Category Archives: books

Life in the Slipstream

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CARSON CITY, NEVADA – The Carson City Library will host South Lake Tahoe author Andrew Homan on Tuesday, September 20th at 6:00 p.m.  Homan has written a riveting account about one of America’s most famous athletes, Bobby Walthour Sr.  The book, Life in the Slipstream: The Legend of Bobby Walthour Sr., is about a great American professional cyclist nearly forgotten by time.

Life in the Slipstream
September 20th at 6:00 p.m

Says, Amazon.com:

A century before Lance Armstrong captured headlines around the world by winning a record seventh consecutive Tour de France, another American dominated the world of competitive cycling. His name was Bobby Walthour, and in the early 1900s he was one of the world’s most famous and highly paid athletes.

Life in the Slipstream chronicles Walthour’s rise from a lowly bicycle messenger in Georgia to a two-time national and international cycling champion who was nearly as popular in Paris and his adopted home of Berlin as he was in his hometown of Atlanta. His career parallels the surging popularity of the bicycle in America, and this biography depicts his life against the backdrop of the bicycle craze that swept America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Readers will experience the rough-and-tumble world of professional cycling at the turn of the twentieth century, where deadly accidents and illicit drugs were commonplace. During Walthour’s long career, more than a dozen of his rivals were killed or permanently injured. He himself suffered multiple injuries—from fractured ribs and separated collarbones to mangled fingers and concussions—and was twice declared dead as a result of racing accidents. But Walthour’s fortunes on the racing circuit ultimately took a dramatic turn for the worse when his personal life began to unravel because of drug abuse and an unhappy marriage that culminated in his attempted murder—by his own wife. Life in the Slipstream is an unforgettable account of the rise and fall of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.

About the Author
Andrew M. Homan is an avid bicycle racing fan and writer who has been published in Cycle Sport, Road Bike Action Magazine, and Velo News. He lives in Lake Tahoe, California.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Metal Cowboy – A Book Review

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A book review of Metal Cowboy – Tales From the Road Less Pedaled by Joe Kurmaskie

Back in May of 2009, I attended the Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference up at Lake Tahoe. Author Joe Kurmaskie was one of the guest speakers at the conference, speaking on bicycle advocacy during the day, and entertaining the crowd at night. He was also there selling his books between events, so I got a chance to talk with Joe, buy a couple of his books, and even have lunch with him.

Joe Kurmaskie is a passionate man, and full of energy. Having heard him address the crowd up at Lake Tahoe, it was easy to hear his enthusiastic voice tell the stories as I began reading his book Metal Cowboy. First released in 1999, Metal Cowboy is a collection of stories from his bicycle travels around the world. You’ll get to follow Joe through a logging dispute in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, play darts for serious stakes in a bar in the Australian Outback, explore the tropical island of Aruba, stay in a hotel full of Elvis impersonators in the Utah desert, and meet all the characters he’s met along the way. The book opens with the story of how he got his nickname. “Metal Cowboy” is a moniker that Joe Kurmaskie earned from an old rancher while riding through the old west town of Pocatello, Idaho.

There are 40 essays in the 304 page book. Each chapter is a complete story in itself, and they could be read in any order if you chose to; however, it’s obvious that the chapters were laid out to keep the book flowing with tension and release. There are stories of hilarious encounters, spiritual journeys, and even dangerous predicaments.

In addition to the great stories from the road, Joe’s writing style makes you want to keep reading. He takes the time to craft each paragraph with descriptive, humorous imagery that really makes the story come to life. Seldom settling for common nouns, he’ll get creative and expand them; for example, instead of merely “geese”, they are “a gaggle of guard geese” or his “web-footed captors”. Here’s one excerpt:

“The most unusual chase, though, involved a gaggle of guard geese in rural New Hampshire. Where a garden-variety pack of dogs will usually give up the race in a couple of minutes, tops, I’m here to testify that geese know something about commitment.”

And here’s a description of an old touring cyclist he met in the Rockies:

“Wrapped in a military parka, loose shorts with dark thermals under that, Gordy was a cross between a deranged Eskimo and a fashion trendsetter for the Seattle grunge movement.”

Jeff Mapes (left) and Joe Kurmaskie at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference

No matter what the mood though, a common theme that comes up all throughout the book is finding kindness in unexpected places. In our politically polarized country, we have built stereotypical boundaries of mistrust. There are two countries at times it seems. Time and time again throughout the book though, Joe finds help or kindness where he least expects it, and demonstrates that most people are good people, no matter what their beliefs. His stories are good lessons for us all.

In summary, Metal Cowboy is not so much about bicycle touring, as it is about adventure. The bike is merely the vessel of his journeys, and you won’t hear much technical talk or jargon about the bicycle itself. No matter what bike we’re on, we all crave the adventure and freedom that the bicycle gives us. Metal Cowboy will appeal to cyclists of any discipline, and will make you want to go on your own journey along the road less traveled.

Check out Joe’s website, www.metalcowboy.com, for more information including his latest book, Blood, Sweat, and Gears.

Until you get your copy of Metal Cowboy, here’s a taste of Joe’s writing from his blog: Telltale Signs That Cycling Has Taken Over Your Life

Stay tuned for a book review of Momentum is Your Friend. In this book, Joe takes his two young boys on a bicycle tour across the country!

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe

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Megan Munroe from Turner Publishing Company recently contacted me and wondered if I would like to review a book entitled Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe. I’m a big fan of local history, so I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book.

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe, a book put together by Ellen Drewes, “showcases nearly 200 images and two centuries of the lake and its surroundings, along with the people, places, and events that have shaped its unique history.”

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe
Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe

Whether you’re up exploring the trails at Lake Tahoe or just driving around the lake, it’s hard not to catch glimpses of Lake Tahoe’s past. In fact, many of the trails we enjoy at Lake Tahoe are there from the previous industries of logging and mining in the area, including the famous Marlette Lake Flume Trail. Other points of interest are not so obvious, an old casino or even just a clearing in the woods. Each site is rich with history with an interesting story to be told.

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe
A page from the book, Below Mount Tallac – Early 1900′s

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe takes you on a journey into the lake’s past, covering the pioneer days, its logging role in the mining years of the Comstock, and finally its rise into a resort and adventure destination.

The photographs are in four chapters

  • Early Days and Pioneer Ways (1860-1900)
  • From Silver Lodes to Golden Lodges (1901-1920)
  • A National Playground for All (1921-1940)
  • Claim to Fame (1941-1980)

The most recent photos in the book have been changed to black and white. This gives the book smooth continuity with no abrupt changes between the chapters. Each picture has a descriptive caption, but most of the text is at the beginning of the chapters. This makes Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe a good coffee table book, or one that you’ll want to go back to often as you explore Lake Tahoe. I have a small collection of local historical books, and this book will make a nice addition.

On One Inbred 29er
Below Mount Tallac, Modern Day

The roads around Lake Tahoe have always been there in my lifetime, so it was interesting to see the pictures of the old steamships taking people around the lake. In the early days, steamers were the only way to get around the lake easily. Trains, wagons, and horses were how you got to the lake.

Much later came the cars and highways, and when decent snow removal equipment came along, the lake became a national winter destination as well. In fact, the 1960 Olympic Winter Games were held at Squaw Valley on Lake Tahoe’s north side, and Walt Disney himself even opened the Sugar Bowl ski resort.

One particular picture that caught my eye was of the White Hill ski area at Spooner Summit. The ski area is long gone, but the clearing is still there. I think I even remember seeing some of the lift equipment up there when I was a kid.

Spencer's Cabin
Spencer’s Cabin near Spooner Summit – Modern Day

Modern day Lake Tahoe is famous for its casinos, and Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe has plenty of history in this area. Frank Sinatra owned the famous Cal Neva Lodge, and the place attracted the rich and famous including the Rat Pack, Marilyn Monroe, and the Kennedy family. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed at Lake Tahoe, including the Godfather Part 2 and the TV series Bonanza. Hundreds of famous entertainers have performed at Lake Tahoe as well, such as Count Basie and Glen Miller.

A good place to check out historical sites on bicycle is on Tahoe’s southwest shore. The Tallac House and Baldwin Beach are just a short ride on bike paths north of Camp Richardson. The walk to Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay is another great family hike.

Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe
From the book, Cave Rock / Rita Hayworth

Like I mentioned earlier, Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe will make a nice addition to my collection of local history. I’ve learned a lot by reading it, and it has helped fill in the gaps that the other books have left out. If you are interested in Lake Tahoe and its history, I recommend this book. It would also make a nice gift for someone.

Tahoe Rim Trail / Flume Trail Loop
Lake Tahoe as seen from the Flume Trail

Check your local book store for Historic Photos of Lake Tahoe, get it directly from Turner Publishing, or find it online at other resources like Amazon.com

If you’re not familiar with Lake Tahoe, but are interested in historic photos of your area, there’s a good chance Turner Publishing has a book for you. Check out the whole collection of Historic Photos HERE.