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OLD VOLKS
vintage volkswagen club
founded 1993
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Shasta Snow Trip X and Old Volks
Friday, February 5, 2010, 4:30am. It's dark outside, and everything is slightly damp from last night's rain that stopped only hours before. Thirty five, yes count them, thirty five pre 1967 Volkswagen buses line up for the epic adventure that awaits them all. Many are called Newts (previous Shasta participants), while others are Shasta first timers. There is excitement in the air, as the drivers listen to the fearless leader, Brian Piercy. Words of warning, advice and safety are offered up to all. This is the 10th year of the famed Shasta Snow Trip, however, there is no snow in sight. With Mt. Shasta as the final destination and no route set in stone, the adventure begins.
At first, it is as if each bus was shot out of a cannon, and into the dark morning light. It's a winding, muddy, not often travelled mountainous trail that we traverse. There is constant chatter on the CB radios as many communicate on which direction to go, one road is blocked by a locked gate, another is headed the wrong way. In those early moments of the adventure, only miles from the starting point, the Deaf Volks teams are halted in their tracks. A clutch not engaging. Some teams offer help, then leave them to their fate.
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We travel on... Stonyford our first gas stop, which also brings some of the first morning light. Next, a path that has rolling hills, dead coyotes on a fence, and memories of an uncessary bus roll from the previous year. We move on, the first real water crossing. Is it a creek, a river... We blast through, water spraying well above the bus windows for many. What an exhilarating experience for all. Each bus carried their teams across safely. Team OVP has suffered a casualty, a roof rack leg has snapped off. The buses continue on to Vestal Rd. which proves to be a scenic drive, with cows, rolling hills, rocks, trees, and more awesome water crossings. Some buses appear to have halted, it seams that Team BDR (Bad Dog Racing) has gone into a ditch. Where's Team Rescue, Kombi Haus Justin and his winch. Time for all teams to the rescue. What an awesome group of people, coming together to lift the bus from it's side and helping each other when necessary. Off go the buses once again, only to find the next river crossing impassable. Time to back track, and head for gas.
After some driving on Hwy 36, we arrive in Platina, taking only a little over an hour for all 30 plus buses to fill up. It's at this point that our fearless leader, Kombisutra Brian and Team Surf City, break from the pack and take an alternate route, which proves to be snowy and long. The rest of the teams head for the unknown... and tackle the now infamous Muletown Road, the map shows a wiggly, dotted line. It's an unmaintained county road on the back side of Whiskeytown Lake. Dirt, Mud, water, and ruts, known as axle breakers to all the teams and their trusted buses that made this outrageously crazy trek. Just a few miles of paved road and then approximately 5 miles of craziness, with speeds barely above 15 mph. The only CB chatter was sounds of encouragement, tips and approval. Part way in, a couple teams want to turn back, Hippie Tim's rack, with all items attached just popped off and landed on the trail and utterance from the crazy girl driver... she's done! All buses and teams that started Muletown Road made it through. We reached the top, what an adrenaline rush. Teams looked their buses over for signs of visible damage, a dented over rider, a lost shock bolt, and of course Tim's rack. This was a road like no other. After a few photo opportunities at the top of the trail, all teams assembled in their trusted buses for the remainder of the adventure to the Cold Creek Inn at the base of Mt. Shasta, where a hot shower and warn bed awaits all.
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