some information about summer activities. His goal was to get his wife away from reality TV. We hope it works. January
23, Wednesday Even Norway is excited about this event because it's actually part of their history too. It was Norwegian gold miners who created those longboard skis in the first place. Here is a message from a Norwegian ski resort: "My name
is Adam Ollard, I come from England and I am working for the
Skiskole (ski school) in a 1004 year old resort in Norway
called Skeikampen. January 18, Friday The winner
of the Christmas Tree Contest!!! The tree was judged by a panel of eight people from our office. As you can see the original contest description didn't say the most beautiful tree but only "send us a photo of your decorated tree" which left it wide open for interpretation. We hope you like our choice. Next year make plans to cut your tree on the Plumas or Lassen Forest for a fun family event and an opportunity to win a grand prize. January 17, Thursday
Wacky
winter
event: The Longboard races are happening this Sunday.
Grown January 10, Thursday
Not sure how
to enjoy the beauty of winter - try a free snowshoe hike
with Barbara Jackson from the U.S. Forest Service at the
Almanor Ranger District in Chester. You get to learn
some snowshoeing techniques, get a good workout, check out
animal tracks, and more Lots of sledding going on at Plumas-Eureka State Park - up by the presently non-functioning ski hill. Go through Johnsville, park in the lot, walk up the trail to the ski hill but take the right-hand trail before the ski lodge for the easiest route to the sled hill. Have fun! December
31, Monday
We hope you'll come again in 2008. The lakes, streams, mountains and friendly small town communities will still be here. Couldn't resist sharing these new photos of the Bucks Lake Area. Thanks to Dewitt and Kim Henderson.
December 31, Monday Do December 28, Friday Winter can
be great fun!
December
21, Friday The mountains
have a blanket of new snow and the tree branches are
drooping with the fluffy white stuff. All over the county
snowmobiles are revving up, snowshoes and cross country skis
are coming out of storage and the snow plows are out
clearing the roads.
We tried to
get photos of
cozy winter lodging
after the snow storm with some results, but lots of folks
were having camera difficulties. The
Chalet
View Lodge near
Tuesday, December 18 It looks like a White Christmas in Plumas County! The storm dropped some snow today. People got to use snow blowers that have been packed away, pulled out snow shovels and snow boots and cruised around with four wheel drive vehicles. The flakes were coming down pretty heavily for a bit but now it's not doing much. We'll have to wait to see what the next storm brings us. Don’t forget the Christmas Tree Contest? Send us a photo of your decorated tree as long it was cut on the Plumas or Lassen Forest - you could win a free night stay with a dinner out in lovely Plumas County.
The trees to the left don’t qualify for the contest because they are still alive. Bill Benson from the Beckwourth Ranger District (part of the Plumas National Forest ) came upon these trees last week (near Lake Davis) that someone with a lot of Christmas spirit took the time to decorate – not sure why but why not. Right now they’re probably drooping with snow.
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It's
taken 25 years, but the little St. John's Catholic
church in Johnsville is finally open again, and
operating as a museum and headquarters for the
Johnsville Historical Society.
The
folks at the Greenhorn Guest Ranch were quite thankful
they could celebrate the fourth of July with no worry of
fire evacuation as they had been close to the
Cold Fire which is now contained. 
For
four days the Plumas County Fairground was
turned
into a 21st century Woodstock. This is is the
tenth year or so. Can you believe it - in Quincy?
Great music, food, and people having a wonderful
time. The fires and road closures didn't seem to keep
many people away as there were still several routes
open. A few days were fairly smoky but it
didn't stop the dancing.
e
event brings lots of money into the County and we can
leave the organizing to someone else. All lodging
rooms in Quincy were booked. 
Other
media included representatives
from
Delta Sky Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle,
Sacramento radio station KFBK, Arizona Fairways, Golf
Today and MSNBC and Cybergolf web sites. All of
those folks should be turning out some good publicity on
why Plumas County's a great place for a golf vacation!
The
cloudy rainy weather last Saturday didn't stop the
Indian Valley Century Bike Ride which hosted over
200 riders. 
and one horse, across a 35 mile rugged cross-country
course alternating riding and running. Everyone starts
out together. One person heads out on horseback,
while the other races on foot. The rider, who is faster,
eventually stops and ties the horse to a tree,
jumps off, and then continues down the trail on foot.
The racer who's behind reaches the horse, jumps on,
and continues to ride the trail until stopping again to
tie off the horse, leaving it for the other racer. This
relay continues they reach the end of the course.
Fish
were flying and jumping everywhere and the media was
swarming today at Lake Davis. The California Department
of Fish and Game (DFG) hatchery trucks released
thousands of Eagle Lake rainbow trout into the lake,
which was treated last September to eradicate non-native
Northern Pike.The release of trout ranging from four
pounds to huge 13-pounders today is part of the effort
to return the Lake Davis to its status as a trophy trout
lake.
Going
fishing this weekend? The weather looks good!
And that's not the only claim to fame
this week! In last Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle, our
little town of Quincy was ranked #5 among
The daffodils
are blooming. (Thanks to Richard McCutcheon for this
pretty photo from Indian Valley) It's been almost 70 degrees
during the day, but below freezing
in the morning. The Canada geese are nesting along
with several pairs of Sandhill Cranes. The grass in
the meadows has turned green and will soon be dotted by
cattle returning from their winter pasture in the valley.
The willows branches are turning shades of red and green
along the creeks, but there's still lots of snow on the
mountain peaks. It's a good time for bike riding,
cross country skiing, hiking, or just taking a walk to get
outdoors and take in some of Plumas County's invigorating
fresh mountain air.
Leslie
Mink (left) was part of the lively outdoor music on the day of the
races - finding that in the chilly mountain weather she could play the fiddle with
her gloves
on, much to her surprise!
ing
dedicated
servers, all of whom were local volunteers (right).
Vinton
Cowboy Poetry Show, March 14 & 15 at the Sierra Valley
Grange Hall in the "big" town of Vinton in the lovely Sierra
Valley (left). Contact Betty Ramelli (530-993-4692) or
South
American Harpist comes to Plumas!
I
wonder if the Canadian geese are yearning for spring.
The photo of the geese (right) taken by Richard McCutcheon in Indian
Valley still look like they're enjoying the winter scene
but who knows. Maybe they're dreaming of soft green grass and
wildflowers. As for us humans it won't be long until
the Feather River Canyon starts its spring display. Therefore,
we wanted to share some photos from previous spring times
in the canyon (below). Because the canyon (as we
locals call it) is the lowest elevation in the county, it
has the first display of wildflowers (and don't forget the
waterfalls!).
Suzi
Brakken and family had a clear sky last night to view the
lunar eclipse from Plumas Eureka Estates near Graeagle.
Sam her almost six year old son wasn't too thrilled
about the event saying things like "let's go I'm cold"
and "the moon's turning pink, so what, I'm hungry".
Sounds like a pretty normal kid. Sam probably would
have been happy with a cloudy sky which was the case in most
of the county. 
on
Last
year we could say Plumas County had 8 people per square
mile but we have to admit that we included water in the
square mileage last year. But it’s not like we are
surrounded by ocean so out of a total of 2,618 square miles
only 48.4 square miles is water. But with a projected
increase in people for 2008 from 22,421 to 23,090
plus leaving out the water this time (no houseboats allowed
in Plumas County) we have a grand total of 9 people per
square miles (that’s 8.98 for those into detail). Of
course 80% of our county is national forest which helps
create all that open space for us to enjoy - like the photo
of snowshoe tracks heading up the Pacific Crest Trail
towards Spanish Peak. And for your information San Francisco
County has 10,000 people per square mile so come on up when
you need some space. 
Found
this quote below from Pop’s Hobby Blog about the latest
sled dog races in Chester. Thanks to Carl Raymond Piesch
for the photo of the laughing sled dog.
And
there’s more. You can go to Chester or Lake Davis on Saturday for
A month ago we mentioned Laura from the Bay Area who was
looking for dining,
dancing, jazz and museums during the Plumas winter. Well
here is an example of our winter night life. Traci,
offering wine tasting at the
And
guess what? We had more snow last weekend. We're
happy about all the moisture but some of us are running out
of places to put the stuff. We're beginning to get
closer to those neighbors that have some type of
mechanized approach for getting rid of the stuff.
Shoveling out
cars
and walkways can become a full time job. But kids who
aren't old enough to shovel are building forts and enjoying
the joy of snow. School was even closed last
Friday. When we're not shoveling, keeping the fire going or
going to work we can find time
for skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing. 
I
guess you could say that we’re having a real winter in
Plumas County. All those events that were
cancelled last year because of lack of snow are thriving
this wi
nter.
Last weekend sled dog races along with snow
shoe races took place at Lake Davis near Portola.
Chester is also having sled dog races on February 9th
and 10th in case you missed the ones in Lake Davis. Thanks
to Carl Piesch for the photographs. 
Karen
(left) walks to work wearing snow boots and Yaktrax (chains
for your shoes so you don’t slip on the ice). Jessica
(right) is the most hardy - she’s still riding her bike –
she says it’s a little chilly but not too slick.
(Notice the icicles) Terry also walks with no Yaktrax -
hasn't fallen yet. Kari drives to Quincy every day
from Cromberg in her 4X4 Honda (right) with studded snow
tires. 
Long
Live Longboards! The Historic Longboard Revival
Series race held last Sunday at Plumas Eureka State Park in
Johnsville brought out a variety of folks from a Forbes
magazine photographer to the Clampers from Plumas
County.
There were new young racers (Jack Webster climbing the hill
for the finals below) and older veteran longboard racers (Rob
Russell on the left), lots of kids sledding while their
parents were cheering on the racers, and people munching
on hot dogs while tapping their feet to the music (below).
It snowed off and on which brought cold kids and some adults
into to sit by the fire in the lodge. The races seemed
to have excited the press - an article in the Boston
Globe, the Adventure Sports Journal, and sometime next
year an article in Forbes (the business magazine) and
mayb
e during the next race the SF Chronicle will
attend the event. Pretty cool - but where else can you
watch skiers in 1850's outfits speed down the hills on 15
foot wooden skies just like the gold miners used to do.
ent kind of Christmas tree:
not one you could find on any lot I know of. Our kids
started a tradition a few years ago of finding the strangest
looking tree in the forest. Decorated with a large number of
white lights to outline each weather beaten twist and bend,
the unusually shaped tree takes on its own kind of beauty.
men and women will be dressed up in traditional garb of the
1850’s, doping up (waxing) their 15-16 foot skis just like
the gold miners, hauling those wood skis up the hill and
down they go. Don’t forget you can’t turn these
monsters - you just go straight downhill as fast as you can
go. To stop them you use a large wooden pole. At the end of the day there’s a guy and gal winner. If
you’re feeling adventurous come to the Plumas Eureka Ski
Bowl to try out some skis as you can borrow some for the
day for a small fee. Take a few
practice runs before noon and then you’re good to go for the
big race. But you won’t get the special “dope” (check
out upper left photo for doping the skis) because people
have their secret recipes just like the miners did,
but there will be some "dope" to share. 
The
whole county is a winter wonderland - meaning we have
snow everywhere! The snowplows have been working
overtime, kids are making snowmen and igloo houses, and
neighbors are greeting each other while shoveling snow.
Some more adventurous folks have already been out
cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, snowshoeing
and generally enjoying the white stuff. But some of us
are waiting for a sunny day and snow that's a little more
packed down. Thanks to Toni Morris for the photo
looking at Gold Mountain near Graeagle.
During
the big snow storm last weekend kids were even shoveling
snow. Cora Grace and Noah Hardee from Quincy were
shoveling out a neighbors driveway. Even their little
brother, Josiah, wanted to help. The kids also took some
time to create a
rather a large snowman. Cora Grace was quite
proud that she came up with idea to use pickle slices for
the eyes. Not sure if their dad, Kyle, was aware that
his hat was sitting on top of the snowman. 
Katherine,
from the Cedar Lodge in Chester, also sent us a rather
stylish snowman that was created before the last storm.
By the way you can snowmobile or ski directly from the
lodge. 
.
Barbara says, "I love doing these nature walks. It's
the best part of my job, meeting new people and helping them
learn a new sport. " The snowshoes are provided but
you need to pre-register at 530-258-2141. The first
tour is this Friday starting at 1 pm, then January 26
(Saturday) and February 15 (Friday). Snowshoe walks
are also available by special request for school and
educational programs. Sounds more fun than the
classroom. 
n't
take your tree down yet. Last day to enter the
Our
latest entries are two families from San Francisco - the
Dunn's and Burrell's who found Christmas trees in the La
Porte area. 
n
snowy ATV tours. This week should be about the same. In the
last few days we got a little bit of powdery snow but not
much. It’s been pretty cold so the snow should stick around
but another foot would be great. Jay Read from High Sierra
ATV tours sent us the photo on the left. 
Snowmobiling
is definitely happening throughout Plumas County. You
can snowmobile towards Bucks Lake with several
lodging options to choose from - might be a fun way to bring
in the New Year. Thanks to Cynthia Lusk again for the photo
on the left. From Cedars Lodge in Chester you
can jump on your snowmobile and go. Katherine of Cedar
Lodge says the snowmobiling is good but could use a little
more powder on top for perfection. 
Winter
is here!
The
snow plow (left) has opened up Bucks Lake Road to the
summit and after that you’ll need a snowmobile or cross
county skis to get to the lake and lodges. 
Thanks
to Filip from Bidwell House in Chester for the photo
on the right. He says it's looking beautiful. 
La Porte
Cabin rentals had the camera but not the means to send
photos, but they did let us know they have 3 to 4 feet of
snow and grooming was happening on the snowmobile trails.
But here is an old photo. They even have some warming huts for snowmobilers. The
road to La Porte from the Quincy side is closed, but
Highway 20 east from Marysville to Marysville Road to
La Porte is opened. Might want to check with Caltrans
before coming (1-800-427-ROAD). 
On
Saturday ice skating was still an option because it had
been so cold. Snake Lake was the destination for locals from
the Quincy area. Sue Jackson is warming up for her
pre-Olympic workout plus a group of folks (not shown)
were involved in a rigorous game of hockey. Most of the
skaters are decked out in thrift store ice skates that
they’ve been collecting over the years, but one person had
bought a new pair of softec skates that she was encouraging
everyone to try. Boy what a difference! By the way - no one
fell in this time around. 
Change
is what winter is about in Plumas County. Now the
mountains are blanketed with snow and those skaters are
thinking about getting out their cross country skis.
Not quite yet - but things look promising if the snow
keeps coming and the rain stays away. The photo is
that same old barn you've seen before near the Visitors
Bureau in Quincy. &nb