For Council Member Falconer's first tour, The Church chose a pleasant, 540 mile, four days Tahoe loop. Some say it was the last time Davey rode a bike. The route seemed a bit on the ambitious side, but when Secretary Ducky said we couldn't do it, we knew we could.

We got a head start out of town on a wednesday evening. We left Fairfax, around 9pm, and poached a spot, on the Point Reyes Petaluma Rd, just west of the Cheese Factory, under the oaks, amidst the livestock.

Day one of the tour started off in the endless hills of Napa, on 121 and 128. Then we wiggled across the valley in 100º weather, following 113 and sideroads, strategically crossing the Sacramento River on 99, and continuing north and east, until completely out of light. Finally, we camped in a clearing by Lake Wildwood, by a telephone pole, surrounded by cow patties, just off Pleasant Valley Road.

Day two and somehow we were on dirt roads, not knowing where we were, but there were lines on our map that looked closely like what we were riding. We passed through a bunch of gates, then finally came to the one marked NO TRESSPASSING. We had climbed far too much to turn back.

We stumbled into Grass Valley, for a delicious lunch and hot waitress. We rolled east on Red Dog Road, over to Quaker Hill Road, to Chalk Bluff Road to 20, to 80, To Donner Pass Road, and into Truckee, for a serious double-grubb an McDonnalds, to go. It was dark, so we rolled up 89 about 3 miles to a State Park Campground. Unfortunately it was Labor Day weekend and all the spots were full or had a Reserved sign on the picnic table. Finally we poached a reserved sign with the logic that - the place was reserved for a friday, saturday and sunday, and here it was late on a saturday night and they weren't here yet, so they probably won't come. Luckily, it all worked out, and we slipped out early enough to roll out with out paying. Hey, if the site was reserved, then it's already paid for.

Day three, It was cold when we rolled south on 89, into Tahoe City, and continued on 89 following the west shore of Lake Tahoe. We stayed on 89 for the delighful Echo Summit (7,330 ft), then Luthor Pass (7,740 ft), then hopped on 88 for Carson Pass (8,573 ft), and finally some long downhills. About a half hour before sunset, we poached on a dirt road/driveway, inbetween two houses, just off 88. Ten feet in one direction and we could be seen from the road, ten feet in the other direction and the people in the houses could see us. Since we were poaching with a half hour day light remaining, we all crouched in one spot and waited 'til darkness to set camp.

Day 4 We busted camp fast and hit the road with stelth, expediance and pain all over. The first hour was almost all coasting til we rolled into Jackson, and had a big, greasy breakfast at a place that seemed to be a popular spot with the locals and the bikers(motor).

We stayed on 88, to 12 through Lodi. (Now I know what Creadence was talking about). Heading west on 12, Falconer was flying and Davey was cracked. "this is f**kin stupid . . . this road is f**kin stupid . . . these cars are f**ckin stupid . . . these trucks are f**kin stupid!" We spent hours crossing the valley with 25 mph headwinds, at 7mph, with Falconer doing his biggest pull of the tour, (it was a challenge to draft behind him). After lunch in Rio Vista Falconers charge was over and he slowly wittled himself away to the most cracked I've ever seen of him.

We eventually hopped onto bicycle prohibited 80, for a few miles, and 100 yards before the Highway Patroll station, we hopped the fence, and found an indirect bike path. After long winded advice from some drunks, in Cordelia, we stumbled onto American Canyon Road, which took us to 12, to 116, to Lakeville Road, to a sunset, bicycle prohibited, poach on 37 into Novato. Hwy 101 south, to San Rafel, where it was backroads to home.