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Enjoyment of the whispering winds, the zephyrs, the airstreams of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin areas of the United States in a recreational vehicle.

Sierra Nevada Unit

Fort Sage

Rally Reviews - total member (rigs) attendance in parentheses. Does not include guests and visitors

October 2007 - Ft Sage Rally (7)

Jerry Thornburg

One of the advantages of writing this a little late is that I get to see the rough draft of the newsletter, and then get to do the Ramblins. The rally was nice a little bad weather but still nice. The ‘plinkin’ session let a few of us know that we needed more practice. Most of us had 22’s of one sort or another, we did have one who brought a couple of larger cannons. Those that are interested, there is a post on the airforums on carrying weapons in the Airstream, some pretty interesting statistics. More do it than you think. I won’t get into those here, you can go to the site and read all the threads 24 pages as of this morning.

Diane Leipper

A great turnout for the last SNU rally of the year – 7 Airstreams! That, despite some iffy weather and a change in location. We were delighted to have Tom and Donna Faker join us with their dog Willie. Because of this, that, and the other this is the first rally they have been able to attend. We hope to see them at more rallies in the future. In addition to the Faker's, other rally participants included Jerry and Dyann, Wes and Roy, Roger and Jan, Roman and Melissa, Bryan and Diane. Larry Clark from Mt Family also joined us and brought a Bambi Design Within Reach for us to check out. Gene and Carmen Baleme were our guests. The Warn's and the Jeppson's had both just gotten home from various travels the Tuesday before the rally, in fact it appears they passed each other on I80 heading home. We were delighted that they all were willing to make the Ft Sage rally despite just returning home. Jan and Roger visited family in Michigan and then took off to see the sites in Virginia, Kentucky and several other states. Wes and Roy had visited family in Idaho.

Everyone agreed that Ft Sage should definitely be added to the SNU list of favorite spots. Panoramic views of the Honey Lake valley were enhanced by the clouds spilling over the mountains on the far side and bands of other clouds scuttling south towards Reno. Roman and Melissa got full benefit from their wrap-around rear dinette windows. The view out over the valley was spectacular. As with what seems to be common at many SNU preferred rally sites, Ft Sage makes level parking a challenge. No matter, SNU members enjoy a challenge and we are getting very creative and good at parking on sloping ground.

The SNU also puts full meaning into the word flexible, especially when it comes to meals. When weather has to be factored in plans can change almost from moment to moment. What starts out as a potluck outside can turn into a progressive dinner going from trailer to trailer. Or it can go from a shared meal to everyone doing their own thing. Times can change and so can what you eat and how. Again, SNU members rise to the challenge as evidenced by the Ft Sage rally. Saturday was one of those times when we could eat together outside, even though it was a little breezy and a there was chill in the air. What better way to top off a great and varied menu than with hot apple pie and ice cream even if we were bundled up like arctic explorers. Thanks Melissa. It was great. Thanks also to Roman for showing restraint at not testing the pie before the rally. Speaking of food, thanks Larry for bringing treats donated by Mt Family RV. The sweets were a great addition to our morning coffee.

Friday, several of us headed over to Portola to check out the custom built 42 ft Airstream at the Western Pacific Railroad museum. Jerry brought some tarps donated by the company he works for – to cover holes in the roof and help protect it for the winter. The SNU plans a rally at the museum in June to further investigate the Airstream and see what we can do about restoring it. In addition we will of course be investigating the trains and other railroad memorabilia at the museum. On the way home, we stopped by to visit a 1965 Tradewind we spotted along the road to Portola. The owner is not about to sell but maybe she will show up at an SNU rally some day.

Saturday the SNU held it's business meeting and election of officers. Jerry was presented with the official SNU gavel. If it is a sign of his authority we have nothing to worry about as it is only about three inches long and can't inflict much damage. After our business meeting several members of the group headed off into the hills for a little target practice with various fire arms. Roman took a nice bike ride up the trails to the top of the hill. We ended the day with a great pot luck and a campfire. At Jan's insistence we saved some wood for a fire the next morning.

Sunday was sunny and clear of course - the last day of the rally. Jerry got the fire started and kept nursing it along till Jan was out and about and could enjoy it. With a few additional contributions of downed wood we all enjoyed a morning campfire with our coffee. We decided we all need to bring more wood to next years rallies so we can have a fire all day long. All in all, a great end of the rally year for the SNU.

2007 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type
Baleme	Eugene		Maricar Blue	guest	Leipper		2007	10	rally
Clark	Larry			guest	Kreminski/Wong		2007	10	rally
Faker	Tom		Donna	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally
Jeppson	Roger		Janet	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally
Kreminski	Roman	Wong	Melissa	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally
Warn	Wes		RoyLaine	mbr		SNU	2007	10	rally

April 2008 – Rally at Ft Sage (7)

Diane Leipper

Once again, eight Airstreams at Ft Sage. Also, once again we got to indulge in a favorite SNU activity – inaugurating new Airstreams and new Airstreamers. This time it was Robert Sobsey and Yvonne De Marco and Norman Wong. For all of them it was their first rally. Robert and Yvonne in their new 16ft DWR, (their first Airstream). Norman in his new to him 1994 BVan. Robert and Yvonne and Norman are also the newest members of the SNU. Welcome to you all. I think this time, we might have overdone the initiation to Airstreaming and SNU rallies a little though. Sunny nice mornings with windy afternoons is OK but a snow storm on Saturday night and a drop in temps might be a little much. Despite this, they all seemed to enjoy the rally and we are sure we will see them again soon.

Other Rally participants included Melissa and Roman and Melissa's niece Daniella. That meant we had three generations of Melissa's family – Daniella, her father Norman, and Melissa. Melissa got to practice her towing capabilities. Norman's BVan arrived on Thursday morning and all they had time for was a preliminary check and throwing in some basic supplies before heading to Ft Sage. They didn't have time to get the wiring and other things checked out so that they could tow the Airstreram with the BVan. This meant that Melissa drove their truck pulling the Airstream and Roman drove the BVan with Norman.

Jerry and Dyann Thornburg, Wes and RoyLaine Warn, Dave Gmur, and Bryan and Diane Leipper made up the rest of the roster for the rally. We were delighted that Don and MaryLou Damoth were able to come up for the afternoon on Friday. We haven't seen them since December and it was nice to catch up. Larry Clark from Mt Family RV brought a Safari Sport to the rally for us to investigate. He also brought some donuts for our morning coffee. Thanks Larry! The weather, in particular the wind, caused us to cancel plans for meals outside. As usual, SNU members are good at adapting and last minute change of plans. Nobody starved. Saturday the weather started getting really threatening. We had what Jerry described as a “Go Around” dinner. In other words everyone took their contribution for what was supposed to be a pot luck around to everyones Airstream. Not long after the last dish was delivered to each Airstream it started to snow. Really wet heavy snow. So we all hunkered down and watched out the windows. Sunday morning though was clear, sunny and beautiful with a fresh coat of snow on everything. We built a campfire and enjoyed our usual morning coffee and conversation before heading home.

Friday night we got our only non SNU campers at Ft Sage. A big toy hauler came in around midnight and managed to shine lights in almost everyones trailer. Then as soon as they got parked they started up their generator and kept it going 24/7. It gave us all an opportunity to reflect on how much we appreciate camping with SNU members who are more respectful of each other and understand general camping courtesy.

Saturday, Bryan and Jerry headed over to Portola to check on the 42ft Airstream. For the most part the tarps we put on last fall were still in place. Several more windows had been broken out. Jerry and Bryan talked with the people at the museum and it looks like everything is still on target for the SNU to spearhead restoration of that Airstream and also for us to hold our June rally at the museum.

Mother nature was the primary entertainment at this rally. A full moon made for some spectacular evenings. Everyone had a great time regardless of the fact that we spent a little more time in our Airstreams rather than outside. I think we all are looking forward to Unionville and hopefully improved weather so we can spend more time outside and get back to pot luck meals.

2008 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type	Notes
Baleme	Eugene		Maricar Blue	guest	Leipper		2008	04	rally
Clark	Larry			guest	Mt Family		2008	04	rally	came to show off new Airstream
Damoth	Don		MaryLou	mbr		SNU	2008	04	visit	came up for lunch
Gmur	Dave			guest	Leipper		2008	04	rally
Kreminski	Roman	Wong	Melissa	mbr		SNU	2008	04	rally	brought Daniella with them
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2008	04	rally
Sobsey	Robert	DeMarco	Yvonne	mbr		SNU	2008	04	rally	1st Rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2008	04	rally
Warn	Wes		RoyLaine	mbr		SNU	2008	04	rally
Wong	Norman			mbr	Wong, Melissa	SNU	2008	04	rally	1st rally in his 1994 Bvan

May 2010 - Ft Sage Rally (6)

Diane Leipper

Six rigs spent an enjoyable weekend at Ft Sage despite some less than perfect weather. Randy and Vicki, Wheels & Doris, Jerry & Dyann, Wes & RoyLaine, Bryan & Diane, and Gene and Carmen participated in the rally. Jerry and Dyann were a little delayed in getting to the rally. They stopped to get gas before leaving Fallon and apparently the Motorhome decided to take off without getting fuel. It rolled right into the ditch in front of the gas station. Apparently the parking break wasn't quite set. Nobody was hurt and the MoHo wasn't damaged. After the tow truck came and pulled the MoHo out, Jerry and Dyann finally got on the road and arrived safely at the rally. Weatherwise we had a little bit of everything including wind, rain, wind, snow, wind, and even some sun. There was an additional rig that should be included in the rally. Tom and Kristy Guy with their kids Brien and Patrick attended the pre-rally. They got so excited about finally getting their 1975 Tradewind all fixed up and ready to camp they showed up at Ft Sage the weekend prior to the scheduled rally. I think maybe we should have followed their lead though as they had great weather for their first campout. Pictures of their Tradewind at the Ft Sage rally are posted on the website. Check the link listed in this newsletter. Tom and Kristy assure us that we will get to meet them at a rally sometime before the end of this year. We look forward to that. Gene and Carmen had four grandkids with them. They had recently arrived from the Philippines. This was the first time they had seen any snow. The kids also had a great time taking Andy, the Wheeler's sheltie on walks all around the campground. It was nice to have Carmen for the whole rally. Hopefully she and Gene and the grandkids will be able to come to rallies more often. Gene was directly impacted by the wind. One gust blew the cover off his air conditioner. Thankfully Randy had a ladder and Gene was able to get on top of his Airstream and secure everything. On the other hand, Gene got the gas valve on his heater replaced and working. This greatly improved the function and effectiveness of his heater. Thursday evening was probably the nicest so to take advantage of the relative calm we had a delightful evening around the campfire. This rally was a testament to the flexibility of the SNU. Friday, the weather encouraged us to change plans and instead of our usual shared meal we did our own dinners individually. Saturday, again because of iffy weather we changed our shared meal to lunchtime and had leftovers for dinner on our own. We were able to have other campfires during lulls in the wind. We had coffee and goodies on Saturday morning. Randy and Vicki enjoyed hiking over hill and dale and getting a close up view of the wildflower display. The wildflowers were truly amazing, especially the paintbrush and the lupine. The hills were covered with them. When the weather got a little much we visited in each others trailers or spend some quiet time reading, and enjoying the views out the windows. Ft Sage is definitely a place for fantastic views and weather watching.

2010 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type	Notes
Baleme	Eugene		Maricar Blue	mbr	Leipper	SNU	2010	05	rally	4+ family members at rally
Grossmann	Randy		Vicki	mbr		SNU	2010	05	rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2010	05	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2010	05	rally
Warn	Wes		RoyLaine	mbr		SNU	2010	05	rally
Wheeler	Richard H.		Doris	mbr		SNU	2010	05	rally

May 2011 - Rally at Ft Sage (4)

Diane Leipper

Once again, Mother Nature and circumstances provided the entertainment for a rally. Once again, it was clear why we don't let weather forecasts impede rally plans. Even though it seems yet another frontal system or two were supposed to move in over the weekend, we had a great rally at Ft Sage. For the most part the weather was moderate and wind was minimal. We enjoyed beautiful mornings around the campfire and were able to have our Friday shared meal outside. The wildflowers at Ft Sage were spectacular. Paintbrush, lupine, and many other varieties were blanketed amongst the sagebrush. We did have to share the campground with some other campers this year. Except for letting the kids drive noisy off road vehicles in circles around the campground they were good neighbors. SNU members at Ft Sage included Randy & Vicki, Wes & Roylaine, Jerry & Dyann, Bryan and Diane. It's been a while since Randy & Vicki have made a rally. The same with Wes & Roy. Randy has been busy putting in another Fantastic fan and doing some other projects on his Airstream. Wes & Roy ended up getting a new refrigerator for their Airstream. It seems like all the new pieces and parts worked just fine this weekend. Saturday things got a little interesting. Just as we were getting ready for dinner, we began to have some rain showers. Not to be deterred, Jerry rolled out his awning and we set up tables, hauled in our chairs, sat almost knee to knee and enjoyed another great meal with rain, thunder, and even a little hail providing the entertainment. Of course, as soon as we finished eating the showers stopped. The storm clouds made for a spectacular sunset. Sunday was warm and sunny. After morning coffee and goodies, we began to pack up and head home. Another great weekend with good friends.

2011 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type	Notes
Grossmann	Randy		Vicki	mbr		SNU	2011	05	rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2011	05	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2011	05	rally
Warn	Wes		RoyLaine	mbr		SNU	2011	05	rally

April 2013 – Rally at Ft Sage (4)

Diane Leipper

What a great weekend for the SNU rally at Ft Sage. Other than a windy afternoon on Friday the weather was just about perfect. We were delighted to have Bruce and Kathy Rhymes join us at the rally with their 19ft Bambi. Bruce and Kathy flew over our Pyramid Lake rally in their vintage Cessna and Bruce flew down to Sweetwater to visit us in 2011. Other rally participants were Wheels & Doris, Jerry & Dyann, Gene & Carmen & various grandkids and Bryan & Diane. The BLM has been doing some work on Ft Sage since the last time we were there. The best part was that they built a new pit toilet on the edge of the parking area. There is no longer an outhouse in the middle of the picnic area. We had some nice talks with Joe, a BLM employee when he stopped by for coffee. We told him how nice the area has become since our first rally there. The winds on Friday didn't keep us from our shared meal outside. Bryan suggested we build a wind break which is exactly what we did. Gene, Wheels, and Bruce moved their trucks into place in front of Bryan and Diane's Airstream. This created a nice little enclosure with the Bvan on one side, an Airstream on the other and the trucks on the third side. It proved effective as the dishes stayed on the table and the food on our plates. We could eat our dinner in relative comfort and calm. Jerry & Dyann have added to their collection of solar lights. Jerry spent a little time getting them all set out but the results were worth it. Their “yard” looked really neat after dark. Saturday, SNU President, Wheels held a short business meeting. It seems he has gained, yet another title. That being HHHV (Head Honcho & Hapless Victim) It looks like Wheels has the distinction of having the longest title of any SNU President to date. H (to the 5^th power)V translated it is, His Highness, Head Honcho, Hapless Victim. Maybe we should just call him “Prez”. The weekend activities included several hikes in the hills, a little target practice and gun safety lessons, a trip or two to the big town of Doyle, and of course a lot of discussions about Airstreams, maintenance, future projects and travel plans. A very enjoyable weekend overall.

2013 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type	Notes
Baleme	Eugene		Maricar Blue	mbr		SNU	2013	04	rally	Maybe 9 family members at rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2013	04	rally
Rhymes	Bruce		Kathy	guest			2013	04	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2013	04	rally
Wheeler	Richard H.		Doris	mbr		SNU	2013	04	rally
	Joe			guest	Ft Sage Ranger		2013	04	visit

April 2015 - Rally at Ft Sage (5)

Diane Leipper

We got the full variety pack weatherwise at the Ft Sage Rally. Thursday was almost perfect. Warm, sunny, and almost no wind. From then on we got a little thunder, lighting, winds, rain, snow, and colder temps. By Sunday once again we had clear sunny skies. I guess this was the SNU way of celebrating Earth Day. Celebrate we did! We celebrated in being together in such a beautiful spot, by initiating Jerry & Dyann's Moho as the SNU alternative dining room, and we celebrated by having a great time regardless of the weather. We had both our Friday and Saturday dinners in Jerry & Dyann's Moho as it was just too windy to be outside. It worked out really well so I guess we'll let them keep that moho, at least for the time being. One of the neat things about Ft Sage other than the panoramic views, are the wildflowers. There was an abundance of lupine, paintbrush, primroses and other flowers. The place has undergone some more updating since we were there two years ago. The biggest improvement was leveling out the large parking area. We all hope the BLM doesn't get carried away though with improvements. It's now just about a perfect spot for an SNU rally. Because of the weather, we all spent time tucked in our Airstreams, reading, napping, playing games, and indulging in other indoor activities. During breaks in the weather we gathered outside. Friday morning we had a nice campfire. Also on Friday, Gary, Anita, and Diane took a short ride to check out the new parking/camping area at Ft Sage. It was very nice but too small for the SNU. They also drove up the hill where you can get magnificent views of Long Valley. Saturday afternoon, Gene and various grandkids rode some of the trails on his ATV. They also got in a little target practice. Sunday morning although a little cool, was sunny and calm. Just right for one last campfire before heading home. We had five Airstreams at the Ft Sage rally. Participants included Gary & Anita, Bryan & Diane, Jerry & Dyann, Gene & Carmen (and grandkids) and Randy & Vicki. We all had thoughts of Bruce and Kathy. Bruce's introduction to the SNU was meeting Randy & Vicki at Ft Sage. In 2013, Bruce & his wife Kathy attended their only SNU rally with their Airstream at Ft Sage. Tragically a month after that rally they were both killed when their vintage Cessna crashed. Ft Sage is one of our favorite sites. There is sure to be more rallies at this location in the future.

2015 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type	Notes
Baleme	Eugene		Maricar Blue	mbr	Leipper	SNU	2015	04	rally	some grandkids also attended
Grossmann	Randy		Vicki	mbr		SNU	2015	04	rally
Haskett	Gary		Anita	mbr		SNU	2015	04	rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2015	04	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2015	04	lunch

April 2017 – Rally at Ft Sage (5)

Diane Leipper

We had a great April rally at Fort Sage near Doyle, CA. As always, good food and great company. Participants in this rally included Gary & Anita, Wheels & Doris, Jerry & Dyann, Randy & Vicki and Bryan & Diane. Also as usual, we had some stimulating intellectual discussions. These included Randy’s in depth study on toilet paper, which is best for use in an RV and why. Randy even offered to create a Power Point presentation for us. We also had a discussion on coffee mugs which touched on thermodynamics, insulation properties, ease of use, stainless versus ceramic and other critical items. Randy had searched for several years to find the perfect mug that met his exacting criteria. Now he might have to order some for the rest of us. Weather for Friday dinner was just about perfect. Doris put out her beautiful pink flamingo table cloth that she got as a door prize at the SNU Holiday dinner hosted by Brian & Jeni Root. Saturday Dyann’s sister and daughter drove out for a visit. They stayed for dinner. Saturday it was a little blustery so we used Jerry & Dyann’s Moho for a wind break and set the food tables next to it. Other than holding on to your plate, dinner outside was pretty nice. Speaking of pink flamingos, Doris showed off her newest flamingo solar light. It’s really pretty. It seems we may be expanding our yard art collection. Dyann has a couple of solar light bears. Randy came across a solar frog he couldn’t pass up. A green shell is covered by patterned metal work. At night the green glow highlights the pattern. It’s really neat. Needless to say, our rally sites are pretty well decorated and lighted up. Two flamingos have been retired. These were given to Jerry & Dyann by the manager of the park at Unionville years ago. The plastic is getting old and a few cracks have appeared. They just aren’t flexible enough to travel anymore. It will be interesting to see what Jerry comes up with for replacements. Friday was a good day on some of the ham radio bands and Bryan was able to hear stations in Japan and other far flung destinations. Rallies at Ft Sage bring up memories of SNU friends Bruce & Kathy. Their first rally with the SNU was at Ft Sage in 2013. The following month tragically, they both died when their vintage Cessna crashed near Auburn, CA. After leaving the Ft Sage rally, Randy & Vicki will be heading up to Lassen RV Resort to begin making plans for our September rally there. Already, little hints indicate this rally is going to be special. In the meantime, we are looking forward to the May SNU rally at Eagle Lake.

2017 Ft Sage Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	Type
Grossmann	Randy		Vicki	mbr		SNU	2017	04	rally
Haskett	Gary		Anita	mbr		SNU	2017	04	rally
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2017	04	rally
Louie	Jill			guest	Thornburg		2017	04	visit
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2017	04	rally
Wheeler	Richard H.		Doris	mbr		SNU	2017	04	rally
Woolery	Ann			guest	Thornburg		2017	04	visit

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