The Stickman is a special tree that skiers and hikers in the Tahoe area stop to visit when driving up Highway 50. You can find him dressed up in ever-changing gear that visitors share with him. He is a great way keep your kids looking out the windows as you drive on Hwy 50… And you never know what else you might discover while enjoying the views along the road.
Following my own advice of what I learned during my job training, I decided it was time to get out of the town and head back to the Lake Tahoe area for an educational expedition. My goal for this trip was to meet the Stickman and see what kind of trees were growing in his backyard. Some of the questions my travel companions and I wanted answered were:
- Would the trees have pinecones on them?
- Had Fall really began in the mountains? Would we find evergreens or were there deciduous trees with fall colors on them as well?
- Would Stickman be surrounded with snow as my friends had seen him in the past?
Travelling with children, they were really excited to see Stickman again and I was curious to find out if we could be friends, he sounds so different than me, after all I am a bear and he is?? Hmm.. what is he? As I added this question to my list of things to discover on our adventure up Highway 50 the children were looking at every turnout happily saying, “Is the Stickman here?”
Along the way, we began to see all the beautiful fall colors on the trees, mixed in with the evergreens as we went farther into the mountains. Ooohs and ahhs came from the kids as we gazed out the windows looking at big boulders in the river and neat little cabins. I had the best view enjoying the big window out the back of the car and waving at cars that passed us.
Not too long (about an hour and half) after being whisked away from my usual place, greeting customers outside the door of the Old Sacramento Store, we were pulling into a turnout and the children were ready to get out and introduce me to the Stickman.
One of our questions was answered right away. There was no snow in the Stickman’s yard today. Perhaps we could find some a little later. Next, I was introduced to the Stickman. He is a quirky guy and has an interesting style of clothing. I discovered he likes to ski, as he was holding one and that he also likes to wear two different shoes at the same time. Today he had on a tennis shoe and a sandal. We soon became friends as I figured out that he may look different than me, but we are, at our roots, made of the same thing (wood) and we like many of the same things. This was obvious as he chooses to live in the mountains, and I love to visit them.
After our introduction, Stickman allowed us to explore his backyard in search of answers to our other questions. First up, the pinecones. Are there pinecones in Stickman’s backyard? Why yes, there are, tons and tons and tons of them. Not to mention lots of pine needles that made a slight crunch under our feet as we hiked. The loudest crunches led us to the answer that Fall was in full swing in the mountains and the there were evergreens as well as deciduous trees at Stickman’s little corner of the world.
Having answered all of our questions we decided to take a little hike and explore some more. I climbed tree stumps and rocks, watched the kids search for what was at the other end of a fallen tree, and took a minute to enjoy the views.
We found this great tree stump with a gorgeous view to have lunch.
Lunch was done, and it was time to get back on the road. The kids were having so much fun, they decided to see if we could find some snow before we left the mountains. We made it up to Echo Summit Lodge without any snow, but that was ok. I could tell by the wind blowing and the coolness of it that snowy days are not far away.
In fact, that chill in the air made me rather sleepy and wishing I could find a den to curl up in. We took a few pictures at the summit and I was happy to get snuggled back in my seat for the ride back to Sacramento.
I made it home just in time for the sunset. Until my next expedition, I hope you can come see me waving happily at all who come to I Street in Old Sacramento!
Due to my extreme sleepiness last fall, I am just now posting this hike. I have heard it’s snowing in Tahoe, so the Stickman’s yard must be covered in powder. The trees are blooming here in Old Sacramento. Spring is on the way. Please let me know if you stop by to see him and be sure to tell him “Hi” for me.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What a fabulous find! I hope you will ask stickman to send us directions to his place. I’d love to pay him a visit sometime. He seems like a sociable guy.
So nice to have something interesting to look for a hike or trip to the woods. And you can’t blame a bear for being to tired to post during winter!
Hi Lora,
There are two ways to find my yard. If you are coming from Sacramento: Take Hwy 50 east to Kyburz. Once you have past Kyburz, you will want to start looking in the turnouts on the South side of the road. I am sometimes hard to see going east, but easy to turn into my space, if you spot me. I will have Trailmix the Bear get some mile markers next time he visits. If you pass Twin Bridges, you have gone too far.
If you are coming from South Lake Tahoe: You will want to start looking across the road to the turnouts after you pass Twin Bridges. I’m easier to see coming this way because I like to look at the mountains facing east. I occupy the southwest side of the turnout. I hope this helps. I am rooted to my yard, thus have little experience with traveling. Trailmix will be sure to keep you informed. He said you can e-mail one of his bosses (find their e-mail under Contact Us) if you need directions before he gets them posted here.
Hope to see you soon!
The Stickman