Mineral King | Cabin Art

Slow Trail

This oil painting is based on a photo that I took near the junction of the Eagle Lake and Mosquito Lakes trails, (Mineral King, of course) on the way to what we call Eagle Meadow. The meadow is a seasonally gorgeous blend of Jeffrey shooting stars and knotweed, thick with mosquitoes. It isn’t visible from this spot near the junction, but you might be already slapping. (How about that for a title to this painting? “Already Slapping”)

You last saw it looking like this, while I was wondering 2 things: “Why bother?” and “Who told me I can paint?”

While waiting for blank ornaments to arrive, paint to dry on other projects, and approval to come for a pencil drawing, I went back to my slow trail painting.

It is a slow trail indeed, but I will get there if I don’t stop. The stump in the lower left may need to go away, but it is what helps me recognize which trail I am on.

oil painting

Trail Guy Went to Farewell Gap

Your Central California artist is either lazy or tired this summer and only taking walks, not hikes. However, Trail Guy is picking up the slack and because of him, we can see Mineral King today.

Farewell Gap Mineral King

Mellow in Mineral King

Something about arduous hiking is not ringing my bell this summer. When I am in Mineral King, I am opting for quiet time knitting, sitting (to read, visit, or knit), and splitting (wood), or easy walks with friends, alone, or with Trail Guy. (He does his hiking when I am working.) This summer is especially mellow because all the regular events have been cancelled and suddenly, we have reclaimed many days that used to be scheduled for us. I confess to feeling relief at being released from the mandatory activities.

The Honeymoon Cabin is the museum of the Mineral King Preservation Society.

Trail Guy found this along the road several years ago and we tried to put it in the Honeymoon Cabin museum but alas, the key to the case didn’t fit. (Have you noticed that when you get a new key made, you often have to get it remade?)

Felwort is bluer in real life than in this photo

This large dual trunk is a Jeffrey pine along the Nature Trail. If you stick your nose against it, you might get a hint of a vanilla scent. There used to be signs along the trail. The Park made replacements but got sidetracked by a virus; now the trail needs signs and to be brushed.

This might be a nice trail painting, especially if I add in wildflowers.

For fun, I took 6 different photos of Sawtooth to paint from next year. This is number one as you walk up the Nature Trail.

Evening light on the bridge is magical. We like to sit on the railing and watch the light change.

Glacial daisies look like bigger, fuller, white asters.

There were good gentians (Sierra like this one and Explorer, my favorite) along with many other flowers at Soda Springs.

Thus we conclude our tour of a mellow weekend in Mineral King. (Not lazy – I made great progress on a sweater, split a pile of kindling, finished 2 books and started a 3rd, spent great time with cabin friends and took 2 walks. So there.)

Mineral King Mineral King photography

Random Report on Mineral King

Here are some photos from a recent stay in Mineral King. I didn’t hike, so this is not a trail report. It was a social weekend, with lots of knitting, some wood splitting, a short walk, and lots of visiting with friends.

A friend stopped by the cabin. She is going through chemo, and her head gets cold. I remembered that I knit this cowl earlier this year and was just waiting for the right recipient. It was very satisfying to both of us!

I finished this sweater for a neighbor girl.

We had an afternoon thundershower, and it cleaned the pollen and dust off of everything.

Just your basic Dudes On The Porch photo.

Can you read or understand this sign? Apparently very few other people can because there is a ton of dogs on the trails.

Wild iris only appear in one place in Mineral King, and I missed them this year.

The Park will not be opening the Mineral King campgrounds this summer. In spite of camping being a healthy and low-risk activity, the main ranger is concerned about his employees who would be interacting with the public in the campgrounds, cleaning outhouses and emptying garbage.

When will the chaos and confusion and conflict end???

Never mind. No one knows the answer to that.

Hanging Around in Mineral King

July is a busy month in Mineral King, when cabins are used, trails are full, and normally, campgrounds are full. This year the trails are getting more use than normal, since campgrounds are closed. This makes no sense to me, since camping is a very low risk activity – outdoors, spaced apart. (But no one who makes decisions has consulted me.)

I stopped to photograph the Oak Grove Bridge on the way up the hill. The view is getting more obstructed as the years pass.

I walked to Franklin Falls with some cabin neighbor-friends. 2 of us in front sort of lost track of 2 of them behind for awhile.

I love sitting by this creek where it cross the trail (or does the trail cross the creek??)

We stayed closer together on the way back down.

The weekend was a little sad. Some friends have been coming to the neighboring cabin for 38 years, but had to miss the last 3 because one of their number got cancer. This year his friends brought him back to Mineral King in a box.

I didn’t participate in the ceremonies, but did catch up a bit with the Sawtooth Six Minus One. We observed our usual tradition of the photo on the porch before they all headed back down the hill.

There were more visits with other friends, a drawing lesson happened at our kitchen table, some serious knitting took place, but none of these events were photographed. Often it is better to be fully in the moment rather than behind a lens while documenting events.

The bridge is well lit in the late afternoon sun, but it would need some artistic license to become a good painting. (I felt compelled to mention that in case you think all I do is hang around in Mineral King and ignore my art business.)

Mineral King

Short Steep Hike

Last weekend we finally hiked to White Chief together, Trail Guy and I. He has been multiple times this summer but was willing to return.

Mariposa Lilies were abundant, almost the only wildflower making a good showing this summer. We did see a few of my almost favorite penstemon, the one whose real name I don’t know.

White Chief was beautiful, as always.

The trail was steep as always. It was kind of hot out, my feet felt clumsy in real shoes instead of Tevas, and my face got all red, according to Trail Guy. I actually felt sort of light-headed, so we went to the creek and got cooled off.

There were quite a few of these usually overlooked flowers, but since it was almost all that was in bloom, I searched the name out when I got home. It is probably Oval-Leaved Buckwheat.

(Off) Trail Guy also found a flower that we haven’t seen for about 15 years, one that we dubbed “Mop Heads”. I looked it up when we got home, and learned it is Western Anemone.

And no, I didn’t pick it, just stabilized it for the photo and also included my aged hand so you can see the scale. It’s against the law to pick wildflowers in National Parks – did you know that?

Mineral King over the Fourth

We didn’t need fireworks because we had friends with flags.

We took a walk to the Franklin/Farewell Gap junction, a place that usually has the best wildflowers, almost always at the beginning of July. Not so this year. We’ve been spoiled by several great wildflower years, lulled into thinking that was normal.

It was fun anyway, because there is always good scenery and interesting things to see, even if you walk with your head toward the ground so you don’t fall.

I’ve never seen such short Mariposa Lilies, and saw quite a few like this, just popping up right on the trail.

I did look up, don’t worry.

This last picture is my favorite one of the day. We were off trail (of course), following a little loop-ette, devised by Off Trail Guy. After recrossing the stream, The Farmer offered to pull me up on a bank of snow which was the next step. Before accepting his kind offer, I said, “Thank you – first I need to take a picture!”

More about Mineral King on Monday.

Mineral King Mineral King photography

Resting in the Green Tunnel

You last saw the commissioned Mineral King oil painting when it looked this way.

I spent a few more hours on it, and can’t decide if it is finished or not. So, it is resting.

The color is better in real life.

I think the grasses need to be messier in order to be more believable.

Not sure.

Keep resting, Green Tunnel.

Mineral King Preservation Society

In 1986, the Mineral King Preservation Society was formed. The idea was to stop letting the cultural resources of Mineral King just fade away, without documentation or any attempt at preservation. (“Cultural resources” is fancy talk for things that come from humans, like buildings or mines.)

They (we?) have come a long way. Now there is a real curator, a real director, a real assistant – 3 paid employees. This is after many years of volunteers wearing themselves out to keep the thing together. The MKPS now has a grand vision for including the Southern Sierra. In addition, they (we? – I’m not on the board, but it feels like I belong to the organization anyway) have a room at the Three Rivers Historical Museum (with 3 murals in it by me), a website (with a blog where I post when requested), a separate office building at the bottom of the Mineral King Road, and (drum roll) a new logo! (Nope, not gonna show you the old one. We are trying to forget about that.)

The little building in the logo is the Honeymoon Cabin, which has served as a mini-museum for many years right in Mineral King. It is now nicer inside than it has ever been, thanks to those afore-mentioned employees.

THANK YOU, Hard-Working Volunteers, for your many many many (many many many) years of service to preserving the cultural resources of Mineral King.

P.S. You too can become a member of the MKPS – go here and do what it says.

mineral king preservation society