Written By Ken Kinder
Just this past week I attended a breakfast reunion with a bunch of guy’s that I drove truck with back in the 1950’s. Some of them I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. Others that couldn’t make it to this breakfast we hope to see in March as we have rescheduled our next meeting for then. Jack Steiner one of the owners of the last trucking company we drove for was at this, and a few of the other breakfast get togethers. He is such a nice person and we are hoping that he will be able to make it in March. We just found out that he is terminal with cancer and has a short time left. He was only going to stop and say hello, but he was feeling so good that he ate a large meal and visited for a couple of hours. There was ten of us that made it this time and some of the stories brought back a lot of memories.
One place we hauled a lot of our lumber from was called Mad River. It was located 47 miles from Hayfork, California, and it was here that you left the paved road and traveled this 47 miles on one way dirt roads that were very steep in places with deep canyons in which to drop. The secret to hauling on this road was to load your empty trailer on top of your truck on your way into the mill. This way if you met a loaded truck and trailer coming out, you having your trailer loaded on your truck could back up to a wide spot in the road in order that the two vehicles could pass one another. Some times these wide spots in the road would be many miles apart so you hoped to make it in without very many encounters. There were times we had to haul some loads into the mill, so when this occurred we always went in at night as we didn’t haul loads out that often at night and the chance of meeting another truck dragging it’s trailer was slim.
I remember one time there was six or eight trucks that went in to Mad River for loads, and in my memory there was three of us seasoned drivers, and we were going to show the new drivers the best way to come out of that narrow, crooked, steep 47 miles of dirt road. There was up hill and down hill and it was a tricky stretch of road, but like anything you got used to, you became somewhat at ease with your situation. So as most guy’s do when they get together they become competitive. Joe Pimental was the lead truck, my brother Neal was next, and I was in third place. The new drivers played follow the leader on our way out, and we were really racing up and down those narrow roads when I saw Neal ahead of me take a corner to fast and flip his trailer, load and all on it’s side. We were standing there discussing what to do when one by one the rest of the trucks pulled up, and asked us if this is the way we have to come out each trip? While we are standing there talking, Joe Pimental comes walking back explaining that he had just done the same thing with his trailer a short distance ahead, and while he is looking at the stupid thing he had done he heard the crash of Neals trailer biting the dust. He said you know that old expression of misery loves company well it sure was true that night.
We had to get to a telephone and call Lloyd Angus our truck boss and try to explain what had happened. After Joe had explained his problem, he said Neal has something to tell you. When Neal started talking, Lloyd almost had a heart attack, he screamed what were you guy’s doing racing on a road like that. Well there was no use in trying to deny that was in fact what we had been doing. It took us a long time to live that down and get back in good with Lloyd.
We were also discussing the winter of 1955. It was during this period in California we experienced an above average rain fall leaving us with a lot of flooded countryside. Several of Hedlunds trucks were dispatched to Mad River to remove as much lumber as possible. We normally would go in through Hayfork as this is the shortest route to travel; but due to the heavy rainfall, that route produces a heavy amount of snow and makes it impossible to travel. So our alternate route is to go in the coast route. This way takes a lot longer but you can almost always get in and out due to the fact of lower elevation and the road is paved in this direction.
There were numerous flood warnings with a note of caution about traveling on highway 101 in northern California, but we were instructed to move as much lumber as possible. We ran into several areas that trees were down blocking the road, and we had to tie chains around them and move them to the side of the road. We also ran into many sections that the road was covered with water. We were still able to negotiate the water covered roads but the water was rising at a pretty steady rate. On the last load we were able to get out , we found our selves in the situation where the highway patrol instructed us to leave our loaded trailers in the lower areas where it was more likely to become flooded, and pull our trucks up on the top or high ground. This way insured that they could save, and store more equipment. The reason we had to do this was due to the fact, that the roads in front and behind us had been cut off due to the flooded highways.
We eventually were evacuated but we had to leave our equipment behind and catch a ride home the best way we could. We then had to wait for the water to recede. This was a little over a week later, go back, retrieve our trailers and deliver our loads. One of our drivers trailers, and many more from other companies, were wedged between standing trees and floating debris that had been a by-product of the rapidly moving water. Our drivers trailer was pinned between a tree and a cabin that had been washed away by the flood. The cabin had to be demolished in order to move the trailer back onto the road. After getting his trailer back on the road, the load was removed so his trailer could be loaded onto an empty truck, hauled back to our shop and have all the axles, brakes, bearings,etc. either replaced, washed in solvent and repacked or repaired. This was in order to prevent any damage from the deposit of silt, moisture, and any other hazardous by-products of the flood. Very expensive and these happen to be brand new trailers that had been purchased a few short months before.
Then there was the time I had gone to Sierra Mt. Mills at celestial valley, and loaded for California Pallet Co. This load was to be delivered to their bay area plant. A very strong union operation, and they were usually not open on week-ends. It happened to be on Friday that I had loaded, and so when I stopped in Grass Valley to check my load and have a bite to eat. I was in no hurry because I couldn’t make delivery until the following Monday. At this time in my life I was living in Sacramento. So when a couple of my Grass Valley friends saw my truck and stopped to visit, I decided to have a couple of beers with them. Well one thing led to another, and when they told me that Harold and Emma Moneyhon were having a grand opening at their hotel, bar, and restaurant in the little town of Washington Cal. I decided to stay over and help celebrate. Mind you I was under the impression that all I had to do was get my truck back into Sacramento to the truck shop by Saturday afternoon and that was only 60 miles away.
It was very important that I be present at this grand opening as I had helped Emma create some bar business at their Hotel in Grass Valley. This hotel theHolbrooke was located across the street from the O.K. pool hall. One day when I was in the pool hall with Bub Skeahan, Emma came across the street and asked me to ride my motorcycle up the front steps into her bar and race the engine inside the bar. I asked her why? And she said business was awfully quiet and maybe the racket from my bike might create a crowd of thirsty on-lookers. Sure enough she got more trade than she could handle after the smoke from my old Matchless settled, and people could see to drink. (Myron Alfred) you should remember this bar as it was here you challenged a few local boy’s and we had to settle a score with them. Any way after a relationship like this with the owners I felt it my civic duty to be present at the opening of their new business. Where the problem occurred was when I arrived at the truck shop Saturday morning and the truck boss was waiting for me with fire in his eye’s. I asked what is the problem? He said there was a full crew waiting at Cal Pallet for the load of lumber I had on my rig. Needless to say I was once again on Lloyd’s list of un-desirables. Oh well I guess we live and learn.
