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Sierra Nevada Unit

SNU Rallies at Unionville County Park

May 2006 Rally Review

9 SNU, 3 guests - Total Rally Participation

Dyann Thornburg

The SNU Unionville rally was held on Thursday, May 18,2006 through Sunday, May 21, 2006 with one of the largest member participation, if not the largest. There were 10 Airstreams rigs and one 5th wheel (sob--some other brand) which belonged to Jerry and Dyann Thorburg's neighbors, Gary and Mary Hill. Roger and Jan Jeppson are our newest SNU members. They joined after attending the April rally and we were pleased to see them again. Gary and Anita Haskett also attended their first rally. They recently purchased a brand new 28ft. 2006 Safari from Mountain Family RV and learned of the WBCCI/SNU from their neighbors Bryan and Diane Leipper. Other member attendees were: Von Gallion and Yvonne DeRoule, Bryan and Diane Leipper, Don and MaryLou Damoth, Roger and Jan Jeppson, Dave Gmur, Rich Jaggard, Randy and Vicky Grossman, Wes and Roylaine Warn and Jerry and Dyann Thornburg for a total of twenty people! The weather was mixed with wind and rain some nights.

Saturday, May 20, 2006 turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day though with lots of sun and warm temperatures. A brunch was held at the Old Pioneer Garden Inn with a total of 24 people (4 of whom where guests of the inn and not part of the rally). Mitzi Jones, owner of the inn, cooked a great homemade brunch for us. Her son Dave gave us a brief history of Unionville, telling us about the mines and the Chinese miners that worked there. He said they are still finding artifacts left behind. After the brunch the Haskett's as well as Von Gallion and Yvonne DeRoule had to leave due to other commitments but the rest of us were given a tour of the old one room schoolhouse. The new owners are in the process of restoring it for use as a party and community hall. From there some of the members returned to their trailers for the customary "inspirational nap". Others went exploring, checking out the wildlife, plants, mines and collecting unique rocks, while a few traveled to Kyle Hot Springs for a soak. Potluck dinner was shared on Friday and Saturday nights with no one walking away hungry.On Sunday the wind was back and most everyone started for home around midmorning with Randy and Vicky Grossman deciding to stay an additional night. A great time was had by all and this area will definitely be put on the schedule for future rallies...great location and wonderful people in Unionville

2006 Unionville Participants

June 2007 Rally Review

6 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Jerry Thornburg

I guess a good way to start this column is to apologize for not being able to take my rig to Unionville for the last rally. Do to a work commitment I had to go to Phoenix for the preceding week not getting home until 2:00 am Saturday morning.

As usual the brunch was very good, and the afternoon conversations were just as good. A birdie, told me that after our talk with Roman and Melissa, they went out and bought a new Airstream. They get to hold the record for showing up with the most new (to them) units. I wish them good fortune with there new unit.

We are coming up on our rally at Obsidian Dome shortly, and there will be new people there according to the emails. I can not say enough about our unit. We continue to grow in membership. The amount of people that want to have rallies out in the middle of the boondocks makes me feel good about the unit. I truly believe that we harkin back to the philosophy of the original members, who went on rallies across the globe without the benefit of full hookups. One of the other things that impresses me is the units taking on projects at some of our rally sites and leaving them in better shape then when we got there. Tim thanked me again for the work the unit did on widening the gate into the park at Unionville, and I know that we have a small project lined up at Obsidian Dome so remember to bring some gloves.

I also hear tell that Randy now has more solar lights than I do so I guess I’ll just have to go buy more. Tim at Unionville also donated two pink flamingos to the unit, there is quite a story to tell on how he picked them up, I will let anyone interested know about the story at Obsidian Dome. Tim’s wife was killed in an ATV accident a little while ago, so our condolences go out to him.

On that note I will close this column before some begin to think I’m not still a hick from the sticks, can not let Roger get the wrong idea. He might think I grew up in Yerington. So Long For now

Diane Leipper

Sheep, wind, humming birds, great food, peacocks, great people, and geology students. What a rally! The weather was beautiful except for evening wind which on Saturday prevented us from having our usual shared meal. Instead we just kind of browsed from trailer to trailer. Thursday just before dark a flock of sheep headed over the hill behind our rally site. The sheep herder was camped just up the canyon from us. We saw several black sheep and learned that they intentionally include one black sheep for every 20 white sheep. The black sheep are called counters as they are the ones counted to determine if any sheep are missing. If a black sheep is missing it means that there are probably some white sheep missing as well. These sheep were herded by Great Pyrenees dogs two of which were puppies (as big as the sheep) and hadn't quite figured out their jobs yet.

Also Thursday evening the park caretaker who lives across the road invited us over to see the humming birds on his back porch. He has six feeders on his porch. Hummers were everywhere buzzing right by our heads. Bryan got some great pictures. Then of course there were the peacocks. They usually let us know when anyone was coming up the road.

Friday Diane from the Old Pioneer came by to see if we were still going there for lunch. Of course we said yes. Our on again off again lunch was now on for Saturday. We had decided to cancel because we couldn't get a good count and didn't want to leave the Old Pioneer in the lurch but when they asked, we weren't going to pass up the opportunity as it was a highlight of our 2006 rally. Our 2007 lunch was even more enjoyable and what a feast. Everyone raved about the quiche. Then there was a very succulent roast turkey, two salads and two dessert. And the ambiance! You just can't beat sitting in the garden under shade trees in such a delightful spot.

Friday evening we had our shared meal in the park enjoying the freshly mowed lawn and a delightful evening. We had just cleaned up when the university geology students arrived. Five or six vans and suburbans full with all their gear. There were 35 or so students and I think, 3 professors in the group. They provided great entertainment watching them set up their tents in the park. This group is participating in a comprehensive, capstone, six credit, six-week geology field camp sponsored by UNR's Department of Geological Sciences & Engineering. It is really an intensive experience. For information on this camp go to: http://www.mines.unr.edu/fieldcamp/

Additional entertainment was provided by SNU members arriving and finding a parking spot. The SNU's apparent predisposition for camping sites in canyons and other areas where level ground is at a minimum has made SNU members masters of various leveling techniques that require creativity and ingenuity. The efforts of Randy Grossmann and Bryan Leipper at leveling the Grossmann's trailer took the prize for this rally. Very artistic and effective effort.

Then, for those of us whose ambition level was more on the order of watching the grass grow, there were Diane Leipper's tortoises. This entertainment though, was a little more active than might appear. The torts really enjoyed the clover, dandelions, and other weeds in the parking area but you had to keep an eye on them that they didn't go too far or into the high weeds. Then somebody would have to retrieve them and bring them back to a safer roaming area.

Here's what Melissa and Roman had to say about the Unionville rally. “To all the coordinators, organizers and especially the "leveling committee" (Roger and Randy). THANK_YOU for all the fun and great time. Roman and I can't stop telling our friends how much fun we had, how great the brunch was (Diane), ALL the info (Jerry, Randy, Bryan et al). You guys did a wonderful job!!!!”

All in all, another wonderful SNU rally. We all feel that maybe Unionville should be an annual event which of course, includes a lunch at the Old Pioneer.

2007 Unionville Participants

May 2008 Rally Review

11 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

Snow one month, record heat the next! One thing about the Great Basin area and SNU rallies, you never know what to expect weather wise. Unionville was just high enough and with trees and a breeze we stayed pretty comfortable. Nights were cool enough that a campfire was enjoyable. We had a great attendance at this rally – 11 Airstreams! Participants included Dyann and Jerry, Wes, and Roy, Dave G., Bryan, Diane, Anita, Randy and Vicki, Roger and Jan, Robert and Yvonne, Kathy and Clint, Melissa and Roman and Gene and Carmen. We haven't seen Clint and Kathy since last year, It was great to catch up on all their travels and everything else they have been doing this past year. Other commitments have kept Randy and Vicki and Roger and Jan from attending earlier rallies so it was great that they were able to come to Unionville. The week before the rally the Old Pioneer called and canceled plans for our anticipated brunch. Dyann got busy and worked out an alternative. She asked Randy to make his famous waffles. Jerry and Dyann provided sausage and Melissa brought her blender for fruit smoothies. It may not have been brunch at the Old Pioneer but I think we all were in agreement that the SNU brunch was a big success. In addition, a new tradition was born – fruit smoothies. Melissa had brought a variety of frozen fruits so everyone could just about have whatever they preferred. They really hit the spot with the waffles. Later in the afternoon Melissa got the blender going again and fruit smoothies were just what was needed on a warm afternoon. Roman even delivered smoothies right to people's door for those who weren't out sitting in the shade of the trees. Jerry got out his propane grill and cooked sausage and bacon for the brunch. I think that grill is going to get a lot more use at future rallies. Roy might have also started something new. She had some flowers she hadn't gotten planted in the yard yet so she brought them with her along with decorative pots. She placed these outside her Airstream and stuck in the solar lights. This created a really nice garden entry area in front of their trailer.

To back track, Unionville's notoriously uneven ground provided the usual exercise in leveling. SNU is obviously getting more experienced at leveling as it seemed to take less time to set up than previous years and everyone comes better prepared with blocks, chocks, and other items needed to get the bubbles in the center. Leveling still provides a lot of entertainment for those who arrive first. We can sit in the shade and watch the other arrivals try to find a spot then watch their creativity at work leveling their trailer. While Randy was busy getting his trailer adjusted Roger and Jan arrived. They took one turn in the parking area, backed out, came in the upper gate and with no effort at all parked in a spot that was level side to side. All they had to do was jack up the hitch. This time Jerry gets the prize. The rear of his Airstream ended up on stilts. It looked a lot like a house you see in flood prone areas. Pretty amazing.

All in all it was a nice relaxing weekend. Various participants hiked all over the hills. Gene and Carmen took off exploring on their ATV. Most of us chose just to sit and visit and watch the peacocks and hummingbirds. Tim had put hummingbird feeders in the apple trees and the birds had no problem feeding with us sitting close by. Saturday evening a father and his three boys set up camp in the park. The SNU campfire provided them with a ready made fire for hot dogs and marshmallows. Sunday we had our usual coffee, goodies, and conversation before loading up and heading home. Unionville, once again proved to be one of our favorite rally sites.

2008 Unionville Participants

September 2009 Rally Review

8 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

It was a perfect September weekend for a rally in Unionville although the daytime temps were a little higher than average for this time of year. We had a great turnout but we were missing some spouses. Dyann came up with Bryan and Diane and made use of their BVan as Jerry had to work. Gary and Gene were also on their own. Both Anita and Carmen had work related commitments. Other SNU members attending the rally were Anita, Don and Gail, Wes and RoyLaine, and Brian, Jeni, and Nick. That made a total of eight rigs. It was great to see Brian, Jeni and son Nick as it has been quite a while and we had a lot of catching up to do. After the rally Don and Gail will be heading to Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival. We hope to get a report for a future SNU newsletter. Activities at the rally consisted of the usual, informal, do whatever suits you type stuff. We had fantastic shared meals on Friday and Saturday evenings and also morning coffee and goodies. Some of the more energetic participants – Gene, Don, Brian, Jeni, and Nick took a nice long hike up the canyon. Don got some great pictures. The Roots also brought some lighted boccie balls. The grassy park provided the perfect place for a nighttime game of boccie. Dyann filled us in on all the upgrades and remodeling she and Jerry have done on their Classic Airstream Motorhome. Wes and Roy's frig quit working and after a little checking around, Don found a fried bug in the igniter. Once that was cleaned up, their frig was working just fine. Friday night we had a gas campfire thanks to Don and Gail. Saturday we had a wood campfire thanks to Gene. I think the SNU has sunk to a new low though, as we spent some time around the campfire checking our blood pressures. Don said it was because of our business meeting and the discussion of the need for officers and rally hosts. Others wondered if it was because SNU rallies are so laid back we had to check and make sure everyone's heart was still beating. It gave us all a good laugh though. A more appropriate campfire entertainment was provided by Nick, who serenaded us with some really nice music on his guitar. Our planned special event didn't work out much to our disappointment but the SNU once again lived up to it's creed of flexibility. We may not have had a gourmet brunch but we did have margaritas made with home grown limes. We had Jeni's special home canned salsa to go with chips and the margaritas. We had salads with home grown carrots, grapes, and apples. A special treat was Dyann's first from scratch apple pie made of course, with home grown apples. We also had special “home grown” double yolk hard boiled eggs. In addition to all that, Gary cooked us a delicious pork roast in his Cobb cooker. There were other contributions to the menu as well so needless to say, we didn't go hungry. To add to the ambiance, Jeni brought some really cute pink flamingo candles for the dinner table. A beautiful site, great weather, great food, great company, it doesn't get much better. On the way home Sunday, several of us stopped at the local truck stop for lunch before hitting the road. Another SNU rally has now been added to the collective Unit stories repertoire.

2009 Unionville Participants

June 2010 - Unionville Rally

8 SNU - Total Rally Participation

Diane Leipper

What a great turnout! What a great rally! We had eight rigs at the rally including Frank and Carol Colligan and Jim and Barbara Muff. This was the first Unionville rally for them. It was the first ever rally for Jim and Barbara. Frank and Carol were at our Sweetwater Summit rally last June. Then we got a wonderful surprise. Von Gallion and Yvonne DeRoule showed up. We thought they'd be in Gillette playing in the band. Other rally participants included Gene & Carmen & four grandkids, Jerry & Dyann, Wes & Roy, Roger & Janet, and Bryan & Diane. Weather wise, we had some cloudy windy weather with a few drops of rain and then it turned sunny and hot - a little different from the snow last month. This was Amateur radio field day weekend and Frank came prepared. We weren't sure what the reception would be like in the canyon but skip conditions enabled Frank to end up with even more contacts than he got last year at Sweetwater. Bryan also made a few contacts. Roger discovered he had a water leak and it turned out to be a cracked water pump. That necessitated a trip into Winemmucca for a new pump which he and Jerry then installed. Saturday we had our shared dinner in the picnic area. Roger had cooked a roast in his Cobb cooker that was an great addition to the dinner. We cut the evening short though as the wind was a little too gusty and cool. Saturday we had planned to have a “formal” dinner to celebrate our 5^th year at Unionville. Come to find out it was Roger's birthday so we had a double reason to celebrate. Jerry, with some assistance from Gene, cooked a roast over the campfire on his battery operated spit. As usual, it was excellent. We had a white table cloth with a candelabra and champagne glasses with sparkling cider. Janet brought a birthday cake. Then there was the usual excellent variety of contributions of salads and other items. All in all a dinner worthy of the celebration. We had a great campfire Saturday night. Gene and Carmen's grandkids had a good time with marshmallows. The majority of the weekend was filled with the usual SNU activities – morning coffee and conversation sessions, Airstream discussions and tweaking and maintenance, reading, hiking, staying cool, walking dogs, ham radio sessions, eating, and recuperating from all the activity with inspirational naps. Frank and Carol have participated in two WBCCI Caravans and are planning on a third this fall. We really enjoyed hearing about their experiences. Roger and Janet in particular, talked with them about caravans as they have been interested in possibly participating in one that piqued their curiosity. Jim and Barbara have done a lot of personal traveling in their Airstream and really enjoyed it. Now that he has a better picture of what we like, Jim has a few ideas for potential SNU rally sites that he plans on checking out. It was great catching up with Von and Yvonne. Von has had a lot of work done getting the 1987 Sovereign he bought fixed up after his previous Airstream bit the dust. The result is a nice comfortable Airstream with some updated features . He and Yvonne have been busy as usual including attending various rallies. They apparently enjoy sharing tales of their experiences with the SNU. In particular the story of our BBQ in a blizzard at Washoe Lake one year. The SNU must have an interesting reputation in Region 12. Von will be 90 this December and he and Yvonne both are an inspiration for us all. It is now time to start renewing membership for 2011. Everyone at the rally has renewed so the SNU is off to a good start. We thank you all. We also thank you for another great rally.

2010 Unionville Participants

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