These photos are all by Trail Guy. He was in Mineral King while I was down the hill painting. That’s because he is retired. Don’t feel sorry for me – I love what I do! And he keeps me current on Mineral King until I can get back up there.
This is in White Chief Canyon. The peak called White Chief is the flat top on the far right. Vandever, the right side of Farewell Gap, shows on the left (3rd bump from left). Bearskin, the patch of snow that is shaped somewhat like a bearskin rug is visible below Vandever and to the right.
Looking down from just above White Chief, there are a few small ponds and Timber Gap is in the distance.
Isn’t that green fabulous?? It is some mossy stuff, watered by snowmelt. In the foreground are skunk cabbage, which really are not skunk cabbage – they are Corn Lily, but resemble skunk cabbage that grows in the East.
There is still some snow in Farewell Gap. The peak on the left side of Farewell Gap is called “West Florence” or sometimes “Little Flo”. It is NOT Tulare Peak, as mistakenly noted on some maps. Tulare Peak is a different one, and don’t you forget it! (I keep forgetting which one it is, in spite of being told multiple times while painting it on my first big mural in Exeter.)
See? Snow, and water flowing down from Farewell Gap.
Can you spot the 2 marmots?
Mountain Quail are beautiful and very very shy. They show up at dusk when it is hard to photograph them, and they skitter off if they sense you are there.
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