Sierra Nevada Airstreams -|- Memories -|- Sierra Nevada Unit

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

Obsidian Dome

July 2006 Rally Review

6 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

Thanks to Rick Laborde we had a great rally in July at Obsidian Dome. At a little over 9,000 ft elevation we got a reprieve from the heat. A few rain showers also helped cool things down. Rick's excellent directions and pictures made finding the campsite easy. He had also put up some SNU signs which provided additional assurance we were going the right direction, especially when the road began to narrow. After some discussion we decided that the road to the campsite rated a 4 on the SNU scale but it was well worth the drive and we all definitely agree that this site will be added to our favorite rally sites. We had a nice flat area to park right on the edge of a cinder cone and right in front of an Obsidian dome with glass creek just across the road. The weather was a mixture of showers and sunshine which made the gazebos a valuable asset. On Saturday Rick took us for a drive to the Sagehen area to check out another possible rally site. We also went up to the top of Sagehen Peak for some fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and Mono Lake. Just for fun, our pot lucks on Friday and Saturday were “formal” affairs. In other words we had white (paper) table cloths, with a candelabra and a beautiful flower arrangement made by Vicki Grossmann. We also served champagne/sparkling cider in crystal (plastic) wine glasses. Rick has supplied the site with a nice wood pile so we were able to enjoy some great campfires in the evenings. All in all, another successful rally.

2006 Obsidian Rally Participants

July 2007 Rally Review

7 SNU, 3 guests - Total Rally Participation

Jerry Thornburg

The year is going fast, we just had the rally at Obsidian Dome, and the turnout was great. It was nice to see the southern contingent show up. Roger and Roxie from Visalia came to the rally. It was very nice to meet them. Good to see Don and Family (they brought 2 of the younger generation). Even though I didn’t get to use my executive privileges again. We did hold a business meeting Saturday evening. It was supposed to be at noon, but Randy fed everyone waffles that must have weighed heavy on everyone as no one ate any lunch. The proposed slate of officers was discussed and boils out to be this, President- Jerry, (I guess I didn’t make too many people mad), Treasurer- Bryan, Secretary-(Dianne please call Roy), Directors – Randy, and Don Williams. Randy will do the PSA’s. I would like Don to see where my executive privileges went. Happy trailering and will see you all at Twin Lakes

Diane Leipper

Waffles, weddings, food, gondolas, campground cleanup, Post Piles, food, birthdays, bot flies, music concerts, Mongolia, hikes, more food, business meeting, pink flamingos, and lots of visiting. The SNU rally was full of unexpected surprises, individual adventures and exciting group activities. We had a great turnout – nine rigs, including two guests. A total of 21 people. Also various dogs and other assorted pets. Our guests included Roxie and Roger Smith and Gene and Carmen Balme. The Obsidian Dome rally was the first trip this year for Roxie and Roger. In addition, Saturday was Roger's birthday. The SNU was delighted to help them celebrate both occasions. Roger grew up with Airstreams. His parents were members of the Mt Lassen Unit. Both his Mother and Dad had served terms as Unit President. When Roger's parents were no longer able to travel Roger inherited their Airstream. He and Roxie also kept his parent's WBCCI membership number. The Smith's are members of the San Joaquin Unit. For Gene and Carmen, it was an extension of their honeymoon as they had just gotten married on July 8th. The Balme's gave each SNU member a gift. The gifts were beautiful little wind chimes in delicate fiber bags that Carmen had sent from the Philippines to be given to their wedding guests. Gene and Carmen also shared their wedding pictures with us.

Thursday evening Rick and Jeannie Laborde attended a nearby free concert which they reported was very enjoyable. Friday SNU members helped Rick and a representative from the Friends of Inyo do some cleanup around the area near our rally site. After enjoying this rally site for the second year, it was great to do something to support the well being of Inyo National Forest. The Laborde's son, Guy and the William's grandson, Brandon both 6 yrs old had a great time all weekend playing in the dirt and on a nearby fallen log and building things. At one time Guy had a serious discussion with Vicki Grossmann. He was telling her about his musical groups and how the group had a different name depending on where they were playing. Vicki had asked him if he was going to sing for us again. Guy said it depended on whether or not he could build his guitar. On Saturday, Gail and Don Williams along with their niece Lauren (17), Brandon and dog Zorro, took off for a day trip to nearby Mammoth Lakes. Their trip included a gondola ride with lunch at the top. It also included a special kid friendly rock climbing adventure for Brandon who successfully made it all the way to the top. Roxie and Roger also visited the Mammoth area and the nearby Devils Post Pile.

Saturday started off with what is sure to become an new SNU tradition – Waffles in the wild! Randy Grossmann after discovering the secret to perfect waffles and the best cooker to use, offered to share his success with the SNU. So Saturday morning, he set up his waffle maker on the picnic table and hooked it up to Jerry's generator and got to work. Wow! What a treat! We had a choice of fruit and whipped cream, fruit syrups, or maple syrup. The buckwheat waffles were fantastic – light and fluffy. Breakfast also included sausage and melon. After enjoying such a special breakfast we made and executive decision to forgo our usual lunch. We also decided any SNU business could wait till dinnertime.

Before waffles Vicki brought out the diorama of an SNU rally. She and Randy had put it together for the SNU 30^th Anniversary luncheon in February 2006. Many of the people at Obsidian hadn't seen it. Needless to say everyone was amazed and impressed. It is quite a work of art.

Saturday evening, when everyone had returned from their various outings, we had our usual SNU amazing potluck. Once again, despite our lack of planning or coordination, the variety and diversity of offerings was enough to feed twice the number of people. Carmen made egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce along with other treats. The egg rolls were a big hit with everyone. Roxie made cupcakes for Roger's birthday. Thankfully Roger was spared the traditional birthday song sung by SNU members as everyone was too busy eating. SNU Pres, Jerry gave Roger a pair of SNU mugs as a birthday present. He also presented a pair to Gene and Carmen as a wedding present.

After dinner conversation took place around a propane heater provided by the Smith's. Gene regaled us with stories of his trips to Mongolia. He has gone several times as the equipment engineer with a medical team bringing equipment, skills, and training to hospitals in the country. He also told us of his visit to Belize and his run in with bot flies which astounded medical professionals at UNR. All in all another great SNU rally

2007 Obsidian Rally Participants

September 2008 Rally Review

8 SNU, 1 guest - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

A beautiful fall weekend at Obsidian Dome. Although it was a little cool and windy, we had a great rally. Nine rigs showed up including some special guests. SNU members at Obsidian included Jerry and Dyann Thornburg, Rick LaBorde, Don and Gail Williams, Anita Leipper, Gene and Carmen Baleme, Wheels and Doris Wheeler, Bryan and Diane Leipper, and Roman Kreminski and Melissa Wong. We were delighted to be joined by Joe and Teressa Ten Berge from the Monterey Bay California Unit. Teressa is the current secretary for Region 12 and also chair of the WBCCI membership committee. We enjoyed hearing about the Monterey Bay Unit and how they do things and sharing SNU ideas with Teressa and Joe. Roman and Melissa get the prize for longest distance traveled for this rally although part of it was by plane. They arrived home from Hawaii just a few days before the rally. At the last minute they realized this was the weekend of a rally. They scrambled around, got everything in the Airstream and hit the road after 11pm to arrive at Obsidian on Saturday. We were happy to see them. On Saturday Ed and Paula Poll and grandson Lucas came by for a visit. Their Airstream is in the process of being totally refurbished. One of these days we look forward to seeing them at an SNU rally with their Airstream. In the meantime we were glad they could come for a visit and join us for our pot luck dinner on Saturday. In an email after the rally Paula said that Lucas had told his Mom that he had a great time at the rally. We are glad he did and hope he too will come with his grandparents to another SNU rally. Other than eating and inspirational naps, some of the more energetic people took hikes to the nearby meadow and up to the summit of a nearby mountain. Others visited nearby attractions such as Mammoth, June Lakes and the Devil's Postpile. We also did a little Airstream maintenance. Don had his pressure meter so he could test various gas lines. All in all another great SNU rally. Everyone is eager to return in 2009.

2008 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2009 Rally Review

6 SNU, 2 guests - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

It seems that every rally we have had since April was during a hot spell with near record temperatures. August at Obsidian Dome started out that way but by Saturday night we had rain showers. We had several guests at the rally including Bobbie and Victor Kingsland along with their 14 yr old son William. Bobbie is the current president of the San Fernando Valley Unit and a second generation Airstreamer. The Kingsland's have a 1969 Overlander. The other guests were Rich and Sylvia Gorsuch. Rich and Sylvia had made arrangements to take advantage of the Wheeler's courtesy parking. Little did they know that would lead them to participating in an SNU rally. Sylvia was even willing to pass up a pre-season Cowboys game to come to the rally. The Gorsuch's have a 1996 Aristream moho. They are adventurous travelers and have even spent time in Burma so the road to Obsidian didn't faze them. Although her Airstream is still in Southern CA, Madelyn Cutler, a new SNU member, brought her tent joined us at Obsidian. I think now she is even more anxious to get her Airstream closer to home. Other rally participants included Wheels and Doris, Jerry and Dyann, Rick, Anita, Bryan and Diane. Two new 4 legged members were also introduced at this rally. Sola, Rick's 11 month old Golden Retriever and Andy, Wheels and Doris's 11 month old Sheltie. Wheels and Doris decided sharing Jerry and Dyann's Shelties just wasn't the same as having one of your own. Dyann provided some tips to Wheels and Doris about training Andy and after doing a little work with him herself you could see the difference. We spent a lot of time enjoying the dogs, enjoying great food at our shared meals, and of course, just sharing stories and catching up. We haven't seen Wheels and Doris since May. Since then they have added a few more flamingos to their flock. Doris's daughter found a solar flamingo bug zapper. She even found Doris a pink umbrella to match. Check the picture in the rally photo gallery. Jerry and Dyann just barely got back from Jarbidge in time to make the Obsidian rally. They hadn't had time to transfer all their necessities from the SOB (like solar lights and flags) back to the Airstream. It was up to Wheels and Doris as well as Victor and Bobbie to provide lawn décor for the rally, primarily pink flamingos of course. Victor and William had a great time chopping up a recently downed tree for firewood. With no fire restrictions, we were able to keep a fire going all day Saturday and have really nice campfires in the evening. Friday evening Doris brought out her guitar and treated us to a campfire concert. She didn't have much luck getting us to sing along but we sure enjoyed listening to her. Sylvia and Rich brought out marshmallows and made S'mores for us. Saturday, Bobbie and Victor brought out their campfire popcorn popper and treated us to a bowl of popcorn. Saturday evening Rick's wife Jeannie and son Guy came to the rally. Jeannie had been busy getting ready for the first day of school. It was nice to see them both. In addition to Victor and William doing a lot of clean up on the downed tree, we got some other service work in at this rally. Wheels was acting as a downed aircraft so that the Civil Air Patrol could practice emergency procedures and try and locate him. He had a locater beacon on the front top of his Airstream. Rick and Jerry did some road construction on a section that had suffered from some washout. All in all, another great rally at Obsidian Dome. We enjoyed meeting Victor, Bobbie, William, Richard, and Sylvia. We hope to see them again at another rally.

2009 Obsidian Rally Participants

September Rally Review

5 SNU, 1 guest - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

A full moon, the Autumnal Equinox, and perfect weather. What better weekend for a rally. It was an amazing site when the moon came up and reflected off the glassy surfaces of the Obsidian. The whole hillside sparkled. Several other interesting things happened at this rally. For one, we were delighted to have Gregg and Valri Ayer, who are members of the NorCal Unit participate in this rally. For another, thanks to a little luck, we had visitors from a WBCCI Caravan come by. We also invited a nearby camper to join us for our Saturday dinner. Gregg and Valri have a 17ft Safari Sport. This was their longest off grid experience with that Airstream and of course, it did just fine. They really liked the Obsidian area. Gregg, who is training for an upcoming event, took a 100 mile bike ride on Friday. Saturday he and Valri spend some time at June Lakes fishing. They had a great time although they didn't catch any fish. Gregg and Valri are hosting a NorCal rally at Bodega Bay in April 2011. We'll be sure and post info on that rally when it becomes available. SNU members Frank and Carol Colligan are on the Wild West Caravan which is traveling down the Eastern slopes of the Sierra's. They were at the Zephyr Cove RV Park when Randy and Vicki went to check it out for our September 2011 rally. Because we didn't get our communications in order, they didn't catch up with each other though. By accident, Jim and Barbara Muff decided to stay in Lee Vining Wednesday night before heading to Obsidian. While Jim was in the deli he ran into Frank and that is how we happened to have some of the caravanners visit the Obsidian rally site. Saturday the first caravanners to stop by were a couple from Pennsylvania. A little later Frank and Carol, along with Dick and Judy Martiny came by. Turns out Dick and Judy are new friends of Wheels and Doris. The Wheelers met them on the WBCCI caravan they had participated in after the WBCCI International Rally. It was like Old Home Week at the rally Saturday afternoon. All of our visitors were very impressed with Obsidian. One even mentioned that this was his idea of what and where an Airstream rally should be. Our guest on Saturday was a woman in her 30's who was camping nearby. Julie is currently a nomad and tent camping in the Eastern Sierra's as well as other parts of the country. We all enjoyed visiting with her. Rick LaBorde came by for a visit on Saturday. He wasn't able to bring his Airstream this time but he says he has been doing a few things to it lately to extend the amount of time he can spend off grid with it. Another highlight of this rally was Jim and Barbara's dutch oven cooking. They started out with bacon and eggs on Friday morning. Friday evening they cooked Chicken Cacciatore with home grown basil and vegetables with biscuits on top. It was delicious. Our shared meal on Saturday included enchiladas and another chicken dish, salads and other goodies. For dessert we had ice cream with fresh peaches. As usual, we didn't need to worry about running short of great food. This rally provided a great opportunity to relax and enjoy the ambiance. Many of us took time to catch up on reading, take an inspirational nap, take a hike up to a nearby waterfall and meadow, climb the obsidian dome, or take a day trip into June Lakes, Lee Vining or Mammoth. wheels and Doris filled us in on their adventures at the International Rally and on the Northwestern Landmarks Caravan. Gregg and Valri talked with us about the activities of the NorCal Unit. Everyone agrees, Obsidian Dome is a great place for an SNU rally.

2010 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2011 Rally Review

7 SNU, 3 guests - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

Nine rigs from 3 different Units attended the August Rally at Obsidian. Unique at this rally was that we had more California residents than Nevada residents. Rally participants included Victor & Bobbi Kingsland and Jerry & Jackie Freeman from the San Fernando Valley Unit. Gregg & Valri Ayer represented the NorCal Unit. SNU members included Jerry & Dyann Thornburg, Mike & Cindy Gower, Don & Gail Williams, Dan Randall, Rick & Jeanne Sassin LaBorde, and Bryan & Diane Leipper. Among the highlights of this rally were the pancake breakfast on Friday and the omelets in a bag breakfast on Saturday. Don thinks we have started a new tradition for the SNU with these special breakfasts. It is always nice to have the right equipment when you are doing things like this. Victor and Bobbi brought their electric griddle which was hooked to a generator to cook pancakes. Jerry brought his propane griddle which was put to good use cooking sausage and bacon. Jerry also brought his propane stand burner and that along with the one Mike and Cindy brought, were used to boil big pots of water to cook the omelets in. Having breakfast was Bobbi's idea and it was a huge success. Our Friday night BBQ was also a success. Don made a peach cobbler in his dutch oven. It turned out great. Jerry & Dyann BBQ'd some great tasting ribs. Gregg & Valri also had some tasty ribs. Along with all the other contributions we were not lacking in variety and we definitely were not in fear of going hungry. Other than eating, we had a great time, exploring the area and just visiting. Friday night the skies clouded up but other than a few sprinkles, it didn't rain. We were treated with an exceptionally beautiful double rainbow during our dinner. Sunday after most people had headed home, we were fortunate to spot a deer family walking down to the stream. A nice buck with a good set of horns, a doe and a fawn. About 1pm Victor & Bobbi, Don & Gail, and Bryan & Diane head on to Mammoth to spend the night at Mammoth Mountain RV park. Jerry and Jackie were already there. Everyone went to a local restaurant for dinner Sunday night. Two other Airstreams were spotted in the campground and needless to say, they received visitors. One couple, the Swaffers were home and were invited for breakfast Monday morning. Bobbi caught up with the other Airstream owners later. As it turned out it looks like both the San Fernando Unit and the SNU gained potential new members. The Swaffers live in Reno and the other Airstream owners live near Victor & Bobbi. Bobbi outdid herself with Monday breakfast. She had all sorts of muffins, bagels, fruit, jams and jellies. It was a great way to end a rally and it left us all excited about next year's rally at Obsidian.

2011 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2012 Rally Review

5 SNU, 4 guests - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

The August Obsidian rally was full of surprises and new adventures. It started off with the Thornburg's and Leipper's making an emergency stop in Hawthorne on the way to the rally. Jerry must of hit something going through a construction zone and it shredded one of the tires on his Airstream. While it was getting replaced, Bryan started the generator on the B-Van so we could turn on the air conditioner. Dyann, Diane, four dogs, one cat, and two tortoises hunkered down in the B-Van to try and stay cool. Coming from the South, Victor, Bobbi & son William followed by Marla in her B-Van were stopped not far south of the turn off to Obsidian while a flock of sheep crossed the highway. Randy and Vicki hit something on their way to the rally and did a job on the steps of their Airstream. Everyone else arrived safely and without incident. We were delighted to have Barney and Mary Beth join us at the rally. They are fairly new members of the SNU and this was their first rally. On Saturday we had some special guests, Ted and Laura Nolan from the Nevada Unit. Ted and Laura were starting a two week trip with their newly remodeled and shiny 1971 Overlander. We alll oo'd and ahh'd over this unique Airstream. Obsidian provided a cool retreat after the Nolan's first night at Stove Pipe Wells in Death Valley. Victor, Bobbi, William, and Marla are with the San Fernando Valley Unit. This was Marla's first Obsidian rally. As for the SNU, in addition to those already mentioned, Wheels and Doris were also there. That made a total of 8 Airstreams, 16 people, and 10 dogs representing 3 WBCCI Units. The new dogs included the Rabold's two, Scooby a mixture of Jack Russell and Beagle and Coho a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The other was Marla's greyhound Mario. Marla just adopted Mario a month ago. He is already enjoying traveling and going to rallies. Diane's greyhound Jack, thought it was pretty neat to have another greyhound at the rally. Randy unveiled his latest enhancement to the “Thing”. He has added a few more solar lights and tweaked a few things here and there. It looks pretty amazing, especially after dark. The highlight of this rally were the special breakfasts we had on Friday and Saturday morning. Friday Bobbi, Marla and Doris put together eggs in toast. This requires cutting a hole in the middle of a piece of bread and breaking an egg into the hole. Diane's chickens supplied all the eggs for breakfast. We also had bacon and lots of fruit. Dyann had picked up a variety of melons locally grown around Fallon as a sampler of what to expect at the Cantaloupe Festival rally coming up over Labor Day. It was really neat to taste the various melons all of which were yummy. Saturday, Randy did his famous waffles. This meal came with a variety of syrups and more fruit and bacon. Then there were the dinners! As usual, the SNU shared meals are something to behold. Lots of great food. Everything from salads to casseroles, to desserts with enough variety to tempt everyone's taste buds. There were activities other than fixing food and eating though. These included lots of hiking up the Obsidian Dome, along the creek to the waterfall, and hikes to various other spots near the campsite. The San Fernando contingent had some lively games of dominoes in the evenings. Victor and William got some exercise chopping the limbs off a fallen tree. Bryan listened in on some of the ham radio bands. There were also inspirational naps and reading and relaxing during the heat of the day. On Saturday, Bryan started to take the coffee out of the trailer and heard a sort of hissing noise. There was a small bear on the fallen tree near the trailer. The bear ambled over to the tree where we had our tables set up. We had forgotten to put the trash can in a truck so the bear was checking it out. He ambled off so we got the trash put away. Needless to say, we were much more diligent about getting things put away after that. We had several visitors at our rally. When we arrived Thursday, Wheels and Doris had befriended a woman who was out here to hike. We invited a woman camping down by the creek with her dog up for coffee and waffles on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon a couple on dirt bikes stopped by to say hi. It is always interesting to watch people drive by our rally site as they are usually amazed, considering the road and location, to see not just one, but several Airstreams parked here. Saturday the clouds started building up soon after breakfast. We could hear thunder in the distance. Before long we had a few little showers. These continued along with occasional thunder off and on all afternoon. The great thing was that these showers lowered the temperature which made it very pleasant. The showers abated during our happy hour and dinner although our meal was accompanied by a concert of thunder. About 8pm when everyone was ready to head to their Airstream we had another nice rain shower. Sunday we had coffee and goodies before hitting the road and heading for home. Obsidian is becoming a special annual rally that everyone looks forward to. It is especially nice to have members from other Units join us for this rally. We know Victor and Bobbi will be back and we sincerely hope to see Marla again. We also hope to see Ted and Laura and maybe some other members of the Nevada Unit at future Obsidian rallies.

2012 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2013 Rally Review

5 SNU, 8 guests - Total Rally Participation

Wheels Wheeler

The Obsidian Dome rally had 9 Airstream rigs in attendance. It almost required reservations but SNU will continue to resist that and parallel parking. At least two other Airstreamers were in the area (Mammoth RV Park) and came to have some meals and conversation with us. The food was delicious. The scenery was beautiful as always.

Diane Leipper

Was it an SNU rally? Was it a Region Rally? Was it a kennel club outing? Wait – it was all three! Obsidian Dome was an amazing rally for many reasons. For one, we set a new record. We had representatives from five different Units. From the SNU we had Thornburgs, Wheelers, Leippers, Williams and Swaffer. From San Fernando Valley we had Victor, Bobbi & William Kingsland, Bruce & Lisa Levitt, Marla Liberty and Jerry & Jackie Freeman. From the Long Beach Unit we had George & Carol Oelkers. From NorCal we had Gregg & Valri Ayers. From the El Camino we had LeRoy & Jeannie Waldo. We had nine Airstreams at Obsidian and three Class A's at Mammoth RV park for a total of 13 rigs at this rally. The Motorhome contingent drove to Obsidian for happy hours and meals. As for the kennel club, there was a total of 11 dogs of all shapes and sizes at this rally. Bella, the Doberman that Gregg and Valri adopted in February was the clown of the rally. When she was tired she would flop down on her back just about anywhere. It didn't matter if people walked around or over her. Friday Wheels and Doris' friends, Jim and Karen and their dog Spud joined us for a visit. Another interesting aspect of this rally was that for several people, this was the last stop on the way home. Marla has been on the road since June. Among other destinations, she attended the WBCCI rally in Huron and visited relatives in Maine. Marla met up with Jerry & Dyann and Bryan & Diane in Fallon and caravanned to Obsidian. Gregg and Valri were just finishing up a 9 week trip visiting friends and relatives. Don and Gail have also been on the road. Their travels included Huron and the Airstream Company in Jackson Center. LeRoy and Jeannie were on their way home from Alaska. They didn't know about the rally but when the got to Big Pine a little south of Obsidian, they checked their email and discovered we were just up the road. They headed back up 395 and joined us at Obsidian.

We started this rally off with a Spaghetti dinner on Thursday. It was rather windy so we used Victor and Bobbi's Airstream for a windbreak. A great meal to start a great rally. Friday was our first special breakfast. A beautiful morning for setting up the griddles, firing up the propane stove, cooking eggs in a hole, fried potatoes, sausage and bacon. Victor and Marla cooked up the fresh eggs which were supplied by Diane's hens. Valri and Gregg fried up the potatoes. We had all sorts of fresh fruit, from Fallon cantaloupes that Dyann brought, to Gail's home grown peaches. Blueberries, bananas, oranges, and other goodies and of course, plenty of fresh coffee rounded out the menu. By Happy Hour the wind started picking up again. We had our potluck dinner outside but ended up with a little extra grit in some of the food because of wind gusts. Because of the wind, cool temps, and fire restrictions which prevented building a campfire, we called it an early evening and adjourned to our Airstreams. Saturday morning again, was clear, calm and sunny. The special breakfast treat this morning was Don's sourdough pancakes. Wow! Don has been experimenting with sourdough and his pancakes were delicious. He made some with blueberries and some without. Baxter helped him with the cooking. Meanwhile Jerry cooked up more bacon and sausage on his grill and yet more fresh fruit was brought out. Once again, by Happy Hour the wind started picking up. This time for dinner, we moved behind the Airstreams and ate in a more protected spot. The SFV group had their meals in a more civilized manner, bringing out tables and chairs. The SNU seems to prefer sitting in their chairs holding on to their plates. Maybe that comes from too many windy dinners or, is it because we are too lazy to get out the tables? Jerry came up with a new SNU slogan that describes our propensity to take whatever empty chair that's available no matter who it belongs to. “If the chair doesn't have a bottom, put yours in it.”

We did do more than just prepare meals and eat. Various groups set out on hikes up past the waterfall to the meadow or up the trail near camp. Bobbi got out a ladderball game and she and Jim had a good time throwing balls, that is until Cody decided he wanted to play too. LeRoy's new refrigerator started having some problems so he, Jerry and Bryan did some work on that. Bryan helped Bobbi and Marla install some decorative screen protectors on the doors of their Airstreams. Doris and Wheels had a good time washing all the dirt out of Andy's paws. Gregg hooked up his bass guitar for a little afternoon practice. In addition, there were some indoor card games. reading, dog walking, and a whole lot of just visiting and catching up on everyones recent travels. Several people had new “yard décor”. Don and Gail had a new flying flamingo. Baxter and Marlene showed off their new solar light flamingo. Jerry also had a new fancy solar light. Our rally site looked pretty neat after dark. This rally provided something of a fashion show of Airstream themed t-shirts. It seemed like everyone had at least one t-shirt featuring an Airstream of one sort or another. Marla had a shirt and a message folder she had gotten at the International rally that had an Airstream, her name and her membership number embroidered on them.

Saturday Wheels held a business meeting. Agenda items included Don presenting a review of International Rally in Huron. Don also talked about the SNU November rally in Death Valley. Valri talked about the October Region 12 rally in Lodi. She and Gregg are doing a lot of work on that rally and they have some really great ideas about getting people together, making new friends and having a great time. Diane announced that the dates for 2014 Obsidian will be Thursday August 14 to Sunday August 17. Again, it will be a multi-unit rally. We will also be celebrating a birthday so needless to say, this will definitely be a rally you won't want to miss.

Sunday, after a leisurely coffee and goodies everyone got ready to head home. The Kingslands, Liberty, and Williams headed to the Mammoth RV park to join the MoHo contingent for a day or two before heading home. After leaving Mammoth, Don and Gail headed to Churchill Peak near Silver Springs. Don was part of the amateur radio group monitoring an off road race. Another great rally comes to an end.

2013 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2014 Rally Review

6 SNU, 5 guests - Total Rally Participation

Wheels Wheeler

The Rally at Obsidian Dome seemed to be one feast after another. Bobbie Kingsland was one of the primary instigators of these
great feeds. Everyone chipped in and contributed food and helped organize and clean up. Randy Grossmann, Victor Kingsland and Jerry Thornburg were the primary figures involved in preparing the Saturday morning Waffle Breakfast with bacon and sausage. Others contributed fruit and waffle toppings. The weather cooperated for the most part with some breezes in the afternoon. A wild fire developed a few miles away but we were assured by the Forest Service Rangers that we were not at risk. If it should become a threat to our rally they would let us know. As soon as the sun went down it began to cool off and soon required a jacket.

Diane Leipper

It's a good thing there are plenty of great hiking trails near the rally site at Obsidian. We outdid ourselves with special meals at this rally. It started off with our first ever sandwich and salad dinner on Thursday. Friday we had a brunch of four different types of quiches. Friday dinner was sloppy joes. Saturday brunch was Randy's special waffles. Saturday we celebrated Bobbi's birthday with lasagna and angel food birthday cake. Sunday we had morning pastries and danish. Added to this was all sorts of fruit, including a variety of melons grown locally in Fallon and contributed by Dyann & Jerry. Eggs supplied by Diane were used for the quiches, deviled eggs, waffles and other treats. A motivation for some of the meals was Bobbi & Victor's stop at Schat's Bakery in Bishop for bread and pastries. Randy wasn't able to get his preferred mix for waffles but his alternative was delicious. Very light and fluffy. We had a good turnout for this rally so there was a lot of help ensuring all this food was put to good use. Those participating in the rally were Thornburg, Kingsland, Grossmann, Leipper, Wheeler, Swaffer, Hull, and Liberty. We were also delighted to have John Spenard join us on Friday. Wheels had discovered him once again, at the Minden airfield. We first met John a year ago when Wheels invited him to the SNU rally at Rocky Point. Friday Victor, William, and Warren took a long hike up to the meadow. While up there, they spotted a small fire and called it in. Helicopters and Forest Service crews were on it immediately and we were never in any danger. It was entertaining to watch the trucks and horse trailer drive to the nearby staging area. Friday afternoon Rick stopped by for a visit. He was on duty that weekend so he couldn't bring his Airstream to the rally. Saturday for Bobbi's birthday celebration, Marla had picked up a banner and other decorations for the dinner table. Doris loaned Bobbi her Hobo Crown to wear for the evening. We couldn't have candles but we did have lanterns on the table. Saturday after dinner, Wheels held a short business meeting. Marlene had recently called most of the current SNU members. She was interested in why they joined the SNU and find out their ideas about participating in rallies. There was also discussion on promoting the SNU. Diane thanked Marlene for volunteering to call members. She also thanked Randy for his ongoing efforts to get monthly rally announcements in local news media. Marlene also volunteered to put together an SNU basket for the 2014 Region Rally in Pahrump. Another topic was the 2015 Region rally the SNU will be assisting with and what to do with an unsolicited check the SNU received from the Region, That was tabled for the time being. Wheels also mentioned that we still need officers for the 2015 SNU board. The meeting was ajourned in time for birthday cake. In addition to all the eating, several people enjoyed playing board games and cards. Others read books, listened to ham radio, and just relaxed. We all had a great time just visiting, sharing stories, and catching up on adventures. As always, the rally at Obsidian was a lot of fun. We are looking forward to celebrating our 10th anniversary rally at Obsidian in 2015. If anyone would like to help with plans for that celebration, let the SNU know.

2014 Obsidian Rally Participants

August 2016 Rally Review

6 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend for our 10^th rally at Obsidian Dome. We planned on trying a new spot for our gatherings and it worked out great! Instead of being close to the road, we were back by the dome under some big pine trees. Wheels and Doris arrived first and they had our “living room” all set up. It was nice and cool under the trees and great being farther from the road and the dust. Doris kept asking why we hadn’t set up here before. I guess we just didn’t think of it or there were more bushes back there in the past. This was Claudia’s first Obsidian rally and by coincidence she just happened to end up behind the Thornburg’s and Leipper’s just north of Lee Vining. She decided to follow and see where we turned off. Claudia figured right and ended up following us to the rally site. Friday, after fixing a few plumbing leaks, Rick joined us at the rally. This weekend was a full moon. One of the special treats at Obsidian is when the full moon hits the obsidian rocks on the side of the dome. The whole hill twinkles like there are little lights all over it. Amazing. Saturday, Rick took a few of us on a tour of some potential future rally sites. Sawmill turned out to be a little tight, especially for larger rigs, but the road there was very good. It’s a beautiful spot. The panoramic views from the road up were spectacular. We also checked out Hartley Springs which is close to Obsidian. It has designated campsites. Although the road does have some challenges we all felt it was doable so we are planning a rally there in 2017. Saturday Don and Gail arrived. Don had been providing ham radio support for the off road race out of Ruth, NV. They were on their way home. Thursday we had a sandwich and salad dinner. Dyann brought some melons fresh from the Fallon farms. The melons were a delicious addition to our dinners. Saturday’s dinner turned out to be a Mexican buffet. Totally unplanned, we had beans, chili, enchiladas and all the fixin’s. As always with SNU dinners, it was excellent. The other main rally activity was hashing out the 2017 SNU rally schedule. Other than a few changes, it looks like the schedule is pretty well set. Changes include a new restaurant in Gardnerville for our February lunch and a new rally site for the September rally. The restaurant was suggested by Doris who highly recommends it. Check out the schedule in this newsletter. Don and Gail are still planning on hosting an SNU rally in Death Valley this year. The actual date and place aren’t set yet. If you are interested, contact the SNU and work with Don to finalize plans. With another great Obsidian rally now in the memory books, we are all looking forward with excitement and anticipation to the very special SNU 40^th Anniversary rally at Lassen RV Resort in September.

2016 Obsidian Rally Participants

Last	First	Last	First	mbr/guest	Contact	Unit	Year	Month	type	Notes
Laborde	Rick			mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally	arrived on Friday
Leipper2	Bryan		Diane	mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally
Thornburg	Jerry	McDonald	Dyann	mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally
Ward	Claudia			mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally
Wheeler	Richard H.		Doris	mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally
Williams	Don		Gail	mbr		SNU	2016	08	rally	arrived on Saturday

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