The kids are pretty much out of the house so Betsy and I are making an effort to spend more time with old friends. So we arranged to meet in Sierraville with Mark, Julie, Graeme and Debbi for some riding. Mark and Julie flew in in his beautiful P210 (photo later) while Graeme and Deb drove from their home near Truckee. Graeme and Deb guided us on a wonderful 42 mile loop north to Beckwourth, through a bird sanctuary and back to Sierraville.
Graeme and Deb had an event to go to, but everyone else stayed and rode a mile into downtown Sierraville to stay at the only hotel, The Globe, and the only dinner restaurant, Dos Hermanos (pretty good). We read on Tripadvisor that the Globe was haunted but we failed to witness any poltergeistic activity. The Globe is owned by Sierraville Hot Springs resort and seems to be used as an overflow. The lodge at the hot springs was full, but there were plenty of rooms at the Globe. We took a walk after dinner and saw some awesome clouds over the valley.
This photo is a good shot of a Cessna P210 vs. a Cessna T210. Mark’s plane – the one with the nice paint job – is pressurized and thus has smaller windows to withstand the pressure. Mine – the one that is painted like a 1980’s refrigerator – is turbocharged but not pressurized. I have oxygen tanks and have to use oxygen above 12,500 feet whereas Mark can just keeping climbing in quiet comfort. The benefit for me in the T model is that there isn’t a pressure-vessel wall that separates the cabin from the baggage compartment, so I have an easier time carrying bikes, skis, etc. The P models always look quite a bit different to me, somehow larger and more airline-like, but they are similar except for the windows.
West Coast Flying Adventures 