Geez, I've talked about growing up around there several times. My home was in the Woodlake area of North Sac and barely a mile from that black RR bridge. I've spent many days climbing and jumping from it. My dad and I would walk the levee behind Cal Expo BEFORE there was a Cal EXPO. We watched the Business 80 get built and the new bridge it supported. Carrying a fishing rod and a .22 was standard equipment. We often shot coyotes and squirrels, and even a bobcat once.
After my dad passed away my friends and I still carried on the routine. Once we built a rick-shaw type thing and took our 12' plywood boat over the levee and launched at the RR bridge. Fully intending on making it all the way to Nimbus Dam we carried two outboard motors, a 5hp and a 7hp Johnson. Loaded to the max with fishing rods, .22's, and even an old 16 ga. shotgun, we headed out and upstream until we got to Paradise Beach. I told my buddy to watch out for rocks as it got shallow, but too late. Wham! We hit bottom and blew out the side of the engine case. Fortunately, having an extra engine saved the day,,,,, briefly. We changed engines and headed up stream again but only got a short ways farther till we hit another rock and that was enough and we rowed back to that black RR bridge.
Now dark, the rick-shaw also broken in pieces, my buddys talks me into walking home and getting my folks old DeSoto so we could get back. I'm only 14 at the time, and nobody is home, so I grab the DeSoto keys and head back to the bridge. Now at the bridge, we don't have a car rack or trailer, and have to push the boat onto the roof of the car. Scrape, scratch, and uugh as we push the oar locks into the paint. But, we finally make it home and all is well.
Growing up back then was fun. And living close to the river always provided for great adventures. I could go on, but enough for now.
Tony
TONY BUZOLICH
Feather River Fly
Yuba City, CA.
(530) 790-7180
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