The Shoe Tree: located about 100 miles east of Reno on Highway 50. Photo by Ryan Jerz.The first week of April was a big one for Nevada Tourism. We at Travel Nevada held our annual Rural Roundup Conference in my hometown, Elko. As part of the trip, most of the staffers here and quite a few of the attendees rode a bus out to Elko from Carson City. While the conference was great, what I really want to talk about today is the return trip.
On the return we stopped for the night in Eureka and were treated to a fantastic performance of Romeo and Juliet by the Utah Shakespeare Company at the Eureka Opera House. The next day we rode down Highway 50 toward Carson City, and after a stop in Austin we hit a Highway 50 hit – the Shoe Tree.
The genesis of the Shoe Tree is an interesting tale. Or two. According to Rich Moreno of Backyard Traveler, there are a couple of them, neither of which is that old. Here’s one of them:
According to Rus Stevenson, who operates the nearby Middlegate Station Bar, located about 110 miles east of Reno, the tale of the Old Shoe Tree dates to the early 1990s. A young couple had been married in Colorado and was heading toward California.
As they drove across Nevada, they began to argue. Finally, the husband pulled over the side of the road, under the big cottonwood, and left his new bride there to cool off while he drove to the Middlegate Station for a beer.
After tossing back a brew, he returned to the tree and found his wife still hopping mad. In response, he grabbed a pair of her shoes and tossed them into the tree, then headed back to the bar for another beer.
After another half-hour or so, he returned to his wife. This time, they managed to patch-up their differences. Unfortunately, he found he couldn’t get her shoes out the tree and they drove off, leaving the footwear hanging from a branch.
Over time, others saw the shoes in the tree and began tossing old pairs into its branches. And thus, the legend of the Old Shoe Tree was born.
That’s me: I failed in my attempts to make some shoes stick. That makes twice that I couldn’t make it happen. Photo by I Have No Idea.The group spent about a half hour at the tree and several of us attempted to make some shoes stick. Believe me, it’s much tougher than it looks. Unless you cheat. And by cheat I mean you take the easy route. That picture of me throwing shoes represents the second time I’ve failed at making my shoes stay in the tree. When my family and I took a trip out that way in November there was controversy. It’s all in the story I just linked, and I’m still bitter about it.
Our leader, Larry Friedman, had better luck than I did at the Shoe Tree. At least that’s what he says. I didn’t actually see his shoes stay in the tree, and in fact, I spent a good portion of my time there retrieving shoes from underneath the tree. I’m pretty sure a good chunk of what I retrieved was due to Larry’s skills.
I think the best part of our visit to the Shoe Tree was the family that we came across. They had stopped to check it out, and I’m not sure whether they had shoes to throw or not, but they did have two little girls. Those girls were really excited to see a bus full of people pull up and start throwing shoes. And when some of the shoes started to stay in the tree, it just made it better. They were delightful to watch, and it felt pretty good to see some people get a kick out of what we were doing.
Next time you find yourself headed down Highway 50, make it a point to stop and admire the Shoe Tree. It’s a gem along America’s Loneliest Road, and one that will break up your trip along that highly underrated highway. Just remember to bring some shoes you can toss up there. And if you haven’t been to the gym in a while, expect your arm to be a little sore the next day. It’ll take more than one try.
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