BlackOps

Who: A bunch of Corvette enthusiasts and friends

What: A cruise of the Eastern Sierras

When: June 8th, 9th, and 10th

Where: Lone Pine, Ca.

Activities for the three days include:
Cruising the Eastern Sierras
A pizza party on Saturday night
A people's choice car show Saturday night
Copious amounts of yodeling

What to bring with you:
Warm and wet weather clothing (just in case)
A folding chair
A FRS radio set to channel 7-1

For the Cruise: This year we've surpassed the usual number of cars and we may have some parking issues at our stops. Don't expect to be able to park all in one group, and be ready to think on your feet for car placement. The only real issue may be at Convict Lake, but we should be able to squeeze them in. Be prepared for anything.

June 8th - Optional for those interested in a late lunch while they're waiting for their check in time, we'll meet at Diaz Lake at approximately 1:30 PM for a cruise up to Mt. Whitney Portal for lunch. Parking at the Portal is limited so please park in the lower lot.

Later Friday evening we'll return to Diaz Lake around 6:00 PM for happy hour. Several cruisers are bringing some special treats, but be sure to bring some munchies and sodas with you to share with the group. There'll be some ice on hand to add to your sodas. For you first timers, you can expect indoctrination into yodeling by the shores of Diaz Lake. Once the sun goes down the bugs might come out so we'll probably start cleaning up around 7:30 and head back to the hotels.

June 9th

Last year Kelly and Stan Barber got us all involved in helping to raise a couple of bucks for the fight against cancer by putting together some poker hands at our stops. It's a great opportunity to meet all the new folks and gives those of us with stronger internal organs something to do while folks scramble for a potty break, etc. I've asked Kelly and Stan if they wouldn't mind doing it again this year, and with a little arm twisting they've agreed. Now if I can only keep straight if a flush beats a straight . . .

At 8:00 AM we'll meet at Diaz Lake, be sure to arrive with a full tank of gas and a clean windshield. I'll have printed maps available along with an itinerary for those interested in that sort of thing.

At 8:15 AM we'll gather everyone together for a drivers meeting and to allow Kelly and her dealers to make a few announcements. She'll also have some handouts regarding the poker stops.

At 8:30 AM sharp StanO will lead us out of Lake Diaz as we depart for the drive up 395 to Lee Vining. Zero out your odometers before you leave.

Our first stop for nature calls and the first poker hand will be 60 miles later in Bishop. If we don't arrive in Bishop as a group you'll turn right on Park Avenue. This will be 30 minute stop, time starts when the last car gets parked.

We then continue up 395 another 65 miles to Tioga Pass for lunch at the Mobil Mart. What? A gas station for lunch? (not to worry, they have a gourmet cook on hand, really). We'll plan on 90 minutes for lunch, and what better way to work off lunch than with a hand of poker.

After lunch for anyone interested there will be a short 30 minute drive up to Lee Vining Canyon to the entrance of Yosemite and back for a photo op near a lake that has been frozen over each time we've visited in the past. The remainder of the group will wait for your return.

Once the Yosemite Entrance folks have rejoined us we hit 395 south to the June Lake Loop at approximately 130 miles into our cruise. Be very alert on the June Lake loop. During my recon run a deer jumped onto the road in front of me.

The next 30 minute stop is Convict Lake for a photo op, a stretch and another poker hand. When we pull into Convict Lake we'll head for one of the parking lots used for motor homes. This little parking lot is tucked away and last year we squeezed 25 cars in their without a problem. This year everyone should be prepared to help each other by spotting the cars as we squeeze into the lot. This will be about 167 miles on your odometers.

If we're on schedule, the last official stop of the trip will be in Bishop at the Jack in the Box at the south end of town around 3:00 PM. This is also a 30 minute break for another poker hand. As we pull into Bishop this is also a good opportunity to fill up and clean the bugs off the windshield. If you elect to stop before going to the Jack in the Box, please update me so we can watch out for you. The rule is simple, no Vette left behind unless you want to be.

In the past we've also stopped at Manzanar Relocation camp to regroup, if there's enough interest and if we get back early enough we may also take the tour. We'll talk that over at the Jack in the Box.

That should put us back in in Lone Pine about 264 miles later and around 5:00 PM.

We're organizing a pizza party again this year at the Number 6 dance in the common area at the Dow Villa at 7:00 PM. Everyone should be prepared to kick in at least $5 a head for pizza and salad and be prepared to help with the cleanup. There will be a chest or two there with ice to add to your drinks, but you'll be on your own for drinks. We'll also have an inpromptu Show and Shine again this year in the parking lot after pizza, so be prepared to shine 'em up and be judged! You'll also be able to vote for the car with the least number of bugs. Around 9:00 PM we'll take a few minutes to police up our trash and the award for the car with the fewest bugs will be presented. Also during the pizza party, Stan Barber has prepared a couple of short flicks with highlights of previous year's cruises that we'll have running on the Dow's big screen TV in their lobby. Make sure you take a few minutes to watch the fun from the past.

June 10th - We'll meet at Diaz Lake at 8:30 AM and depart at 9:00 AM for a short cruise to Horseshoe Meadows. For those with some adventure in them we may head into the Alabama Hills before going up to Horseshoe Meadows, others may go directly to the Meadows and wait for the Alabama Hills group. After a brief stop over at the Meadows we'll head back over to Mt. Whitney Portal for a final "official" meeting, and call this a wrap for 2007.

So grab your folding chairs, bring some warm clothes and an umbrella or two, just in case, and let's kick off the summer in Lone Pine.

(as always, because I'm over 50 I reserve the right to have forgotten to add things to this post. Any changes I make will not be of major significance, I promise. Probably only spelling etc.)

Signed up so far 67 people and 39 cars :
Forum Name / Name / Car / Arrival Day / Hotel
BlackOps / Don2 / 2006 MSM Coupe / Friday / Dow Villa
Jimman / Jim / Z????? - 1
Y2YellowCoupe / Dana & Jackie / Y2K Yellow Coupe
BearCreekC6 / Bob & Austin / 07 MSM Coupe / Friday
JohnsC5 / John / 98 Coupe
Blue4Two / Carey & Debbie / 04 LMB CE / Friday
b_pappy / Bruce & Tracy / 00 Yellow Vert / Friday
Rod's 04 / Rod & Terry / 05 MR Coupe / Friday / Dow Villa
StanO / Stan & Karen / 07 Silver Z
ONE4RITA / Steve & Rita / 05 Victory Red / Friday / Dow Villa
GreenEyedBandit / Leslie / 05 DSOM Coupe / Friday
David Garren / Dave & Colleen / 06 LMB Coupe / Thursday / Dow Villa
C54MREW / Elvy & Gwen / 01 Torch Red Coupe / Friday
Blob / Bob & Karen / 06 DSOM Coupe/Friday/ Dow Villa
VegasRed2001 / John & Audrie / 01 MR Coupe / Friday
ThreeD / Don1 / 03 Z06 / Friday
xtream1 / Paul / C5 / Friday / Dow Villa
Frenchican / Tommy / 06 Z06 MSM / Friday
Ran-D / Randy & Margarita / 01 Navy Blue Vert / Friday / Dow Villa
FletchTL / Tim & Laurel / 07 LMB Coupe / Friday / Dow Villa
Bluerag / Stan & Kelly / 2001 C5 NBM Vert / Friday / Dow Villa
RidgecrestRuby / Diane & Lynne / '06 MR Coupe / Friday / Dow Vila
Ron DeBartolomeis / Ron & Karen / 03 Black Coupe / Friday / Dow Villa
VetteWhite/Rosa and Norma/00 wht vert/Friday/Dow
Tri Tip / Bryan / '07 Le Mans Blue Coupe / Friday
rhyminsZ08 / Ray & Cheri / DSOM '06 Z06 / Friday / Dow Villa
Rastus / Jim & Karen / 07 OO/Coupe/Friday/ Dow Villa
MTV / Mike & Eunice / 03 / Coupe / Friday
Greg & Shelley / 05 white C6
Ricks-LS1 / Vanita and Rich / '98 TR Vert / Dow Villa
RonSS / Ron and Diane / 02 Coupe / Friday / Dow
Team5150/Tom & Stacey/06 VY Coupe/Friday / Dow Villa
PowerDoc / Joe & Andrea / '99 Coupe
AWSM Vet / James / '97 Red Coupe /
Spiral04 / Jason / 04 Vert
Oh-Yaa / John & Sheri / 04 AE Vert
RidgecrestC5 / Dennis / '02 Coupe
NigelNewGuy / Nigel / '00 Silver Coupe
VetteSM / Scott and Michelle / '03 White Vert

Caravan Info:

From Orange County

I'll be leaving from Beach Blvd and the 405 at 6:00 AM, then on to the GOCC at the Ride & Drive at Via Princessa and Highway 14 around 7:00 AM. That should put us in Ridgecrest around 10:30 AM at Beanster's for coffee and to pick up anyone from Ridgecrest that would like travel the last leg with us to Lone Pine. Providing we have no trouble along the way we should all arrive in Lone Pine around 1:00 PM to overtax the hotel staff with our check in.

From Limonite and the 15 at 5:30 AM heading to Via Princessa and the 14:
Y2KYellowCoupe

From the 405 and Beach Blvd at 6:00 AM heading to Via Princessa and the 14:
BlackOps
Ron DeBartolomeis
RonSS

From Las Vegas around 8:00 AM:
John & Audrie
John & Sherri

At Via Princessa and Highway 14 at 7:00 AM:
b_pappy
C54MREW
ThreeD
Frenchican
TriTip
Blue4two
Spiral04
GreenEyedBandit

In Ridgecrest we'll meet, and leave for Lone Pine at approximately 11:00 AM:
Tim & Laural
Randy & Margarita
Stan & Karen
Rod & Terry
Bob & Karen
Greg & Shelly

Ridgecrest Alternates, leaving later in the day.
Diane & Lynn
John & Audrie
John & Sheri
Stan & Kelly

And a couple of pix from a couple of Lone Pine runs from the past. :


Fall 2004


March 2005


June 2005


June 2006

I also want to thank everyone that joined us last year for your patience and cooperation in my first attempt at organizing at Corvette Cruise, and I hope we'll all have a great time again.

BlackOps

Don , aka BlackOps, I'm driving an '06 MSM Coupe that used to be affectionately referred to as dimples, thanks to b_pappy. Well those days are over, my car has had some cosmetic surgery and my dimple is filled in.

See you all in Lone Pine.

Don

jimman

second

Y2YELLOWCOUPE

Im going one way or another Dana

BlackOps

Jim, Dana,

Welcome back to the Cruise, glad you can both make it.

D

BearCreekC6

Bob and Austin will be there!! Maybe MJ too!!.... '07 MSM Coupe......Arriving for lunch on Friday.......Dow Villa (295336)......

JohnsC5

Count me in, Don. Great idea to circle the vettes for pizza on Saturday!

Kris072

I'm out thats the same weekend as the Anniversary get together in Dallas

BlackOps

Bob, Austin, and John,

Good to have you back again, guys.

Kris, won't they have another anniversary next year? C'mon, get your priorities in line.

Blue4two

Don,

Add Carey and Debbie to the list!

04 Blue Commemorative convertible

BlackOps

Consider yourselves added.

b_pappy

Black_Ops,
Glad to hear the cosmetic surgery (on the car) was a success. Tracy and I wouldn't miss this annual installment. We've been practicing our "top raising" times also. We do this with a sprinkler raining on us to add realism. Pretty tough to beat last years times though. Anyhow, we're in.
Bruce & Tracy
2000 Convertible (with rare CWW option)
See ya then!

Rod's 04

Count us in! We will be there Friday afternoon
Rod & Terry
05 Mag Red Coupe

Blue4two

We are now booked at the Dow Villa - arriving Friday!

b_pappy

Tracy says you'll always be dimples to her.

Hey, does Pool Boy know about this?

Bruce & Tracy

BlackOps

And Tracy will always be, well . . . Tracy, to me.

Carey and Debbie, Rod and Terry, and Bruce (the word meister) and Tracy . . . You're all counted and in. Woo Hoo!

We got 4 months to go, and I'm already packing. Got my badge, Carmen's all programed and we're set.

And thanks, Grumpy, for sticking us at the top again.

Hey, Pool Boy, c'mon aboard and be counted. We all know a hard Pool Boy is good to find! (or that's what I hear, anyway)

b_pappy

4 months! Crud, that's a long time to wait.
Bruce

BlackOps

I was going to start a countdown, but it would be too depressing.

stano

You can count Karen and I in, that is, if our car is out of the body shop by then.

Yes, you heard it right. We had a big rig truck smack us during a lane change today at the 5 & 710 interchange in L.A. and the rear left fender got a "kiss" from the right front tire of the big rig. Fortunately no one was hurt. In fact, the big rig driver didn't know he hit us. I had to wave him down. Anyway, she'll go into the shop asap for minor surgery.

The good news is, I saved.......ahhh, never mind.

See ya all in a few months.

BlackOps

Dang, Stan. I'm glad to hear it wasn't anything serious, and you and Karen are OK. The plastic can always be repaired. I'm sure it will turn out fine and in plenty of time for the cruise.

See ya' soon.