Mineral King | Cabin Art

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

More Cold in Mineral King

Last Friday, I had too many photos from our cold weekend in Mineral King to put them all in one blog post.

Paintbrush, formerly known as Indian Paintbrush.

Languid Ladies, also known as Sierra Bluebells

A different view of the Honeymoon Cabin. Tiny in the distance – can you spot it?

This is a flowering shrub that I don’t recognize.

This is looking out the kitchen window. Brrr.

We took a short walk. Very brrr. Where is Farewell Gap??

Someone went barefoot on the deck last night.

The sun finally emerged, and it was still cold, but oh so very beautiful.

Most of the flowers in today’s post are identified in Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names.

100 page paperback, flowers in photos, common names only, lots of chatty commentary, $20 including tax.
Available here
Also available at the Three Rivers Historical Museum, Silver City Store, from me if I put them in my car, or Amazon.

Mineral King

Cold in Mineral King

Sequoia National Park and Mineral King opened last week. It was a very pleasant weekend down the hill, which meant it was very cold in Mineral King. 28 degrees on Sunday morning, and only 42 degrees in the afternoon!

We didn’t hike, only went on a couple of short walks because it was overcast one day, rained the next, and we had numerous projects around the place in addition to spending time with friends and neighbors.

I don’t know this flower. It is very tiny.

This is a different view of the Honeymoon Cabin, which is a museum of the Mineral King Preservation Society.

This sign used to be about 8 feet up in the air. Someone with some common sense moved it to a more visible location.

Languid Ladies are also known as Sierra Bluebells.

I don’t know this tiny flower. Its foliage is different from the other tiny white one above.

Crystal Creek is very shallow and very very wide.

Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names contains the Forget-Me-Nots but neither of the tiny white flowers.

Mineral King

Mineral King, Still Early

If you made it through the last 2 days of technical instructions on subscribing to the blog or to my enewsletter, then you might be ready for some photos of Mineral King.

These photos were taken by Trail Guy last weekend. I stayed home in Three Rivers and mopped the kitchen, washed my car, hung out with my cats, helped my neighbor with yardening and WENT TO CHURCH! It was nice in Three Rivers, which means it was cold-ish in Mineral King. Besides, I am 60 so I can do whatever I want.

Fall down laughing. Never mind. Here are some photos for you.

Early Season in Mineral King

Once again, I am of two minds as to whether to show and talk about Mineral King when it is not yet open to the public. So, I’ll just show some photos, and if you want to know anything further, ask me in the comments or email me.