Steam Donkey Steam Up at Shaver Lake

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We went over to the Central Sierra Historical Society museum for their annual steamup where they run the old steam donkey that used to pull logs through the forests around Shaver Lake when all the old growth sugar pine were cut down.

 

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A part of the original lumber flume that carried rough cut wood out of the mountains and down to the valley below.

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An original restored line truck used when Southern California Edison built the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project.


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A part of the original water piping in the area.


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Old school winch.



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The caboose from the old San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad built to service the hydro dams.

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The mockup of Redinger Powerhouse where an old pelton turbine is installed to show people interested in how hydropower works.

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The old pelton wheel is inside this green circle.


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The controls to sync the generator with the grid.  These controls still work!

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An example of a pelton wheel.

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They cranked the generator up to show us how it works.


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Shaver lake sure is pretty.

4x4ing with my parents on Bald Mountain

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My parents and I ventured up the road that goes to the top of Bald Mountain in my Toyota 4runner.  Back when my parents worked for the ranger district here, the fire lookout was always crewed in the summer and someone in a stock pickup could drive to the top with ease.  Now it’s a fairly serious 4×4 route with lots of exposed, slick granite covered in fine sand.

We met up with a family in a UTV heading up the way.  We stuck together for a while in case anyone had problems.  Finally, we reached a patch of slick rock that I wasn’t confident the truck could easily do (no lockers) so I turned around at that point.

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Heading along the trail.


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My little Toyota out and about.


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It’s a really pretty area.  Next year once I have lockers, armor, and bigger tires, I should be able to get up to the top without incident.