The San Francisco call., 1909-05-23
HARD AUTO TRIP
TO LAKE TAHOE
Gilbert p. Beere of Sacramento
in His Studebaker the First
to Get Through
Snow, Mud, Dust and Bad Roads
Encountered in the
Journey

A studebaker 40" has blazed the way
to Lake Tahoe this season. The feat
was accomplished last Sunday by Gill
bert P. Beere of Sacramento. HaIsey w.
Smith, the Capital City Studebaker
agent. Mrs. Beere and Mrs. 8eere's sis
ter
All kinds of roads from dust six and
eight inches deep to sn;Ow banks
through which the motorists. were COM
PEELED to shovel roads wese .encoun-
tered. The round trip of. Els miles
was made in 10 hours running time
aRd on less than II gallons Of gaso-
line. In speaking of this trip Beere
said:
I'VE left Sacramento at o'clock In
the morning last Sunday with a goOS
supply of oil. CHAINS, ropes. showers.
ETC., to get there or die in the at
tempt. We knew beforehand that the
snow was deep at the summit. but
felt sure we could shovel our way
through in some manner. The run 10
Placerville was made in good time, the
greater portion of the road being in a
fair condition, although the dust in
places was from six to eight inches
deep and severe on the eyes and lubri-
cation. At Placerville we stopped 80
minutes and took on new supply of
gasoline.
The long up grade from Placerville
was satisfactorily overcome. although
the road was newly plowed and was
very heavy. Then commenced the beau
tiful stretch down the American River
canyon. The scenery for the next so
miles was indescribably grand; the
miniature falls and the bea utiful clear
water with it's rugged and awe inspir-
ing background form series of land
scapes worth crossing the continent
TO see. All the way up through Slip
perry ford to Strawberry valley the
grade is easy and the road good.
After leaving Strawberry valley our
trouble commenced. The grade from
that point to the summit is steep and
the first part of the road is no road
at all, merely hill of loose bOulders
over which the car climbed like a
gopher to our great astOnishment, as
we were fully expecting the engine to
die at every yard, but nothing stopped
her until we reached the deep snow.
I'VE had put chains on before COM
mencing the climb and by shOveling a
track through the snow for one side OF
the car we made five miles of hard
grilling. The grade became worse as
we ascended and at the summit we
found the road covered with half
melted snow for a quarter of a mile at
d SlfclCHs buL We HdQ IcdCntu luc
I'VE were hungry and tired Out, and
knowing what was ahead of us, turned
our course back toward Placerville. ar
riving there at Gas o'clock in the even
ing. We resumed our journey at 1880
o'clock and arrived home via Folsom
at 11:15 o'clock that night. The car
worked like a charm and was running
as smoothly and quietly when we
stopped in front of the garage as when
we started out in the morning after
having covered 215 miles in about Il
hours running time. The hood was not
opened once on the trip. Most OF the
trip was made on the lower gears. It
was hard day for the women, and had
IL not been for the easy riding quail
ties of the machine / doubt if they
could have stood ii. The next day we
were all fresh as daisies and astonished
everybody who knew the road by what
we had accomplished"