50 Years

Over 50 years ago my Dad was Assistant Resident Engineer on the I-80 project that cut a new path and laid concrete over the summit past Lake Tahoe. He stayed in a cabin in Blue Canyon. I remember it was very small (even to a small boy). Two rooms, and a toilet in a closet. He would drive up early Monday morning, come home Wed. evening, drive back up early Thursday morning, then home for he weekend Friday night.

His office was in Emigrant Gap and was the coolest cabin I had ever seen. It was an A-Frame style, and during the winter they dug a tunnel through the snow from the outside door upstairs to the front door downstairs. It made a neat slide.

My good friend Stan Richins works for CalTrans, as Dad did. Stan is in charge of highway maintenance in northern California, including I-80 over the summit. He's kind of a big-wig. He bears the main responsibility for keeping the road open during winter storms, and making the decision to close it needs be.

He was at a ceremony the other day where they were handing out these commemorative medallions honoring the upcoming 50th anniversary of the highway's opening. He brought me one. Like I said, he's a good friend.