It’s not every day one meets truly interesting and vital people. Your editor had this experience on Saturday, February 26, 2005.

        We, my wife Judy  (Banks) Simmons S63, and I, drove to Chico specifically to meet a remarkable alumnus who was to be there for only the one evening. We went to The Italian Cottage restaurant where I was told his group would be dining. For those who live in the Chico area, The Italian Cottage on the Esplanade is highly recommended. From ambiance to service, we rate it a 10.

        Halfway through a delightful pizza, the group entered and made their way to the area specially set up for them. Eighteen strong and senior citizens all (except for a few kids and grandkids) they made a formidable party. Not only for the fact that they were there, but for HOW they got there from Redding, California.

        Cyclists all, they had pedaled from their starting point in Redding that morning. Just an easy jaunt for these hearty seniors, but maybe an impossible trek for those of us who are more adept at pushing remote control buttons.

        This being one of their shorter trips, they would stay the night in Chico and return to Redding the next morning to put together their next journey which has already been planned.

        Led by 79 year old, Gene Leach S44, they will travel from Davis, to the Napa Valley and thence to San Francisco.  Gene states, “I guess for my age I am blessed with fair health and the same old legs that took me to All City (honors) in track in a few events.”  This very unpretentious Mustang lauds his friend, Hugo Bedau S44, whom he admires for his accomplishments, as being much more deserving of a Log article. But the feats of Leach are extraordinary to say the least.

        Claiming over 180,000 miles on road bikes, Gene’s objective is the 200,000 mile mark. He says, “...when you ride in Redding it is not easy.”  Having driven through Redding I can testify to the validity of that statement. Gene also claims his total elevation was a little over 300,000 feet. That was last year’s total.

        But these feats dim when compared to what he has accomplished in the past. He has led 4 very interesting kayak trips to the far north, including running the Nahanni River which by some people is one of the more dangerous rivers of Canada. He has ridden bike across the United States. He has ridden bikes across almost all the passes in the Alps of Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy on five different rides. He took his family on a three month bike tour of Europe back in 1976. He has ridden from New Mexico to Canada following the Rockies.

        Gene has done extensive climbing of all the 14,000 peaks in California, having climbed Mount Shasta 24 times by almost all of the routes. He has climbed Mount Whitney 4 times and on each trip has circumnavigated the Whitney Massif. He has crossed the Sierras in winter, on skis, and across Mount Lassen from Manzanita Lake to the Ski Area over 60 times.

        Having grown up in a SunStream Home on 35th Avenue, Gene entered Lincoln as a sophomore from Aptos Junior High. Being a new school, Lincoln had little in the way of counseling and students were more or less left to their own devices in choosing curriculum. Gene went out for track and qualified for the lightweight team. He chose the longest event for the lightweights, the 440, or quarter mile, and placed well in the All City meet.

        Lincoln, in those days, had no track facilities and just one dirt oval which was in bad shape. There was one intramural event that was a mile race. Glenn Stern S43, who just missed winning the mile in the 1943 All City meet, was entered in the race as well as Gene. Not knowing anything about training or pace, Gene managed to win. He states, “I am quite certain Glenn must have been out of shape.”

        The next year, still having no concept of training except to show up at track meets, Gene managed to win consistantly at the half mile and mile distances. His most vivid memory is of a race that, going into the final quarter mile, he found himself dead last. This was a wakeup call. He started running and passing opposition until he found himself out front crossing the finish line. These feats in themselves aren’t exceptional. But coupled with inadequate diet and no training they become outstanding.

        Gene, who became a math teacher, remembers his first year algebra class with Mr. William Baker. Seemingly recalled from retirement, Mr. Baker was hard of hearing and his eyesight was questionable. Gene found that if he went to the pencil sharpener located next to a window at the rear of the class, he could slide out the window and have an hour of freedom. This practice caught up with him the following year when he was in Miss Marjorie Maher’s class and was hard pressed to make up his own algebraic rules to survive. But once again his sins were to catch up with him when he enrolled in Calculus in college. His own rules worked about half the time which earned him a C. He states, “the irony of it all is that I finally went on to teach Advanced Math, successfully, for over forty years, at Shasta College in Redding.

        Gene’s biking history started with a job he had while attending Aptos and Lincoln. Delivering orders and Western Union telegrams for a small drug store called Russell Richards Drug Store on Ocean Avenue, Gene recalls that “Too often during the war, the telegram, which I delivered, might bring the first indication that a son was missing in action.” These were the hard times.

        Gene remembers with fondness, the old streetcars with the cow catchers on the front and back. Riding the cow catchers was truly an exciting trip.

        During the summer of ‘43, Gene managed to get a job in the Bethlehem Shipyards. In those days OSHA was non-existent and employees worked long hours without safety equipment. Gene worked among riveters and sledge hammers, working on steel plating. The noise from this was severe and eventually caught up to him in 1968 when he became totally deaf, as he is today. Just the fact that the college had enough faith in his teaching ability to allow him to continue teaching untill he retired in 1990 tells the story of honor and dedication. The honors he received for his teaching abilities over the years and the number of students who still come to visit, claiming he was the best math teacher they ever had, adds distinction to an already successful life.

        But Gene goes on, pedaling his way to happiness among the oaks, pines, redwoods and the camaradarie of his group.

Post Script

        It is with heavy heart that we report that Gene Leach was tragically killed in a bicycle accident before this article came to press. Gene will be with us always in spirit.