Boca Lake
I have very fond memories of Boca Lake growing up. It was the “locals” lake where we went when the other lakes were crowded. I water skied for the first time on this lake. I jumped in the lake drunk when I was young and temporarily forgot how to swim.
I remember hanging out by bonfires by this lake and just being young. It is a “hang out” lake that is great for people who want to get away from the public. It is a part of my youth.
Stampede Resevoir
Further up the road is Stampede, another California reservoir. Trickling out of that is the “Little Truckee River”. Just like the movie Stand By Me, there is a story about the little truckee river that I remember as a child. I was in high school and the wife of our wrestling coach, someone I had met a few times, an adult, died on that river and here is the story as I remember it as a teenager.
Of course, as a teenager, these things seem larger than life. As I recall it, her name was Marjorie. She had two sons and a husband. They were camping on “The Little Truckee” and the river was running higher and faster than normal. She apparently slipped in the river and hit her head on the rocks. She passed out and surfaced a few miles down the river, already gone.
This isn’t meant to be a downer but a reminder that the river is not something to take lightly. Even for strong swimmers, a bonk to the head can prove fatal. Watch your little ones and yourself around all rivers.
