February 5-6, 1966 - 1st Treasure Trails

This event was sponsored by Helen Burns and was hosted by the President of the Dune Busters.  Ray Ellis of Salton City, Dick and Barbara Brown, with daughter Sharon, hid chests on the trails and Clyde Ballard of Truckhaven assisted.  Geneille Nicholson of Arcadia won the Loot contest.  Ray Lyman of San Gabriel was a two-chest winner in Treasure Trails.

February, 1967 - 2nd Treasure Trails

This event was sponsored by Helen Burns.  There were 200 sandbuggy enthusiasts from all over southern California.  It was hosted by the salton city dune Busters, and assisted by the spring Valley Sand buggy Association of San Diego.  Trailmasters Ray Ellis and Dick Brown laid out the cross-country event which covered nearly 100 miles.  It went from Salton City Golf course to Superstition Hill near the Riverside/Imperial/San Diego county boundaries.  Three trophies were awarded for the most skilled handling, most unique and best appearance for each vehicle and driver participating in the two day event.

February 3-4, 1968 - 3rd Treasure Trails

This event saw 108 entries.  Jack Ball of Escondido kept things lively at the mike.  First place trophies in the contests Sunday were:  Louise Grossaint of Norwalk for the Most Unique Vehicle; Jimmy LaNear of Spring Valley for Driving Skills; Frank Blount of El Cajon for the Vehicle Beauty Contest.  Judges of these events were George Beaty and Von Klinefelter both of Salton Sea Beach Marina.  This year's clues were rough and many treasures were left unfound.  For those who were discouraged this year, the trailmaster says that even though the trails may cover more square miles in 1969, the clues will probably be more direct.  Loot winners J.M. Meister and Grant Barber of Rialto brought back a trailer.  Ed Radlauer and the Hollywood camera crew took pictures and sound effects of the vehicles.  Radlauer of La Habra City Schools is an author of books on Sandbuggying.  Others assisting with the event were:  Ted Weaver, Tom Gilmore and Mrs. Glenn Fadler.

Trailmaster Ray Ellis, President of the Dune Busters, hid the miniature chests through 300 square miles of brush, dune and wash.  The trailmaster maps led dunsters over all kinds of desert country from Salton Sea to Travertine Rock and south to Ocotillo and west to Borrego Springs.  A pow-wow was held in the Harbor Room.  Miss Salton Sea, Jeanne Davis, presented awards on Sunday for the show of entries, best vehicle-driver combination and the most unique entry in each class.

1970, 1971 & 1972

Sadly, no papers were located for these years.

February 3-4, 1973 - 8th Treasure Trails

This event had 150 entries.  Trailmasters were Ray and Dolsie Ellis of San Diego, Gene and Marian Fisher of Los Angeles, and Jim Parrish of Indio.  Sherry Marshall of Conoga Park was crowned Treasure Trails Queen.  The Salton Sea Off-Road Vehicle Assocation members were helpful along the trails.

February 2-3, 1974 - 9th Treasure Trails

The event was sponsored by Helen Burns and hosted by members of the Salton Sea Off-Road Vehicle Association.

February 1975 - 10th Treasure Trails

The trailmaster, Gene Nutter of Salton Sea Beach, was assisted by Vernie Morgan and Paul Tuter of Silver Sands.  159 entries and their families enjoyed a calm sunny weekend.  Jess and the Desert Players furnished the music on Saturday night at the Beach House.  The most unusual Loot was brought in by R.K. Bench of La Jolla.  It was a can of Campbell's port & beans with a price marked 33 cents.  Cindie Stires of Ontario brought in a flask type bottle which was turning purple from the sun.  Part of an antique milking machine took third place in the contest.  First Place Trophies were awarded to Ben Cordy of Bullhead City for his sandbuggy, Mark Stahl of Chula Vista for his bike and Bob Lyons of Yorba Linda for his jeep.  Second place winners were:  Don Ellis of Chula Vista for his sandbuggy, Phil Johnson of Desert Shores for his bike.  Mark Fisher of El Monte won third place for buggies.  Fred Johnson of Fullerton won first place for the best looking vehicle-driver combination.  Trophy Queen was Sharon Preston of Monclair.  The MC was Paul Negri of Temple City.

February 1976 - 11th Treasure Trails

This year had only 83 entries because of steady rains which persisted through the weekend.  All enjoyed a fun weekend in the mud.

February 5-6, 1977 - 12th Treasure Trails

There were 119 entries.  John Whitney was the Trailmaster.  Trailblazers were Bob Flora and George Walters of Salton City, Bob Stopher and Al Hurd of Salton Sea Beach.  Jim Parrish, of Indio, directed contests and show of entries.  He was assisted by Clary Rear and Al Hurd.  Ed Bolton judged the Loot.  John Negri was at the mike and Paul Dearden was the photographer.  Jeannie Khuns of San Bernardino was crowned Treasure Trails Queen.  Salton's Queen Mary Ann Rogers made the presentations.  Coming from the greatest distance were Lew Howe, C.L. Bishop and Roy Kerns Jr. from Prescott, Arizona.

February 4-5, 1978 - 13th Treasure Trails

There were 108 entries.  John Whitney served for the second year as Trailmaster.  Trailblazers were Dennis Schumacher, Tom Camp, Bill Hart and Russ Mullins.  Ron Henderson of Alta Loma and Mike Groves, Jr. of Salton Sea Beach took top honors in driving contests.  Hank Chilvers of San Bernardino won the drag races.  Best looking driver-vehicle combination was won by Clarence and Eva Harbaugh of Desert Shores with the rail.  Eight couples from Prescott, Arizona took home a trophy for their numbers and distance.  Winner of the Loot Contest was Laurel Stille of Jamul.

February 3-4, 1979 - 14th Treasure Trails

There were 83 entries in spite of unsettled weather.  Hal Roach of Desert Shores was the Trailmaster.  Trailblazers were Bill and Jan Butler of Salton City, Paul Tutor, Pat Thompson, Gene Nutter and Tony Corral of Salton Sea Beach, Frank Farley and Ray Markan of Desert Shores and Tom Camp of La Puente.  Jack Solagas of Camp Verde, AZ won the trophy for having traveled the greatest distance.  Larry Bridgewater of Jamul, was celebrating his birthday over the weekend as a 13 year veteran of Treasure Trails.  He was crowned King of the event and was presented with a birthday cake by Pat Thompson.  The queen was Rickey Gervais.  Best driver award went to Bob Hale of Bell Gardens.  Awards went to Sam Nainoa of Cerritos for his baja; Jack Solagas of Camp Verde for his cycle, Jim Hellmers of El Cajon for his jeep and Bill Smith of Culver city for his 3-wheeler.  Best looking driver/vehicle combination winners for Buggies were Bob & Donna Loewenstein of Shittier, Ron Hendrickson of Alta Loma and Julian Avila of Hemet.  For cycles, Sam Nainos of Cerritos, Warren Krill of cucamonga and Joe Chandler of Torrance.

February 2-3, 1980 - 15th Treasure Trails

There were 113 entries.  The trailmaster was Hal Roach and all but 12 of the 90 chests had been found.  corrine Main, Miss Salton Sea and Connie Lund , Treasurer Trails Queen, made treasure presentations with the assistance of Hal and Jo Roach, Tom Camp and Clary Rear.  Craig Nece of Fontana was the King of Treasure Trails.  The award of Model Male went to Claude Gratton of Canada and Marie Elsenpeter of Covina was the Lady Prospector.  Mike Byrd of La Habra won a special award for returning from the trails showing the most wear and tear on both himself and his mud-plastered buggy.  John Gustafson provided music and sound fo the weekend.

February 7-8, 1981 - 16th Treasure Trails

There were 158 entries this year.   The trailmaster was Hal Roach.  Trailblazers were Bill & Phyllis Miller of Vista Del Mar and Rusty Mullins of Salton Sea Beach.  Cathy Moore of Monclair was the Treasure Trails Queen and Mike Preston of Fontana was King of the Trails.  Gary Priester of San Diego found the Big chest at 10 am Sunday morning.  (This was the first year this chest was listed in the Seafarer as being part of the hunt.)  Show of entries were Bikes:  Danny East of Fontana.  Buggies:  Rich Barrier of Whittier, John Gustafson of Salton Sea Beach and Jones Felts of Apple Valley.  Rails:  Eva Harbaugh of Desert Shores, Joe Faessler of Riverside and Jim Grady of Riverside.  The MC on Sunday was Jim Michaelson.  Here from the greatest distance was Jim Maquire of Akron, Ohio.  Others from out-of-state were:  Wayne Lillard of Springfield, MO, Wes Osborn and Ron Owens from Prescott, AZ.

February 1982 - 17th Treasure Trails

Nothing was mentioned in the 1982 issue of the Seafarer regarding the Treasure Trails event.

February 5-6, 1983 - 18th Treasure Trails

Despite bad weather, there were 84 entries.  Trailmaster was Hal Roach and the Trailblazer was Tom Camp.  King of the Trails was Jim Sims and Ricki O'Connel of Salton Sea Beach was crowned Queen of the Trails.  Coming the greatest distance were Mr. & Mrs. Mainwall of Las Vegas, NV.  Phil Waltz of Huntington Beach placed first for Interesting Objects Brought In From the Trails with a tarantula.  Kurt Anderson of Riverside was second with a pair of old shoes.  Jim Michaelson of Yuma was the MC for the event.  Slalom races (for Treasure Trails participants only) were run by the Okole Maluna Buggy club.  Those taking home trophies were Douglas Giffith and David Bruce of Indio, Ron Smith of Diamond Bar, Rudy Voss of Los Angeles and Don Lund of Desert Shores.

February 11-12, 1984  - 19th Treasure Trails

There were 127 entries.  Trailmaster was Rusty Mullins and the Trailblazers were John Gustafson, Kay Mongold and Paul Westford.  Bob Rowell of Norwalk found the Master chest which had no written clue.  Randy Karst of Desert Shores was the victor in the Loot Contest.  He also had the best Tale from the Trail.  There were 22 entries from Jamul and Rosie Newport accepted the Jamul most numbers trophy.  Mary Stinson of San Bernardino was the the Trophy Queen and Jim Regan of Alta Loma was chose the King of the Trails.  Show of entries winners were:  Rail:  Paul Bisnett of Edgemont; Baja:  Bob Lowenstein of Whittier; Motorcycle:  Gordon Howe of Jamul; Jeep:  Dennis Smith of Culver City; ATC: Mike Mainwall of Sylmar.  The MC for the event was Mike Groves.

February 9-10 - 20th Treasure Trails

There were 120 entries representing 47 towns in southern California;

two in AZ and one in MO. King of the Trails was Paul Bisnett of Rialto and Queen of the Trails was Teresa White of Sylmar. MC was Jim Regan of Montclair. Trailblazers were Clarence Harbaugh, Kay Mongold, Rusty Mullins and Jim Whitehouse. Steve Landry of Springfield, MO came the greatest distance. Two year-old Tenna Scott, of Sylmar, was a surprise entrant In the Show of Entries on a mini cycle and won a plush animal for her performance.

102 entries this year met with rain and cloudy skies. Trailmaster Hal Roach didn't make things too easy for the dunsters. Jim Connelly of Yucaipa found the big chest high up on the walls of a cliff in Palm Wash about 9 pm Saturday. Jim Regan was MC at the presentations on Sunday. King of the Trails was Kenny Gabriel of Huntington Beach, and Natalie Priester of Campo was named Queen of the Trails. The youngest on the trails was 4-month old Valerie of Lakeside. Placing first in the Parade of Entries were; Jo Lavery of Culver City, Marlene St. Clair of Salton Sea Beach, David Gage of Long Beach, Lori Prentice of Ventura, Jim Hicks of Lakeside, Parrel Parke of Buena Park, Dennis Lavery of LA and Paul Steele of Westminster. Larry Bridgewater of Jamul was presented with a trophy for having never missed a Treasure Trails In ail of It's 2O years and for having registered as Number 1 each year. Donna Lowenstein of Paramount brought a wonderfully decorated cake complete with sand dunes, coyotes and a treasure chest. Jack Preston was winner of the Loot Contest for finding a bowling ball in the desert. A prize was also given to the participant who brought in the skull of a baby coyote.

There were 170 entries and the Trailmaster was Paul Westford who was assisted by O.P Richards of Desert Shores. Challenging trails were blazed with the help of Bill Bilyeu, Bob Norby and Jim Traun. Terry Scott of Sylmar found the Big Chest Sunday morning after many searches. On Sunday the best show of entries were; Bikes: David Cage of Long Beach, Andrew Pringle of Long Beach and Bill Cooper of Hawthorne. Bajas: Leonard Heidrick of Riverside, Richard Console of Salton City, Jim Hicks of Lakeside. Rails: Bob McLaughlin of Salton Sea Beach, Ken Troxel of Hawthorne, James Taylor of Westminster. Dune Buggies: Richard Polowitz of El Cajon, Craig Prentice of Ventura and Lee Onge of Buena Park. 4-Wheel: Darryl Parker of Salton Sea Beach, Roger Peterson of Salton Sea Beach and Bill Cooper of Hawthorne. Trophy Queen Bobble McLaughlin made the awards. David Bush of Sylmar was named King of the Trails. Mr. Salton Sea, Ken Stilson, hosted the event and made the presentations along with Bobbie. 4-1/2 month old Todd Smith of Sylmar was the youngest to ride the trails. Jim Regan was again the MC. Kristi Taylor of Westminstertold the best tale of the trail... she swore a ground squirrel got her treasure chest. Many Thanks went to Jim Sims of Riverside who had again donated Lottery Tickets.

There were 200 entries in search of tiny chests placed in dunes and washes throughout many miles of desert terrain, Trailmasters were Paul Westford and O.P Richards of Desert Snores and leg-man Shawn Persich. Trailblazers were Dill and Carlye Bilyeu, Troy kirk, Paul Tutorand Jeff Clemmons. The jovial Jim Regan of Alta Loma was the master of ceremonies. King of the trails was Todd Waltz of Huntington Beach, and Valerie Swanson of South Gate was the Queen. The coveted Trailmasters chest was found by Pavid Gervains of Desert Shores. Kay Mongold of Colton was the dunster who traveled 164 miles in her search... finding her treasure the farthest from home at the Drop Off at the end of the trail. 119 of the 145 chests were found and they weren't easy! Parade of entries: Buggies; Johnny Jones of Salton Sea Beach, Patricia Stevens of Ontario. Rails: Darrell Clark of Shadow Hills, Terry Scott of Sylmar. 4-wheel drive: Richard Okey, of San Dimas, Joe Whitlock of Buena Park. VWs: Rich Lowenstein of Chino Hills, Marilyn Lenz of Glendora. ATC's: Mary Stinson of Desert Shores, Jared Schnitker of Sylmar and David Swoger of Northridge. Motorcycles: Lloyd Brown of Riverside, and Andrew Pringle of Long Beach. VWs: Rick Hewitt of Buena Park and Paul Kelley of Salton Sea Beach. ATC's: Darrell Clark of Shadow Hills and Most Unique Buggy was won by Jack Preston of Cucamonga. Showing most wear from the trails was Darrell Park of Buena Park. Winner of the Loot contest was Bonnie Cooper of Agua Dulce with a sandstone resembling an ear. Mark Thibodeaux of Covina won the hard luck story. Coming from the greatest distance was Billy Jale now of Colorado. Jim Sims again brought Lottery tickets to be raffled. The excellent BBQ. Beef dinner was prepared and served by Les and Linda Marty, as assisted by Mac and Barbara Me Donald.

This year our Trailblazers were Paul Westford, OP Richards, Ron & Nancy Fowler of Desert Shores, Bill Bilyeu of Napa, Troy Kirk and Carlye Bilyeu of San Diego. Jim Martens of Upland was the fine MC who kept things moving. Charlie & Sandra Moore of Salton Sea Beach found the big chest and a tiny chest. The youngest on the trail was 3 week old Nicole Barret of Ontario. (2000 will be Nicole's 12th year in attendance. Way to go Nicole! ) From the greatest distance were Ed Fisher and Gary Martin of Ventura. The delicious BBQ was provided by Les, Linda and Jim Marty and assisting was Dan McDonald and Marge Perkins. Show of entries: 4-wheel; Amy Schlaman of Riverside. Bike: Bill Smith of LA. Rail: Terry Scott of Sylmar. Buggy; Marion Severson of Desert Shores, Special: Bob McLaughlin of Salton Sea Beach. Loot Prizes went to Matthew and Deena Scott of Sylmar, who brought In a unicorn concretion; Brian Kocher of Fontana with "Stan The Man", Don Lindberg of Morongo Valley a holey stove, and Dusty Rhodes of Salton City with a perfectly shaped concretion rabbit. Named King of the Trails was Brad Bronson of Newport Beach. Jim &. Gall Sims brought lottery tickets to be raffled. Much appreciation to Carl Wright of Aggregate Products for making a way for dunsters to make their way safely under one of the bridges at Hwy 66.

This year marked the quarter century for the Treasure Trails event at Salton Sea Beach and Mother Nature cooperated in making it a record year. 210 entries brought over 500 to the West Shores to enjoy a beautiful weekend under sunny skies. Trailmasters were Paul Westford and OP Richards of Desert Shores. Assisting them with the trallblazlng were; Ron and Nancy Fowler, Joe Stoebenau, John Lenz and Debbie Wyman of Desert Shores, and Bill Bilyeu of Napa. Jim Regan of Alta Loma played his role brilliantly as Master of Ceremonies. Robert Ross of Salton Sea Beach brought In the Big Chest. Jim & Gail Sims of Riverside again brought Lottery tickets for raffle. Mr. Salton Sea Richard Console, and Salton's Ski Queen Vickie Coady, were this years King and Queen of the trails. They made the treasure presentations. Those receiving trophies were; Motorcycles: Deena Kean of Temple and Dlanna Hughes of Walnut. Rails: Darren Nowiki of Downey. Bathtub: Kay Mongold of Phelan. Quad: Garret Smith (5) and Todd Smith (3) of LA. Jeeps: Stephanie Hendricks (whose 7 people traveled 100 miles in their search}. Vickie Coady's bug was named "The Most Beautiful". Steven Fuqua of Fairbanks Alaska was the participant coming the greatest distance. The youngest to travel the trails was £> week old Darren Parks of Riverside. Doc Holiday(66) can boast about being the oldest on the trail. Having the honor of being the most under 16 in a vehicle were Byron and Jason Rosenbaum and Steven, Terry, and Mike Fleming of Riverside. Prizes for Loot went to Garret Smith of LA, Garret Lambert of Costa Mesa and Carol Krause of Placentia. The Burger BBQ was hearty and delicious on Sunday. Burgers and hot dogs were prepared by Linda & Les Marty of the Windjammer In Desert Shores. Helpers were Mac & Barbara Me Donald and Marge Perkins.

242 entries arrived from throughout southern CA. Paul Westford and OP Richards of Desert Shores were the faithful Trailmasters. Jim Regan of Aita Loma was the master of ceremonies. King and Queen of the Trails were Bill and Connie Kean of Temple City. They assisted with treasure presentations. West Shores Deputy Ron Adams spoke to the dunsters before the take-off. Bill Elsenpeter of Camarillo received a plaque for having come the greatest distance. The youngest to ride the trails was 5 week old Megan Steele of Westminster. The most entries from one town were the Z8> from Riverside. Jim Sims again generously supplied Lottery tickets. The Big Chest, which was hidden along the poleline on the Travertine Run, was brought In by Jean Smith of LA. The Loot Contest awarded Bill Englert of Palmdale 1st place for an animal skull, Michael Pierce of Salton Sea Beach was 2nd with a smaller skull, and Don Lindberg of Morongo Valley was third with a perfect peanut rock. Parade of Entries Trophy winners were; Robert Edmonson of Valley Center, Richard Peak of Riverside, Jack Heald of Salton Sea Beach, Gary George of Bermuda Dunes, Ken Townsend of Riverside, Bill Smith of Westchester, Richard Console of Salton City, Rondy French of San Bernardino, Bob Garst of Riverside. The delicious Saturday night BBQ was by Les and Linda Marty of the Windjammer in Desert Shores. Trailblazers were; Fon Fowler of Desert Shores, John ienz of Glendora, Ryan Delp of Salton Sea Beach, Bill Bilyeu of San Diego, and George Owens of Silver Sands.

There were 231 entries and their families who enjoyed a beautiful weekend. Trailmasters were OP Richards and Paul Westford of Desert Shores. Trailblazers were; Bill Bilyeu of Ramona, Troy and Carlye Kirk of San Diego, John Lenz of Glendora, Ron Fowler and Marion Severson both of Desert Shores, and Trent Severson of Palm Desert. Jim Martens of Ontario was the fun Master of Ceremonies, and the genial long-time at the mike person was Jim Regan having taken what he called a "sabbatical" this year. Jim Sims of Riverside again brought lottery tickets for raffle. VI Herzberg of Salton Sea Beach found the Big Chest which was hidden on the Travertine run. Youngest to ride the trails was 5 month old Matthew St. Onge of San Marcos. Parade of Entries were: Sandbuggy; Tricia Stevens of San Dimas. Trail Bike; Tamara Stapleton of Buena Park, VW; Russ Sebelius of Riverside, and David Zamora of Hawthorne. Pickup; Jason Debrall of San Diego (also won for the muddiest). Rail: Cliff Rohlfing of Whittier. A concretion shape like a sheephead took first place for loot brought In from the trail (finders name not available). Doris Hale of Clark Fork, ID was here from the greatest distance. Larry Bridgewater, number 1 of Treasure Trails has never missed this event and reported that he had never been skunked, always going home with a treasure. Riverside with 21 entries claimed the most from any one town. A delicious BBQ was provided again by Les and Linda Marty of Desert Shores. They brought their mobile rig to the Hut and served dinner on Saturday night and BBQ beef sandwiches on Sunday.

173 treasure seekers and their families combed dune and wash for 190 miniature chests hidden along six trails. Trailmasters were OP Richards and John Lenz. Those assisting with trailblazing were; Ed Forsyth Jr., Clancy Medley, Kay Mongold, Mary Perry, and Marion and grandson Trent Severson. Jim Regan was the good-time master of ceremonies. Named King and Queen of the Trails were Mongee Mainwal of Sylmar and Sue Norman of Alhambra, who have been very faithful to Treasure Trails. Entries were from throughout southern CA, the northernmost being Joe Skerceivie and Lena Davis of Ventura. From out of state were Chuck Cain of Topock AZ, Doris Hale of Clark Fork ID, and Robert Engert of Las Vegas NV. Riverside claimed 14 entries, the most from any one city. Youngest to ride the trails was 4 month old Jason Mann of Huntington Beach. The Hard Luck Trophy went to Robert Blakely of Westminster whose 4WD Toyota suffered damage along the rugged Pumpkin Patch Trail. Trophy winners were: Jeep; Pat Serna of San Dlmas. Truck; Joe Whitlock of Buena Park. Buggy; Mark Cranmoreof Poway. Rail; Miguel Zamora of Hawthorne. I3aja; Ron Cobb of Salton Sea Beach. Motorcycle; Tamara Stapleton of Buena Park. The Loot Contest was judged by Mongee, Sue and Terry who found it difficult because of the many unusual findings. A sandstone with a VW shape took first place, a bighorn sheep horn took second and a sandstone Koala Bear was third. One little boy brought in a raindrop and a snake in miniature (stones most likely). Jim Sims of Riverside again donated $50 worth of Lottery tickets. D.J. Steirs of DJ's Automotive in San Bernardino brought Items useful for off-roaders for the second year. A BBQ dinner was provided by Les & Linda Marty of Desert Shores.

There were 225 enthusiastic entries . The Chests were hidden by Trailmasters OP Richards and John Lenz. Helping blaze the trails were; Clancy Medley, Mary Perry, Bill Bilyeu, Marion Severson and leg-man Richie Galvin. The popular and fun-loving Jim Regan of Alta Loma was the master of ceremonies for the 10th year. He said next year it would be someone else's turn. Most successful In his search was Alan Bird of Castaic CA, who following clues for the Big Chest took off Saturday night and found it nearly burled under a bridge. From the greatest distance was Audi Boschi of New Providence NJ. Trophy winners In the Show of Entries were: Rails; Bill Smith of LA. Bathtub; Dorothy Hurst of Whittier. Baja; Steve Tustison of Huntington Beach. Jeep; Lois Yaros of Corona. ATV; Lorraine Hughes of Walnut. Loot Contest for 1st prize was a little 3" sandstone spaceman, even a belt was clearly seen on his outfit. 2 week old Dillon Ballard of Campo was the youngest to ride the trails... he slept all the way! For the first time in 14 years, Dave Bush of Sylmar found his treasure. Jim and Gail Sims again brought lottery tickets to be raffled. The delicious BBQ was done by Les and Linda Marty with the able assistance of Mickey Hall and Kenny Stilson. DJ Steirs of DJ's Automotive in San Bernardino brought great gifts for the treasure hunters for the third year. Others who assisted In making the event enjoyable and another great success were; Tom Smart, Bill Bilyeu, Clancy Medley, Phylis Nogales, Ginger Dean, Ken and Marian Stilson, Anni Fields, George Clayton, and Ron Avery and the Sand Demons. Also the wonderful team of Terri Barret of Ontario, Debbl Covington of Upland, Toren Grammer of Rialto, Vicki Sauber of Glendora and Marion Severson of Desert Shores helped.

When Helen passed away in 1994, a committee was formed to carry on the Treasure Trails event. We all wondered "will they come?". Members of the committee put money up to purchase prizes, shirts, and snack bar items. We had a loan, and thanks to Larry Paklan, we had a bar. It was a beautiful weekend and we know it was because Helen was talking to Mother Nature and watching over us. You all came... 234 entries... outdid last year by 6. THANK YOU! Blazing the trails were John Lenz, OP Richards, Kay Mongold, Sue Hall, Mary Perry, Marion Severson and leg-man Richie Galvin. Masters of ceremonies were Sue and Dick Hall (who had never even seen a Treasure Trails before}. Loot contest winner was Joe Schnekenburger of Riverside who found a Land Grant Deed dated 1915 that was inside an old Tobacco can on Grave Wash. Bill Elsenpeter of Camarillo found a rock resembling a seal, and Donna Rolfing of Whittier found a rock resembling a frog. Show of Entries were: Jeep; Don Coleman of Anaheim. Truck; DJ Steir of San Bernardino. Rail; Stacey Winn of Moreno Valley. Bathtub; Nathan Nolan of Campo. ATV; Brian White of Hawthorne. Motorcycle; Rob Jacobs of Riverside. John Schnekenburger of Hillsborough NJ came the greatest distance to ride the trails. Youngest rider was 5 week old Keith (we wish we had his last name}. With the support of local businesses and Individuals who gave donations this event was a great success. Jim Sims again brought lottery tickets to be raffled, and Les Marty again did the BBQ.

Trailblazers were; Sandi Johnson, John Lenz, OP Richards, Kay Mongold, Alice Lund, George Stiehler, Sue Hall, Herm Anselm, Howard Smotherman, Richie Galvin, Andy Johnson and Trent and Marion Severson. Master of Ceremonies Sandi Johnson did a great job. The first chest came In at 11:03 am by Rich and Mary Flores. The big chest was found at 5:30 pm by Matthew Townsend of Riverside. It was sponsored by Ed Yaros from Bug Builders of Riverside. The Loot Contest brought in many interesting items. 9 year old Travls Hill won 1st place with a rock shaped like a waving teddy bear. 2nd place went to Bill Randolph of Valencia and Corey Finch of San Bernardino who brought In a T long rock. 5 year old Joey Farris of Desert Shores took 3rd place with an avocado shaped rock. Show of Entries were: Motorcycle; Keith Shaw. 4WD; Randy French. Rail; Tim and Maryann Elsenpeter. Bathtub; Pick Hall. Baja; Matt Townsend. Jeep; Paul Shepard. ATV; Steve Riker. Youngest to ride the trails was 5 month old Demi Zamora of Hawthorne and 1 year old Jeffery Ballard of Garden Grove. The oldest to rough the wild trails was Reba Beebe of Salton Sea Beach. Faithful Jim Sims again brought lottery tickets for the raffle, and Les Marty again provided the BBQ.

Sandi Johnson was master of ceremonies again this year. The Treasure Trails board blazed the trails for some challenging clues. Jim Johnson brought in the first chest at 10:40 am. and Dennis parker came in with two chests. Winner of the CB was Shawna Taylor. The Big Chest winner was Brandon Zamora (9 years old) of Hawthorne. This was the first year for mini chests. Sponsors were the Country Kitchen, Desert Shores Market, Bob Waltz Service Station, Our Place Saloon, The Salton Tiki Restaurant, and Earls Baja. The winners were; Jeff Walta of Anaheim, Edward Kelly of Los Angeles, John Parks of San Bernardino, Steve Mertinson of Brea, and guess who... Bran<jjpr Zamora of Hawthorne, Marylou Wagner of Escondido, and Tammy Schnekenburger of Las Vegas. The largest participating family groups were the Elsenpeter and Schnekenberger families. Show of Entries: Rails; Jeff Elsenpeter. Bathtub; Hap Hall of Hot Springs AR. Baja; Matt Townsend of Riverside. Jeep; Pat Bell of Riverside. ATV; Frank Vitores of Winnetka. Truck; Navia Kelly of El Cajon. Motorcycle; Ed Yaros of Corona. The complimentary breakfast was put on by George Steihler and Chris and Paul Brickel of Riverside. Cash contributors were: Bug Builders of Riverside (Ed Yaros), Police Officers Assn. of Santa Ana Police Dept., Rich Flores and Ralph Wills of Norco Alarms, and JH Sims Trucking (lottery tickets). Loot Contest winners; 1st Rose Pelham of Monrovia, 2nd Andy Thayer, 3rd Pat Bell of Riverside. The youngest child on the trail was 10 week old Riley Fantasie of San Diego. The oldest on the trails was Naomi Robertson 81 years young, of Washington. Lisa and Drew Smith of New Jersey traveled the greatest distance. The free entry for children under 18 went to Breanne Rosa.

Rain for the treasure hiding made for muddy trail blazing. And rain continued to fall through much of Saturday. This didn't stop Vie Jorgensen from returning with the first chest at 9:35 am. Sandi Johnson did a rain dance, and George Steihler built a little church.., but still the rain continued. The big bonfire was lit to help warm the trail-mudded treasure hunters. Sandi Johnson was the MC and there were over 200 prizes handed out. Larry Bridgewater attended his 33rd Treasure Trails. The Show of Entries were; Bathtub; Dick Hall. Jeep; Pat Bell. 4WD; Linda Jorgenson, Truck; Martine Miles. Rail; Bill Smith. Quad; Jimmie Felton. Most Unique; Pete Mavropoulos. Loot winners; Andy Thayer, and Donna Rolfing. The big Chest was sponsored by Bug Builders, and found by Frank Vitone. Mini chest sponsors were; Jim's General Store, Tiki Resturant, Desert Realty, Earls Baja, Desert Shores Market, Lorenzo's Gas, and The Firehouse Cafe. These were found by; Jim Artens, Timmie Hayworth, Russ Sekelius, Mary Arnold. This year there were gold nuggets hidden on each trail. Sponsors were; Our Place Saloon, Waiters Buggies, Bug Builders, Pacific Sons of Temecula, Carls Transport, Grandmas Attic, Diversified Realty, and SJ Publications. Winners of the nugget finding were; Rich Waite, Dennis Lavery, Joey Fan-is, Darryl Parker, Ryan Marshall, and Nina Hansen. The Saturday breakfast was sponsored by Chris & Paul Brickel, and the West Shores Market. The Schnekenbergers had 24 family members attending and some from as far away as New Jersey. In addition to the Treasure Trails board members who put this event together, there were 45 others listed in the paper as having helped to sell shirts, tend bar, register folks, hide chests, serve snacks and clean up after the event. Everyone was needed, and very much appreciated.

Ray Childs wrote this article and claimed the event was made perfect by the fact that the original overseer Helen Burns, was watching the event from her photo hanging in the Hut. All records for attendance were broken with a tally of 305 registrations. Shirley Brenan of the Desert Sun was on hand to record the event with photos and notes. There were 7 trails, each with 30 tiny chests, one gold nugget and one mini chest. There was also one big chest and one big gold nugget hidden. Tom Veysey our District Supervisor, started the herd off at 9am Saturday. Show of Entries were: Rail; Mark Anello of Hermosa Beach. Bathtub; Stuart Duben of Torance. Baja; Patti Miles of Corona. 4WP; Frank Wilier of Reseda. Motorcycle; John Parks of Victorville. ATC; Bob & Delia Butler of San Diego. Most Unique; Gary Neese of Torrance. Best Loot 1st place was Steve Parker who found an old army knife, 2nd was Shelby Herzberg with a Glenn Miller 78, and the boobie prize went to Ron Bell for a calendar. Judges were Orrie Bell, David Salcedo and Lynn Wilderson. Jenna Salcedo won the under 18 registration and early reg. winner was Jim Connely. Tanner Waite won the teen fix-it fund. Oldest on the trail were Glen and Naomi Harrison, both 93 from Seaview, WA. Samantha Englert at 10 months and John Hansen at 12 months were the youngest girl and boy on the trail. Chris Cobb came from Great Bartingtom, MA and the largest family attending is again the Schneckenberger with 36 members in attendance, Larry Bridgewater from Jamul has attended all 34 Treasure Trails. Mini chest winners were; Mark Ballard, Sarah Holmes, Bill Engbarth, Angi Janus, Larry Bridgewater, Steve Parker, Judy Jackson, and the big chest was located by Chuck Floyd. Nugget finders were; Bob Winderson, Patti Miles, Ed Yaros, Lauren Conlin, Faye St Onge, Gail Sims, Judy Jackson and the big nugget finder was Buddy Knisley. Generous sponsors for theses nuggets and chests were; Our Place Saloon (big chest), Salton Sea Beach Marina, Earls Baja, Desert Shores Market, The Rigger, Desert Realty, Oasis-Apple Market, Firehouse Cafe, Carls Transport (big nugget), Walters Buggies, SJ Publications, West Shores Market, Pacific Sons of Temecula, D& B Storage, Grandmas Attic, Diversified Realty. President of Treasure Trails, John Lenz, expressed great appreciation to all of the generous sponsors for this event and to all of the many volunteers and the treasure Trail Committee for making this another excellent year.