Explore Outdoors: Soda Springs store tied to mysterious Stetson hat

EXPLORING THE HIGH SIERRA. WHEN YOU THINK OF THE SIERRA, OFTENTIMES YOU THINK OF EITHER SNOW STORMS OR THE PERFECT RELIEF FOR SUMMER HEAT. BUT WAIT UNTIL I TELL YOU THIS GOOD STORY. IT’S A STORY INVOLVING A NOTORIOUS COUPLE, A MYSTERIOUS STETSON HAT, AND A LINK TO THE HISTORIC SODA SPRING STORE. I THINK BECAUSE WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, BAD GUYS COME HERE A LOT AND TRY TO HIDE OUT IN THE WOODS. AS THE STORY GOES, BACK IN 1950, FIVE YEARS AFTER THE SODA SPRINGS STORE OPENED IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION, BILL AND DOROTHY RYAN ARRIVED IN TOWN BIGGER THAN LIFE. BILL, IN HIS STETSON HAT, WAS SAID TO BUY DRINKS WALL TO WALL IN THE HOTEL RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE WANTED POSTER FOR BILL AND DOROTHY THAT WAS POSTED AT THE OLD POST OFFICE. THEY WENT UNNOTICED UNTIL BILL DROPPED HIS GUN, GAMBLING AND THE FBI FINALLY GOT THEIR MAN. AND GET THIS AFTER THE EMBEZZLING COUPLE WAS ARRESTED, THE TOWN DIVVIED UP ALL THEIR BELONGINGS, INCLUDING THAT STETSON HAT, WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO THE HISTORIC SODA SPRINGS STORE, NOW IN ITS FIFTH LOCATION. THE STORE IS HOME TO A PLAQUE WHICH DISPLAYS THIS MYSTERIOUS PIECE OF HISTORY. MYSTERIOUS BECAUSE TO THIS DAY, NO ONE KNOWS OR IS WILLING TO ADMIT WHO GOT BILL’S ICONIC STETSON HAT AFTER HIS ARREST. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THAT HAT IS? I, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER HAS IT IS NEVER GOING TO TELL, SO IT MAY BE SOMEWHERE STILL. YEAH, IT PROBABLY IS. IT WAS A STETSON. THEY LAST FOREVER. YOU DON’T HAVE IT. DO YOU KNOW THE SODA SPRINGS STORE? AND THIS NOTORIOUS PIECE OF HISTORY ALONG DONNER PASS ROAD JUST OFF INTERSTATE 80, IN THE SIERRA MIKE TESELLE SELL FOR EXPLORE OUTDOORS AND THE SODA SPRINGS GENERAL STORE, LOCATED AT ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE SODA SPRINGS EXIT ON I-80, YOU CAN SCAN THIS QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN TO FIND EXPLORE OUTDOOR IDEAS. YOU CAN ALSO LOG ON TO KCRA.COM. CLICK ON T