Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 27, 2012 - 11:30am PT
Squirrel(former Rocknasium owner) just bought the Strawberry Market by the Leap. He has real coffee and plans on a gear shop this spring. So when you are driving by stop in and spend some money to help support him and his great family!
WOW!!!!
Will he have squirrel food?
I hope he's better to the locals then the last owners.
I wish you would have bought the market Petch.
That would have been a good outlet for ur Italian Sausauge.
Maybe U can still get the bar, and invent the first Italian Sausage Martini?
Goble Goble!
BB
Woo! I hope he keeps the weird sunglasses and kitschy art. Perusing those selections is an important part of any Leap trip, along with an It's It for the road.
Wish the Strawberry market on 108 had climbing gear too.
Ol Brutus tried to get the market to carry gear by just buying stuff for the market owner and telling him "if it sells, think about carrying some basic climbing stuff"
I probably bought most of the chalk Brutus gave him, and it hasn't been replenished. lol
Hey that's cool news. Squirrel is a solid dude. I ran into him on my first ever lead at the Leap on the Groove. I made it to the top and he coached me through my first anchor I ever built on the sharp end.
That's not one of his kids that worked at the market before is it? Nice guy, maybe late teens low twenties. Seemed to know a bit about climbing in the area and always stoked on what you'd been climbing.
If he's looking to have climbing gear, the only things I see as economical are on the fly items like Chalk, webbing, cheap biners/quick links, and maybe bolts or drill bits. Try finding an SDS drill bit in South Lake... Ain't happnin. LTD was the only shop in town that carried one and it came from Jay's personal bolt kit he had in his car.
Same Squirell who picked the movies for Banff last year? Good choices but a bunch of them were shown at Reel Rock earlier in the year.
He should sell breakfast burritos along with the real deal coffee. Nearly every place that sells those things sells out almost daily.
Good news on many fronts, good for climbers/skiers, good for Strawberry and good for El Dorado County. Wishing Squirrel the best for a successful venture.
Great news .I've stoped at the store & lodge on the way home for many years.
Does any one know of a good morning coffee & fresh pastry shop between Placerville and Twin Bridges ? The place we used to stop at in Pollack Pines closed.Starbucks isn't the same.
The best breakfast place which also has great coffee and pastries is Sweetie Pie's on Main St. in Placerville, right across from the Cosmic Cafe. Great fresh food and a well run business.
Freshpond, near the ranger station in pollock pines has a large collection of fine beers in a can such as Boont and IPA's from different brewery's...if they can get them, I am sure this new place can too. That climber wine that comes in a bag is good too.
backpacking food and supplies for desolation wilderness would be nice, the REI in folsom is the last stop up the hill for things like that and that store sucks...
glad to hear it! Every time i drive by that location i think someone should make that place happen. Here's some suggestions for the inventory:
1. Book of Poems by Norwegian right there on the checkout counter.
2. Bait
3. discount passes to Sierra ski resort , the last non mega corp hold out.
4. wifi
5. good bathroom
And without mouth-gaped tourons wallet shocked and hemorrhaging money at the sight of mediocre food in the styx.
I think a little climber hang would be cool, although a little remodeling to open the place up a bit would serve it well in that regard. I bet the Weedge could help ;). He'd remodel the beer section at the very least.
Too funny, but too true. I look forward to patronizing the new businesses and hope they succeed.
John
On one of my rare trips there this last season, I ran into several parties who'd had just that happen. It's a major bummer.
I'd met one in one of the groups before and given her and her group climbing beta before at Donner. Just as we were pleasantly conversing, her boyfriend realized they'd been robbed. Seeing her eyes change from happy to horrified really sucked. That's something POS people who take others' belongings don't see too often. I bet their lives reflect the ugliness they wreak.
One of the group was tracking their stolen iPhone though, so I'd like to believe they eventually nailed the POS banditos dead to rights..
I am so glad Squirel is making a go of it. He's a good man. And boy does that place need some climbing energy. Since the hotel lost the best climbing bartender and waitress I don't even stop in any more. Good reason to go by and say hi. Timing is a bit tough though.
Bet he doesn't have any partners either ;). Best of look my friend.
Squirrel is one of the GREAT people here on earth and plus I guarantee he will do a fantastic job with that store! He is super competent, has a great spirit, and is bound to have some Grateful Dead tunes in the background! Maybe some fine beta here or there? Actually I guarantee that as well!
There is an 1862 full-page drawing of a road , cabins, and Lover's Leap on page 502 of the first edition of Sir Richard Francis Burton's book "The City of the Saints and across the Rocky Mountains to California " .The inscription is "In the Sierra Nevada" . You can see it online at Google Books by using the advanced search feature.It is the oldest Hwy.50 illustration I've seen.
The meyers Meeks has sds plus bits. Don't need to spend thirty bucks for a bit.
Thats what Jay said, but it was Sunday and apparently they're closed on Sunday. Hopefully the Strawberry Market will now have some in stock. Not for no 30 bucks though. Never seen an SDS for that much, 10 bucks maybe.
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California.
I doubt there's anything worth climbing east of Meyers : p
There is an 1862 full-page drawing of a road , cabins, and Lover's Leap on page 502 of the first edition of Sir Richard Francis Burton's book "The City of the Saints and across the Rocky Mountains to California " .The inscription is "In the Sierra Nevada". You can see it online at Google Books by using the advanced search feature.It is the oldest Hwy.50 illustration I've seen.
Thanks for pointing me to this I love history like that, here's the picture you speak of.
Lovers Leap, from Sir Richard Francis Burton's book "The City of the Saints and across the Rocky Mountains to California " .The inscription is "In the Sierra Nevada"
Went to the Strawberry Market for the first time today. Best coffee, nicest people. Sometimes it is hard to believe those two things are so scarce these days. What a relief! Thank you!
Looks like an early season for the Leap. Tahoe snowpack is suffering.
When do the falcon closures usually go in to effect? I'd like to do the The Hourglass again soon but this zone is usually closed, right? Anyone done Hourglass Wall?
Closures start April 1st. Most routes are dry and climbable. The descent is covered still with snow. I haven't climbed hourglass wall but the bolts have been replaced
Strawberry Station (new name for the Strawberry Market) just ordered more SuperTopo guides. I was just on the phone with Squirrel and he said they are getting more camping and climbing supplies in every week. So stop on by next time you are at the Leap.
Anyone know if they have a facebook page or web site?
This one time, at the Leap, some dude had driven in from San Francisco with a girl to impress. He was walking around the parking lot asking other climbers if they had an old rope to sell him, because he had forgotten his. Uh no, no one had brought a spare rope they weren't using. Too bad Squirrel wasn't there for him.
Strawberry Station (new name for the Strawberry Market) just ordered more SuperTopo guides. I was just on the phone with Squirrel and he said they are getting more camping and climbing supplies in every week. So stop on by next time you are at the Leap.
Anyone know if they have a facebook page or web site?
neat share, and neat stuff going on, too...
hope this bump helps, too, for you get the info you want...
Woo! I hope he keeps the weird sunglasses and kitschy art. Perusing those selections is an important part of any Leap trip, along with an It's It for the road.
ha ha ha.....i still have a pair of pugs that i bought there for $10 bout 3 years ago. still use 'em on most high country adventures. good to hear the new owners r cool. the old ones....meh. no wonder why that place didn't previously go very far.
Strawberry Station just received their first shipment of gear with more to come. Metolius Master cams, draws, lockers, tape, chalk, rental shoes, packs, and rope bags. Stop in, say hi, and buy something!
Hey all you Hwy 50 climbers, Footloose's query about white-tailed jackrabbits on the Dana Plateau thread reminded me that I'd been wanting to hit this thread with a plea for snowshoe hare roadkill from the Hwy 50 corridor. I've seen them hopping around at Lover's Leap, and I could really use a couple of roadkill specimens from that area for DNA.
Skeletal muscle tissue is best, and dried up stuff is okay too. Ideally, lop off the legs to make rabbit's foot charms for yourself and friends and then they easily fit in a ziploc freezer bag. Or if it's a big old mess, I just need a little chunk. If you're unsure of the species, make sure you keep the head. And if you got a GPS handy, those sharpie those data on the bag.
There's a six-pack in it for you as bounty!
If you don't want to get your hands dirty, but you see a snowshoe hare roadkill, a quick PM would be much obliged too!!!
This also applies for other areas in the Sierra Nevada, btw. These roadkill are like gold for some of the stuff we're working on.
Been shopping there a bit lately. Can't really afford the gear prices cause i'm a used gear dirtbag but i do like the beer selection especially the availability of excellent canned singles.
Also, there was a girl doing some part time work there that is selling a Specialized XC comp (small) for a decent price ($700, maybe negotiable) if anyone is interested.
As far as thieves at the campground go, I left my iPhone on my rear bumper yesterday and a climber dude that happened upon us on haystack threw it in my car for me (thanks!). So it's not all bad.
yeah i've been by a couple times and it's GREAT to have gear there not to mention the BETA. anything you want to know about the area. Bumped into Squirrel across the street at the lodge a couple evenings ago. The dog likes french fries.
Ha, I came in to give this thread a bump, and it was done for me many times over! Visited the store yesterday after climbing and we hung out at the patio in the side yard. Owner (I assume that's Squirrel!) came out and chatted us up for a while - great community vibe. Fantastic place to hang out after a climb, and as posted above, a startlingly interesting selection of single beers. Thanks for making this shop what it is, and I hope the success continues.
Was in there today. Coffee great, GF selection's aplenty, funny cat kickin' it in the front window, Dead jammin, kick a$$ VW Bus in front and the man himself was friendly and now am stopping there whenever I can.
There is some impressive crags/ boulders on the north side of the highway too. From memory: one area near Kyburz, and another at a bit lower elevation. You'd think they would get hit up as much as the Leap, but approach/ access may be the issue. IDK.
phantom spires is in between kyburz and strawberry and sugarloaf is above kyburz. there is also wrights lake cliffs (further up wrights lake road than phantom spires) and the 31st milepost tract which is pretty insignificant compared to the others
Yeah, 31 milestone is way insignificant compared to the others. WAY!
The store is now way bitchin as described earlier. They'll match prices, you won't find you gear cheaper anywhere else. Plus, a store like that, run by such an awesome dude and his family is bound to become nothing less than a historical landmark in the climbing world. Get in early so you can lean back in your rocking chair some day and tell the story about how back in the day, "you were there man"!
Saturday, I got a chance to meet and chat with Squirrel and Hippie Tim (and a couple of the cats), sample the beer selection, and gobble down some chips and organic berries at the picnic tables outside. Nice market, nice folks!
No matter which route you do everyone who lives at the Leap is so stoked that you had the local experience. The whole Strawberry community is full of love and wonder and adventure. Squirrel has brought back the climbing shop, added amazing beers from all over the country including my favorite Mammoth IPA's, and offers that down home hospitality. BITD is now today again at Lovers Leap.
grab a beer
and enjoy it
on the patio
looking out toward
the leap.
squirrel has tunes
piped outside
and there is usually
a good crew
milling about
either recounting
or planning a
worthy excursion
among the local mountains.
strawberry market
now holds an on-site liquor license.
and a deli is like three nails
and a final inspection away
from turnkey.
Squirrel is awesome, and his wife too. Very generous with his beta, and running a good shop. Wish I had more money to spend when I visited the other day.
last night paul and i were rolling down
the trench drain after a long day of crane work
in the trees,
you know post-storm tahoe cleanup
and we pull into
squirrel's strawberry market;
we stand around eating carmel popcorn
covered in peanut butter
and chocolate listening to pink Floyd
and drinking double shots of expresso..
a couple of local fixtures are
seated in various corners with sly smiles
behind their torpedo beers
and happy mountain stories
are bouncing around....
Let us know!