ACALANES 75th Reunion Stories, etc. 

Here's the place where classmates, any year, can display their stories, messages and old tales that can finally be told (wonder what they might be) . . . in preparation for the big celebration with the Class of '55 at Rossmoor on September 26, 2015.  So let's see them !!!  

Just email your information and see what happens right here!    

Also . . . check out the 55-Year Stories , Messages & Recollections,

 The 50 Years After Acalanes, and the Acalanes Bulletin Board.

"Good judgment comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgment.  And sometimes that bad judgment can be pretty horrific!"  -Val Geissler, cowboy poet, horse trainer, Unbranded mentor and support crew.

I first met Val on a pack trip into Hawk's Rest three years before the Unbranded ride began.  Hawk's Rest is a mountain sitting above the confluence of the Yellowstone and Thorofare rivers deep in Wyoming's Teton Wilderness.  At 31 miles from the nearest trailhead, Hawk's Rest is the furthest location from a road anywhere in the lower 48.   Grizzlies roam, wolves howl, cutthroat prowl the banks of rivers, beavers work feverishly, eagles soar, and the largest elk migration in the world passes through the thoroughfare, hence its name.  It's a wild place, as wild as exist today, and visiting is like stepping back in time, seeing the world unmarred by the footprint of man, and realizing your insignificance.

At the base of Hawk's Rest, nestled into the pines above a beautiful meadow overlooking the Yellowstone river, sits a tiny Forest Service cabin.  Val and Cindy Geissler are caretakers of the cabin, volunteers for the Forest Service, and live there for three months a year in case of backcountry emergencies, to take care of trail crews, and to assist the public in case someone gets lost.  If entering the cabin below Hawk's Rest makes you feel as if you're stepping back into time, meeting Val is verification.

A well-worn cowboy hat, sitting atop gray hairs that haven't been combed in decades, provides shade for a face deeply wrinkled by 70 years of hard work in the sun and wind.  Below bushy eyebrows are two bright blue eyes that have seen sights that will never be seen again. Val's eyes are always dancing, surveying his surroundings, and when he makes eye contact, which he always does, you can't help but feel his kindness and love for life.  Within five minutes of meeting Val, there is a 90% chance that he calls you "pared", has sang you a song, poured you a cup of coffee, and has stolen the heart of every female within listening distance!  He's the most fascinating man I've ever met.

Val Geissler was born in San Francisco and raised in rural Northern California where a strong buckaroo culture exists today.  Val's carried many titles over his life: army officer, horse trainer, horse trader, horse breeder, "must anger", rancher, bronc-rider, archaeologist, roper, cowboy entertainer, poet, packer, loan shark, destroyer of invasive species, hunting guide, camp cook, outfitter, and he's broken more hearts on the Western Landscape than John Wayne!  Val has sang for presidents, visited every state, and has roamed across the country in search of new adventures, better horses, and folks to entertain.  

When I first approached Val about the sanity of my idea to adopt a whole string of wild horses, train them, and ride them across to the country to inspire wild horse adoptions he replied,  "Well son, there ain't nothing we can't do and damn little we won't try." The "we" in his statement indicated there was no way he would be left out of such an adventure.  When I asked him if he could bring down a few well trained mustangs for the cameramen he said absolutely.

So in February of 2013, Val loaded up Bear, his old truck, with his horses Smokey, Luke, Tuf, Ford, and JR to drive from Cody, WY to South Texas to help us prepare for the Unbranded ride.  Val spent a full month helping us train and accustom the horses to tarps, lifting feet, carrying weight, and another million scary stimuli to green horses.  Although he did indeed teach our horses, he was really there to teach us.  We learned how to tie a horse and lay them on the ground, how to shoe a horse, tie the Sierra Box Hitch, drink coffee all night, and sing to the morning.

On April 1, 2013, we began the Unbranded journey with Val acting as support crew.  He was instrumental in finding good camping locations for us to camp with our horses every night.  Not one single time in the 45 days that we crossed Arizona did Val not have hay and water waiting for us when we arrived at the night's campsite.  His support through the arid state of Arizona allowed us to keep our horses in tip top condition so that when Val left us at the Utah border we were in great shape to continue.  But his help didn't stop there.  Val lined us up places to stay across Utah on his way back to Wyoming!

Looking back on the Unbranded ride, the film, and the entire journey, there are literally thousands of people that have given time, money, and love to make Unbranded possible.  Not one person has given as much as Val.  He gave us four months of his life, his personal horses, countless dollars in expenses, hard won experience, and only asked for one thing; to continue his love of backcountry horsemanship.  We could've searched the entire world and couldn't have found a more perfect individual to help us through the journey, film, and life in general.  We love you Val!

-Ben Masters (one of the 4 stars of the movie)

6/3/15 - Here's a great life story by John Hoff, '57 who now lives on the Garden Island of Kauai.  What a place!!!

Got your invite but I cannot guarantee an appearance.  Will try and get you a photo or two.  I did make it to the 30th or 35th  Reunion.  I'm still living in Hawaii on Kaua'i and have been totally blessed with a wonderful wife (50th anniversary in 2017); have 3 sons and an adopted daughter [pure Korean]); 8 grandchildren 7 boys, one granddaughter (part Hawaiian); and airly good health after 3 heart attacks and a quadruple bypass in '08.

Sent 3 of our kids to college and told them they were going to the mainland to see what the real World is really like.  2 boys went to Arizona and daughter went to Denver U.  They all came back and living on Kaua'i.  Our youngest son did not go to college; the stayed on Kaua'i and went to drugs.  Full on addict now 20 years clean.  He's a tough Uncle to his nephews.

After Acalanes  I joined the Coast Guard Reserve for 8 years which kept me out of V. Nam.  Spent my 8 years in S.F. Bay and I am still a vet.  My closest call to combat was in 1962 when the three boys, Frank Morris and the 2 Anglen brother escaped fro Alcatraz.  I was on duty that night and our boat was one of the first of two boats of first responders.  Didn't find any evidence they did not make it.  The official story was they got away.  I've always believe they made it.  On the way out to "Rock" I put my hand in the bay water and it was not cold, it was warm, maybe cool, the bay was calm and currents were light.  Always felt the made and just found our a guy in Ireland confessed he was Frank Morris.  Been living in Ireland since 1966 and is 86 or so old.  Read about him brought closure.

During the 8 years I went to college and graduated from S.F. State College in 63.  Joined the Peace Core and went to the Philippines.  Trained in Hilo, Hawaii and that was my firs trip to the Isles.  After the Peace Core traveled down to Mexico and thru out the S. W. States.  Worked in the lettuce business a couple of years and did construction/painting and then decided to try for teaching certificate.  Never got it; went to work for a hotel in Waikiki. 

Finally moved to Kaua'i on March 1, 1966.  The Big 5 just stopped growing pineapple.  People were leaving cause of no jobs.  We got a chance to buy 5 acs. of land with 3 superintendent's houses on the land: $90,000.  Been here ever since.

Over the past years I was a general contractor.  After 40 yrs of construction I closed down.  Ran for local council and never won.  Went into substitute teaching and now in my 15th year.  Its been a GREAT life for this "haole" (white guy).  Couldn't ask for a better life with our family all living near by and of my "much better" half.

That's about it.  Too many details for an e-mail.  I am look at a possibility of seeing SF again.  Hope it 

happens soon but living in Hawaii one never knows.   Hope to talk with you again and ALOHA.

John Hoff

6/2/15 - Here's the starting "contribution" by Lucy Hupp Williams,'57