Lake Almanor — Where Evergreen was Born
My grandparents own a home on the East Shore of Lake Almanor. I spent every summer of my childhood there, coming up with stories and romanticizing life. It’s where I learned to dirtbike, wakeboard, and appreciate small-town life.
2003: Emma (age 8) Nathan (age 4)
Dirtbikes are an important part of the lake for me. We used to keep them stored under the deck, and it was always an exciting day when we’d pull them out at the start of each summer. We’d practice riding circles on the property until we were good enough to ride in the meadow.
For my readers, yes, the meadow is a very real place. We really did chase bulls on our dirtbikes (please don’t try this at home).
We have a “stupid tree” at the lake, which has a series of handlebars nailed into the trunk from all the idiotic accidents we've gotten ourselves into.
1980 My aunts, my mom, and my Grandpa sitting on the porch at Lake Almanor
My Grandparents bought the house on the lake in 1968. My mom grew up spending every summer there. They’d leave as soon as school got out and head to the lake, not returning home until summer was over. When she started a family, my mom tried to instill the same traditions for us. Now that I have kids, I plan to do the same.