A Peek at (closed) Mineral King

We took a day trip to Mineral King. Because the road is closed and the gates were locked, it was the perfect time to pull over next to Bird Poop Rock and inspect it. Since last year’s fire, it is very visible, and it is apparent that it is not bird poop, but a large erratic boulder of white rock (quartz? I don’t know) with lots of dirt and soot and who-knows-what staining the white. It is also broken up and has many pieces scattered along the bank. I slammed a small piece to the ground to see if it is white throughout, and sure enough, it is.

We were fairly busy, retrieving paintings from the Silver City Store, photographing a cabin that I will be drawing soon, and didn’t do any hiking*. The colors were faded, we still saw the small plume of smoke across the canyon on the way up (above Lookout Point), and it was in the mid 50s.

Cabin closed. Shutters up. End of season.

BUT THE JUNIPER IN THE PARKING LOT HAS BEEN SPARED!! Only the dead red fir behind it was removed. (It was marked to be removed, and if you scroll down a bit in this post, you can read about it.)

Hiking buddy and I walked down the road a ways from Atwell Mill.

This is a mystery to me. These 2 peaks appear almost touching from Silver City. Someone has called them Hengst Peak; someone else told me they are Mosquito Peak. “They” is actually two separate peaks, and perhaps one is Hengst and the other is Mosquito. Anyone know??

Then the Husbands caught up to us in the big pick-’em-up truck, and we headed back down the hill.

*The 2023 calendar Mineral King HIKES” is now sold out. 

Closing the Cabin in Mineral King

The privilege of having a cabin comes with missing home often in order to truly enjoy the cabin. After spending 4-1/2 months living in 2 places, it is a bit of a relief to close the cabin. This year we are so thankful to have had autumn in Mineral King, and it is sad to leave, but also good to be leaving on our terms rather than the terms of a wildfire.

Driving up the hill, we spotted a plume of smoke across the canyon. This is how last year’s wildfire began, so we didn’t like seeing this.

Atwell Mill Campground was closed, but there was a government rig there, so we stopped to make sure someone was aware of the fire.

While Trail Guy was talking to Campground Guy, I amused myself by taking a photo of some strange markings on the road. It has to do with Federal Highways and their plan to upgrade the Mineral King Road. The markings look as if they were made by a seventh grade girl, and I have my doubts as to whether road improvements will be made in the next decade, based on clues such as seeing only about 6 potholes get patched this summer (actually not until early October) while the number and size of potholes increased steadily.

Enough road blather. Time to get up the hill and see the fall colors.

The weather is still good, the colors weren’t finished on the cottonwoods, aspens, willows, and other unknown foliage, but the daylight hours are getting quite short, and we are ready to stop living a bungee lifestyle for awhile. (Up and down the hill)

The Honeymoon Cabin (a mini museum), the ranger station, and the two campgrounds are closed now. The road officially closes on Wednesday, October 26. The plume of smoke across the canyon was dealt with swiftly.

Mineral King is one of my main sources of inspiration; in non-Artspeak, this means I draw and paint Mineral King possibly more than any other subject. Thus, I will continue reporting to you on this important topic whenever there are items that might interest you.

Nearing the End of the Season

This will be a long post.

The end of the season in Mineral King is approaching quickly. We had a weekend of preliminary closing tasks, interspersed with walks to appreciate the clear air and fall colors.

Hanging around

First, we closed a neighboring cabin and had our usual debate about which water bottles might freeze, split, and leak during spring thaw. We ended up putting several in a washbasin inside so we can finally learn and stop wondering.

Then I split some kindling, after which I split the piece of wood I was using as a chopping block booster. However, the real chopping block split in the process.

Trail Guy came to the rescue with another chopping block, which I had to try.

Heading out

I know, you came here for fall colors, and instead, you read the mundane details of cabin life. We headed out the next morning to see the sights, and ran into people we know over and over, so got a very late start.

We were finally on the trail toward Aspen Flat when we encountered 3 women, 2 that we know. One of them was wearing a pack on her back and one on her front. Oh-oh, someone needed help. Trail Guy stepped up to the task, and we all turned back. The idea was to be out and about, not that we had an important destination.

Changing directions

Next, we headed down the road and up the Nature Trail, just like the previous weekend.

Steak, anyone? This rock is along the road, one I noticed a few years ago and then couldn’t find until recently. What a thrilling discovery. (Yes, I know, easily thrilled here.)

We had a friend with plans to climb Sawtooth that morning, so Trail Guy and The Farmer kept pulling out their binoculars.

We trudged onward, with Hiking Buddy and I commenting that we were fine with just a walk rather than a hike. The colors are decent, but there have been much brighter falls. It’s the contrast to two autumns with smoke and fire that make this year seem spectacular.

Where is that Sawtooth Soldier?

(Sharon, this shot of Iron Falls is for you.)

And another direction

This is the view next to the Honeymoon Cabin.

The Spring Creek bridge has been removed for the season.


This is the view up toward Aspen Flat. The brightest trees on the left are the section I call The Yellow Tunnel. The more distant trees on the right are not quite yet yellow: that’s what we call Aspen Flat. We didn’t make it there. Maybe next week.

Even heading down the road was nice because it wasn’t in the 100s or even the 90s for much of the drive. This is the final view of Sawtooth (very distant – just squint at this photo) on a day with clear air.

P.S. About 6 potholes got patched on the road. That leaves about 600 more.

 

More Fall in Mineral King

It was clear by the colors that fall has arrived in Mineral King. We missed fall the past two years because of fires, so this year we are soaking it in. 

This is more of our walk down the road and back up the Nature Trail last Saturday.

The next day we took a walk up the valley to Crystal Creek, where we took in more of the bright colors of fall, a real gift after the smoke of the past two falls.

The Sierra Gentian at Crystal Creek from last week were now fully opened.

But that looks a bit too summery for a post about fall, so let’s conclude with this bright little leaf, whose name I do not know. (Want to name him? How about Rufus?)

Beginning of Fall in Mineral King

Since I am currently working on a project that is not ready to be publicized, this week will have two days of Mineral King. 

Last weekend it was clear that fall has arrived. It didn’t feel like fall, but the colors were evidence enough.

A friend had left his sweatshirt along the trail to Timber Gap, so we headed up to see if it was still there. I only made it a little past the junction before giving up. Trail Guy went to the place where the sweatshirt had been, looked carefully all around, and finally concluded that someone new is now wearing a gray sweatshirt with the words “Grove City College”. (If you know who, please let me know!)

The next day we walked down the road and up the Nature Trail to enjoy the colors. These photos are what we saw while heading down the road.

And I’ll show you the rest tomorrow!

 

 

Quick Turn-around in Mineral King

For most of the summer, I caught rides up the hill with neighbors and then rode home with Trail Guy in the Botmobile. It is fun to drive the road, but there is no reason to beat my car up needlessly. It is also fun to spend car time with friends.

I didn’t make arrangements for a ride up the hill because I thought I’d still be painting in Mooney Grove. However, I finished the mural, and then wild horses could not have kept me from going to Mineral King. It was for only one night, a total of about 28 hours up the hill.

Hello, Oak Grove Bridge!!

Hello, Traugers! 

And this is what I meant by “beating up my car”. The potholes are legendary.

I didn’t photograph the hogwallows in the 3 dirt sections. The light and shade hides the deep dips, so you’d better be going v e r y slowly and paying close attention. (I thought for a bit that I needed a gear lower than first.)

Deck-time is precious, particularly in light of not having time up the hill during the past two Septembers. Much of my short stay in Mineral King was spent catching up with friends.

We had some work to do on the Honeymoon Cabin‘s new steps.

I still don’t understand why this is called the “Point Cabin”. It’s not on a point; what’s the point?

We had time for a short walk to Crystal Creek.

Fungus?

The light was rapidly changing, sometimes brilliant, sometimes muted.

The currant crop is very light this year but the juniper berries are thick.

The colors never look as good in photos as in real life.

Crystal Creek is like Facebook at this time of year: about 1/4″ deep, and a mile wide.  There was a stray clump of Sierra Gentian by the creek. (A PhD* camera isn’t adequate to the task of exposing the flowers clearly while blurring the creek.)

And thus we conclude a quick turnaround trip to Mineral King.

*Press Here, Dummy

Rain and Sunshine in Mineral King

We headed up the hill to Mineral King on a Friday morning, knowing that rain was coming. Did this guy know or care?

The umbrella is up on the back deck to protect both the BBQ and the BBQer.

Good thing I brought my knitting. (I always do.)

Trail Guy spent a fair amount of time watching rain through the window. (I offered to teach him how to knit, but he declined.)

There was plenty of reading material.

When it got too dark to draw, I found this book on the shelves and saw that I last read it in 2003. It was lighter reading than the books I brought.

The next morning had decent sunshine so we headed out to see what there was to see. First, 2 deer in the stream.

The classic view of the Crowley family cabin and Farewell Gap doesn’t begin to show the deep blue of the sky and the enormous clouds.

This is looking back down toward the valley (the San Joaquin valley, not the Mineral King valley).

Juniper berries.

Trail Guy is relieved to be on a trail instead of looking out a window.

Crystal Creek wasn’t any higher in spite of getting 7/10ths of an inch of rain.

These hardy Crimson Columbine survived.

Trail Guy is thinking that I’d better get a move on or it might be raining when we load up the Botmobile to go back down the hill.

Just a few flowers survived through the first 1/3 of September and the rain.

 

Today, Lord willing and the creek etc., I begin painting a restroom in Mooney Grove Park with this scene.

A Week of Mineral King, Chapter 6: White Chief

When our little group headed to Eagle Lake, Trail Guy stopped before the rocky section. He pointed out the route to White Chief, a hike, nay, a scramble that we took a few years ago. (I’d give you the link but I can’t find the blog post about it; this is to be expected after 14 years of blogging, a total of 3,443 posts.)

Suddenly, Trail Guy was gone. We knew he wasn’t going to Eagle Lake, but didn’t know he was going to White Chief, up and over the ridge that separates the two bowls.

Because I wasn’t huffing and puffing behind him with my camera, we only get this photo of White Chief from the top of the ridge. Or maybe halfway down. (I wasn’t there.)

Here is everyone’s favorite juniper.

And, (perhaps it is my influence), here are several beautiful wildflower photos of a late season flower. I think it is fuchsia, in spite of being red rather than fuchsia colored.

Thus, we conclude one week plus one day of Mineral King posts. My 2023 calendar may follow this theme, but this is an idea that is just percolating, not fully formed. (THANK YOU, BARBARA L. FOR ANOTHER EXCELLENT IDEA!)

A Week of Mineral King, Chapter 5: Eagle Lake

Yesterday we stopped at the Eagle Lake dam, a steep hike on a tough trail out of Mineral King. 

Wait—isn’t there supposed to be a lake? Isn’t that the purpose of the dam? 

Well, oops. The dam either didn’t get closed last fall or it got opened too soon this summer. Looks more like Eagle Pond.

However, these gentlemen caught quite a few fish (catch and release, using a spinner).

Little Sis replaced her cat ears with a Kevin jacket (ever seen “Up”?). We watched the raindrops on the pond while discussing circles, ripples, and shiny places.

The Farmer found a checkerboard as he explored the edges of the pond, formerly known as Eagle Lake. My guess is that some youngsters’ phone batteries died so some oldsters showed them this primitive, non-tech game.

The exposed rocks in the lake are bizarrely geometrical.

This is the “normal” view of the lake, looking back toward Mineral King.

And this is looking toward the upper end of the lake. 

I’ve painted it from a similar angle.

Enough recreation and lollygagging. Time to make like a cowpie and hit the trail.

The Farmer found this rock, and we all thought it would make a great paving stone but had the good sense to leave it as a concept rather than a reality. It is a weird geologic formation, not someone’s early attempt at mosaic.

Does this look like a trail to you?? I turned back toward Eagle Lake to take this photo, because even though I’ve hiked it many times, it still astonishes me.

Finally found some flowers. These are Pride of the Mountains. Sawtooth is in the distance, with its “shadow”, Mineral Peak just to the right.

Well, yea. A little bit of good trail bed.

Haha. Fooled you. Climb over these rocks, you mountain goat.

After the rocks, I stopped taking photos with the exception of two more of the scene that I have been struggling to paint for 2-3 years now. (Not gonna show you that sorry mess today.)

With 2 miles left to go, Little Sis ran out of gas. She asked for breaks about every 20 yards. That is the slowest mile I have ever walked on a trail, and we were quite relieved that her pa was waiting at the White Chief junction. They did a pack shuffle, and she rode the last mile on her pa’s shoulders. I chased Big Bro for awhile at a rapid pace, marveling that the child never ran out of steam, never slowed, never complained.

Those are two amazing children who accomplished a huge journey on foot.

Tomorrow, we will return to White Chief, our favorite destination.

A Week of Mineral King, Chapter 4: Eagle Lake

One day, a group of cabin friends went to Eagle Lake, the most popular hike in Mineral King. It has been 5 years since I went there, and I had an ominous feeling that this might be the last time I see it. Dramatic? Maybe, but that trail is TOUGH. (Trail Guy actually refuses to go there any more.)

Remember this little hiker from last year? (You can read about our hike here.)

This year Little Sis wanted to go to Eagle Lake. There was a bit of a competition going, since she wanted to go before turning 5, because her Big Bro had gone to Eagle before age 5. Eagle Lake is closer than last year’s hike, but oh so much tougher.

Big Bro studied the trail sign as we were heading out.

Instead of a cat tail this year, there were cat ears on a hoodie.

Whoa, Daddy, is that a flower in your cap?

What? We have to go up that?

Holy smokes, the trail is rough. However, I think it is a little bit improved over its 2017 condition. Maybe, maybe not.

The views are spectacular. With all the stopping to huff-and-puff, there are many opportunities to enjoy the view.

I probably have photographed this twisty tree (a juniper) every time I have gone to Eagle Lake.

Oh yeah! A break from the rocks and the climb.

This is a weird rock, a leverite, as in “Leave ‘er right where you found ‘er”.

AT LAST! The dam. We have arrived. 

You’ll have to return tomorrow for the rest of the story.

Here is the story from 2017: Part One and Part Two