Snakes to the Lake at Lake Tahoe

Monster · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2023, 01:06 PM

BACC "Snakes to the Lake" registration is OPEN

History

In 1997 a small group of Factory Five owners from Northern California decided it would be fun to take a road trip to Lake Tahoe for the weekend. They posted the idea on the "FFCobra" (now FFCARS) web site and "Snakes to the Lake" was born. There were about a half dozen cars on that inaugural run and now 25 years later Snakes has drawn up to 50+ cars annually with cars from virtually all manufacturers represented.

This will be the 25th Annual Snakes to the lake

To register please go to : BACCEVENTS.COM and select "Buy Tickets"

Please see SNAKES to the Lake web page for event details (click here or on the link at the top of the BACCEVENTS Home Page)

Rooms are going fast we currently have 30 Cars signed up

See you there,

Mike "monster" Viramontes

C5GTO · #2 (**permalink**) 07-11-2023, 08:07 AM

Hey Mike, I'm glad to see that the Snakes to the Lake event is still happening. Not meaning to hijack this thread, but I'm guessing some people might want more detail on the history.

I was fortunate enough to participate in the first ever Snakes to the Lake and still have the sweatshirt :-) I don't have the name for the person who started the event but I believe he had an ERA and was from the Sacramento area. The first year there were about a half dozen Cobras (a couple of FFRs but not all), a chase truck/trailer in case of breakdowns, an event sweatshirt, and catered lunch for the first day. We stayed over at a hotel in South Shore Tahoe parking on the upper level of a parking structure.

Snakes to the Lake started out as a 2 day driving event that emphasized driving on curvy 2 lane roads that crest the Sierra Nevadas. It was 2 full days of driving with a few rest/fueling stops along the way. On year 2 or 3, I took over the event organization and host. The number of participants grew quickly and soon surpassed the time I had available to plan and host it.

There was a spin off event called Cobras to the Coast that started in Marin county, went up 101 for over night at Fort Bragg, and then further north to loop back to Napa county for wrap up at a winery. I seem to recall it only happened for a couple of years but was a very enjoyable event. I believe the original host was an airline pilot with limited time to plan/host the event.

So there's a bit of the history. I'm glad to see the Snakes to the Lake is still going!! If I still lived in CA, I'd be participating.

scootter · #3 (**permalink**) 07-11-2023, 07:48 PM

Hey Mike,

Thanks for keeping this alive!
Danette and I will miss it this year since. We absolutely love this event and all the peeps that attend. If for some reason we get back early enough, you may just see us pop in over the weekend!!!

Scott and Danette

Steve Gallegos · #4 (**permalink**) 04-07-2024, 11:16 AM

Hey, Nor Cal Cobras, anyone setting up Snakes to the Lake? Dates

Road Snake · #5 (**permalink**) 04-08-2024, 05:09 PM

sept 20-23 2024

HawkGlenn · #6 (**permalink**) 01-09-2025, 12:59 PM

Hi Guys,

I just came across this thread about the "Snakes to the Lake" tour. I was the original organizer of this event in 1997. Thanks for bringing this up Joel. And I do remember you too. I pre-drove the route and arranged the gas and potty stops along the way. My shop manager drove my pickup with a "Support" trailer in case anybody broke down, which nobody needed. It was a great trip and I am glad to see that some others have continued the tradition. 70 cars now? Yikes. That is a ton of logistics. I am still in Sacramento and I still have my ERA427, along with a few "others" now.

Glenn Stasky

C5GTO · #7 (**permalink**) 01-13-2025, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HawkGlenn

Hi Guys,

I just came across this thread about the "Snakes to the Lake" tour. I was the original organizer of this event in 1997. Thanks for bringing this up Joel. And I do remember you too. I pre-drove the route and arranged the gas and potty stops along the way. My shop manager drove my pickup with a "Support" trailer in case anybody broke down, which nobody needed. It was a great trip and I am glad to see that some others have continued the tradition. 70 cars now? Yikes. That is a ton of logistics. I am still in Sacramento and I still have my ERA427, along with a few "others" now.

Glenn Stasky

Hi Glenn: I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one from the Snakes to the Lake era that still has the same Cobra in the garage. I just put a new engine in mine (427HP 347cid) and am loving it as much as (or more) than I did back in the Snakes to Lake days. I hope you are doing well and still loving your Cobra too. Those were great days and great memories. Thanks much for your part in making them!

Monster · #8 (**permalink**) 01-28-2025, 10:27 AM

Hi Joel/Glenn,

BACC still get's together every Sat. for breakfast ( see BACCEVENTS.com) Thanks for filling in some of our early history, I purchased my Arntz in '97 (one of the last incomplete cars) Club Cobra was basically a "bulletin board" at the time ( Thanks Brent for providing this site). This site and FFcobra kept me inspired to get my car finished. In March 2001 we took our first trip "Cobras to the Coast" to Ft. Bragg organized by Mike Rosenthal. In Sept. we attended our first "Snakes to the Lake" organized by Dave & Mary Borden and Press Lannom the following year I teamed with Press and have been organizing BACC events ever since.

Joel, we've met a number of times at the Kit Car events at San Leandro marina and in Berkely. I also remember visiting your house in Morgan Territory (Livermore) when you were building the Ferrari replica.

take care,
Mike