It was sunny yesterday, reminding us that there are two types of people who predict weather in the mountains: Damn Tourists and Damn Fools. It started about 5:00 AM, and by the time we were up, we needed 4X4 and chains to safely negotiate the snow-clogged roads. Installing our Pewag Cross-Link chains, (www.pewagchain.com), on the aggressive Michelin XZLs in a blowing blizzard was good practice. The big lugs on the XZLs were no match for hard-packed snow and ice. Chains were mandatory.

Snow was a minor inconvenience for The Turtle V.

Installing Pewag chains in a blowing blizzard. Good practice!

The view from Harveys 19 Kitchen – Bar in South Lake Tahoe is the place to dine. Even an ordinary occasion becomes magical over a glass of Argentine Cabernet while the Chef prepares rack of lamb or one of his many specialties from the hardwood grill. Winter sunsets can be spectacular from the top of Harveys Casino on the shore of one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

Sunset dining on the 19th floor of Harveys Resort and Casino.

Winter sunsets can be spectacular from the top of Harveys Casino.

The scenery is memorable from almost anywhere on the shore of Lake Tahoe, the “Jewel of the Sierra”. For a special treat, we jumped into a R44 Raven II helicopter (operated by Reno-Tahoe Helicopters) for a birds-eye view of the South Shore including Emerald Bay and Cascade Lake, backed by the Winter Wonderland of Desolation Wilderness. TIP: Before you take off ask them to remove the doors!

It’s definitely a unique way to see Lake Tahoe. Among large lakes, this amazing national treasure is the second highest in the world (6.225 feet). With a maximum depth of 1,645 feet, its 39 trillion gallons of water would cover all of California to a depth of 14 inches.

Among large lakes, Lake Tahoe has the second highest elevation in the World (6,225 ft). The highest is Lake Titicaca in South America (12,500 ft)

Cascade Lake backed by the Winter Wonderland of Desolation Wilderness.

A short fishing trip on Lake Tahoe for the famed Mackinaw trout was successful. Even if we had not caught more fish that we could eat, the scenery from Tahoe Sport Fishing’s Hopper IV was awe inspiring, (www.tahoesportfishing.com). There are three parts of fishing. Actually fishing. Can be boring. Catching fish. Can be fun. Eating fresh fish. That’s the best part! We are catch-and-eat fisher people.

Captain Kris did a great job getting our bait into the schools of Machinaw at about 160 ft.

Catch-and-Eat---Ready for the grill

Our week long camp on the beautiful shore of Agua Verde Bay in Baja California was idyllic. Now heading north to re-visit other lonely beaches, our journey was abruptly interrupted by what could only be described as a catastrophic tire blow-out. Limping off to the side of the highway, we assessed the damage and quickly put the spare on, still a little in shock. We had never experienced such an explosion of a tire without any warning nor did we ever expect it to occur on a military grade Michelin XZL. We pondered the situation and continued, knowing full well that we had over 1,000 miles of back-road to travel with no spare and a cracked frame. We put our trust in the Gods of the Road, but this was not the end of our problems! It was definitely Bahía de Los Angeles the Hard Way.

This episode is now posted under Adventures-Mexico-Baja California on our website: www.turtleexpedition.com

Clearly, this tire was way beyond any repair!

A month later (the beginning of August 1996) we traveled in the Republic of Tuva in Central Southern Siberia when we got REALLY stuck in a bog going over an isolated pass. We somehow had to turn around but with the support trailer in tow, it was extremely difficult. A short while later, three young “yakboys” (cowboys) showed up on horseback. They indicated that no other vehicle will come either direction until next Spring!! Swell. So much for getting a tow! It had started to snow and it was getting dark. After several hours of joint efforts hauling rocks and using two HiLift Jacks, we finally managed to turn the truck and trailer around. It was pitch black. All Gary could see in his rear view mirrors was Monika frantically waiving her flashlight in an effort to guide The Turtle IV around deep lurking holes.

This was only the beginning of the nightmare.......

We finally made it. What a relief! This was the worst stuck we’ve ever encountered. Later, we all sat in the cozy warm camper eating hot soup Monika had quickly concocted. We had lot’s of fun communicating with pictures and an English-Russian dictionary. Tuvans are famous for their throat singing. Gary put on some local music. The yakboys shook their heads in unison. Oh no, they didn’t want to hear THAT music, they wanted to hear American Music. We listened to non other than Whitney Houston! Great memories.

This Tuvan Cowboy, or as we called them "Yakboy" since they were herding yaks (high altitude cows), and his friends were a great help!

On our next expedition, The TransEurasian Odyssey, Whitney’s Star-Spangled Banner will certainly travel with us again, this time on an iPod. Whitney may be gone but her songs will live on forever!

Whitney Houston holds a very special place in our hearts.

It was Super Bowl 1991. To our utter dismay the Gulf War had started. We were excited to have been invited by Dave Ohlhausen, then V.P. of Rain-X, to attend a huge Super Bowl Party at the Hilton Convention Center in Las Vegas where we were sitting at the table with Dave’s friend, David Hasselhoff and his wife. When Whitney Houston started singing the National Anthem (Star-Spangled Banner), everyone jumped to their feet. We were all awestruck at the exquisite and emotional rendition of the song knowing that the troupes were watching overseas. Tears were running down on many of our cheeks. It was a moment, we’ll never forget!

July 4, 1996: We celebrate the US Independence Day on beautiful Lake Baikal, Russia.

Later, Gary purchased a tape (yes, no CDs yet) and we carried Whitney’s National Anthem  with us on our 1996 Trans-Siberian Expedition. On July 4, (the US Independence Day) we sat on a lonely beach at beautiful Lake Baikal’s East Shore. It was a glorious afternoon, the water was calm and crystal clear. Russians believe that if you swim in Lake Baikal, you’ll live 25 years longer! We couldn’t pass up this opportunity and took a quick dip in the icy water. Gary later stuck Whitney’s tape into the cassette player and turned up the volume full blast. We toasted with a shot of vodka, eat the quintessential American buttered popcorn and were extremely grateful for the freedom we sometimes take for granted and for Russia and its wonderful people to be moving forward into a brighter future.

Soon, an old lady came investigating the music with a gift of fresh Omul in hand. We shared our popcorn which she ate in amazement. It was not the only time Russians were surprised that you could pop corn and it tasted so delicious!

This old lady brought us a gift, a freshly caught Omul which is a whitefish species of the salmon family endemic to Lake Baikal.

In case you missed this article in Power Stroke Registry or Four Wheeler magazine, check out our newly uploaded adventure under Mexico and Baja California: Agua Verde, a hidden Paradise in the Sea of Cortez. You can also go to the World Map page on our site and zoom in to the beach where we camped.

Camps like Agua Verde don’t come along every day, but following Baja backroads increases your chances ten fold.

During our recent exploration of the Point Reyes National Seashore earlier this month, we had the pleasure of stopping at the Drakes Bay Oyster Farm. We have enjoyed fresh oysters from Baja California to Mexico’s Caribbean; from the coast of Mississippi to the tidal rocks of Desolation Sound in B.C. Never have we tasted better than those at Drakes Bay. Oysters have been harvested here for nearly 100 years, and the family who now owns the farm is doing a fabulous and very ecologically conscious job of preserving the area. In these days when issues like organically grown, locally grown, sustainability, biodiversity and being green have become so important, it’s amazing that the National Park Service is planning on closing them down, refusing to extend their lease. Drakes Bay Oyster Company is the last and only FDA approved oyster cannery in California. 26 employees will loose their jobs. If you’d like to help save this treasure of Marin County and the Point Reyes National Seashore, please write to the Hon. Ken Salazar, Secretary, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington DC 20240.

Go to websites below for more information.

http://drakesbayoyster.com/

http://oysterzone.wordpress.com/

http://www.alsamarin.org/

Thanks!

A kitchen knife works to open oysters but buy a special oyster knife. It is a much easier and safer way.

We parked next to the bay, surrounded by mountains of oyster shells. These can recycled.

Brigit shows us a few medium-size oysters. She also make a great cocktail sauce if you didn't bring any.

Celebrating Gary’s birthday at Point Reyes National Seashore: It was refreshing to find so much natural beauty and wilderness so close to San Francisco. The nine-mile beach north of the Point Reyes light house begged to be strolled on. Instead we made the 4.7 mile hike out to Tomales Point. We were fortunate to see several herd of Tule Elk up close.

Point Reyes beach viewed from the light house is nine miles long!

This Tule Elk shows off his rack and his harem.