Meat, Drinks & Music Take Over Sutro Tunnel

On Thursday, Sept. 10, the Nevada Builders Alliance traded the traditional banquet hall for something a little more historic for its annual Meat & Drink at the Sutro Tunnel & Site in Dayton.

In partnership with the Friends of Sutro Tunnel Charity (FoSTC), the Alliance welcomed members, sponsors, and community supporters for an evening packed with food, drinks, music and a healthy dose of Nevada history.

Guests had plenty to eat and explore. They enjoyed good food from Carson City BBQ plus whiskey tastings from Frey Ranch Distillery, along with support from many other sponsors and community partners.

Visitors were able to wander through historic buildings on the property, venture 315 feet into the Sutro Tunnel to see restoration progress firsthand, and learn more about the tunnel’s history from docents Pat Neylan and Lee Brunell. Newly installed interpretive signs around the property also gave visitors a closer look at the site’s history and significance.

For those looking to add a little friendly competition to the evening, the Transamerica chipping contest challenged participants to putt onto a green floating in the pond. Attendees could also take on the Nevada Builders Scavenger Hunt to collect raffle tickets and investigate the property further.

And no good party is complete without music. The Never Too Late Barbershop Quartet from Reno serenaded guests both inside and outside the tunnel throughout the evening, adding a little old-school harmony to the historic surroundings.

FoSTC was also honored to welcome Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, who joined the event and welcomed guests. Representatives from the offices of Nevada’s two U.S. senators were also on hand.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto presented FoSTC with a Certificate of Commendation recognizing the organization’s work to restore the historic tunnel for future generations and preserve Nevada’s rich mining past.

Sen. Jacky Rosen provided a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition honoring FoSTC’s dedication to restoring the tunnel and ensuring Nevada’s mining history is remembered for generations to come.

But perhaps the biggest piece of excitement came from the restoration work itself.

Dru Simerson and his team at Simerson Construction are leading the historic restoration of the tunnel, and during the event, Simerson unveiled a new piece of equipment with a decidedly Sutro-specific purpose: the Sutro Iron Mule.

The Simerson original was designed as an off-road dump truck that will be used to haul debris and large timbers out of the tunnel as crews continue pushing farther into the historic adit.

Of course, restoring a historic mine tunnel isn’t as simple as firing up the equipment and heading underground.

As crews move farther into the tunnel, changing layers of rock and dirt mean the tools, equipment and techniques must change, too. Simerson is still working through the design and logistical needs of the next phase of restoration, so no start date has been set for the work to resume.

For one evening, however, the focus was on celebrating the progress already made — with good food, good music, good company and a little bit of adventure thrown in for good measure.