Mineral King | Cabin Art

Mineral King, Late Summer

It was remarkably clear in Mineral King in late August. The place is a continual source of inspiration and painting ideas for this central California artist.

California Artist Mineral King

Trail Guy Climbs White Chief Peak

While I was working in Wilsonia, Trail Guy was climbing White Chief Peak. Off trail stuff doesn’t suit me with my lack of depth perception, so I am always a little relieved when I don’t have to go with Trail Guy on these more adventuresome excursions.

See the peak on the left? with the flat top? That’s White Chief. I still sort of want to climb it. Maybe next year?

This was Trail Guy’s view from the top. I didn’t ask which direction he was looking and am too embarrassed to ask because I should recognize stuff.

Trail Guy said this old foxtail was petrified. I wonder. . .

He saw a pika, which is correctly pronounced “PEE-kuh”, rather than “PIE-kuh”, which is how pica is correctly pronounced. Can you even spot it in the photo above?

During the week of his ascent up White Chief, he saw a doe with triplets! This is a very very rare occurrence. (a peculiar sight!) Most of the fawns now are losing their spots, but these three are still small and dotty.

Careful on the road, you wee ones!

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Trail Guy Leads A Hike

Retired Road Guy loves to hike. He is particularly fond of loops, which ALWAYS include some off-trail stuff. The man really really knows Mineral King, and he knows how to choose the best hike for the right people at the optimal time of year.

Dude’s just gifted like that. He is an introvert, but put him on a Mineral King trail and you might mistake him for a friendly trail guide.

I did not go on this hike, but was privileged to borrow the best photos.

Five members of The Sawtooth Six were there, with 4 cameras. These are our cabin neighbors from some fraternity, I Phelta Thi or something. They have come up once a year for about 28 years now. In the early years, Trail Guy and I would leave Mineral King that weekend. Now we love it when they are in “town”. Guess we all grew up a little.

view from White Chief photograph by the Sawtooth Six — If you head up the ridge to the left (east?) out of White Chief, pause and look back. You’ll need to anyway if you want to breathe.

Four of the Sawtooth Six plus Trail Guy photo by Ted Wenta — These guys love to document their doings. Trail Guy is in the middle; Ted is taking the photo.

Foxtail pines photograph — Jon and Scott don’t get to see foxtail pines unless they come to Mineral King and their frat brothers drag them up a trail. (JUST KIDDING, guys! I know you got there under your own steam!)

Kurt and the foxtail pine, photo by Sawtooth Six — Kurt usually takes a nice long trail run before heading out on a hike. You’d hate him if he wasn’t such a genuinely nice guy.

foxtail pines photo by Sawtooth Six — And Ted finally handed the camera to someone else. These guys come from far away places that do not have foxtail pines. (When I visit Ted’s state, I get overly excited about tulips and take multiple photos, so I understand.)

Man on trail in Mineral King photo by Sawtooth Six — Hi Jon. Do you fully comprehend your awesomeness? You fly a desk all day, 5 days a week, and then BOOM! You hit some altitude and suddenly slam out 8 hard miles on (and off) a trail!

photo of Timber Gap by Sawtooth Six — Fabulously clear day in Mineral King, looking down from the Farewell/Franklin Trail. That is Timber Gap in the distance.

4 guys hiking down the Farewell/Franklin Trail photo by Sawtooth Six — Look at these city guys gamely following Trail Guy home. Pretty remarkable when you know that he used to ditch them on purpose.

has-been baker holding a pie — Aha! Craig made them keep walking because he knew Mrs.Trail Guy would be waiting with a lumpy looking apple pie. She was a baker when she first met the Sawtooth Six. She did not bring them pies back then because: A. They weren’t her pies; B. She would go down the hill when they came up the hill. Notice Kurt has removed his shoes. This is because even his feet get tired.

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Mineral King Paintings and 3 Reasons Why They Are Selling Well

Mineral King is the second most popular subject that I paint. Oranges are first, pomegranates are third. Thanks for asking – does me good to know you care.

Farewell Gap oil painting by Jana Botkin — Farewell Gap, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort

alpenglow on vandever oil painting by jana Botkin — Sunset on Vandever, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort (should have titled it “Alpenglow”)

oil painting of Sawtooth Peak by Jana Botkin — Sawtooth #8, 6×6 oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort

oil painting of the Oak Grove Bridge by Jana Botkin — Oak Grove Bridge VIII, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort (This is my favorite bridge, but you already knew that.)

Many of the artists I know have taken to creating small paintings in this crummy economy. Since Tulare County’s economy is usually crummy anyway, I was already doing that. It is very seldom that I am on the cutting edge of anything, so this has just been a real thrill, I tell you, a real thrill.

Stop yawning.

I’ve been really working hard on these little jewels this summer, because the Silver City Resort is doing a great job of selling them. They’re selling well for 3 reasons (just my opinion):

1. $50 is dirt cheap for an original oil painting (especially if you are from a big city)

2. People on vacation in the area would like a real souvenir of their trip that isn’t an unnecessary plastic item stamped with Mineral King.

3. (Ahem). They are sort of good. Not as tight with the detail as many of my other paintings, but whaddya expect for $50, hmmmm?

Just try to be polite, ‘kay? And might want to duck, in case there is a lightning strike for excessive braggadocio.

P.S. These might have sold – I haven’t checked since delivering them to Silver City a few weeks ago. BUT, do not lose heart – I can repaint anything for you. Just ask!

Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

White Chief, Part Two

One way you can tell that you are middle-aged is when hiking downhill is more painful than hiking uphill. (Can I get an “Amen”?)

Last week I left you wondering how we were going to leave White Chief if not by the same trail we used to get there. Trail Guy loves loops – I might start calling him “Loopy” – no, bad idea. I call him Trail Guy, but about 40% of the time he is Off-Trail Guy.

He pointed up to a ridge above and to the west of lower White Chief canyon and said if we climbed it, we’d drop down into Eagle Meadow. That is in the area of the Mosquito and Eagle Lakes junction. He said he knew it wasn’t hard, because he had explored there last year.

Sure, Off-Trail Guy.

Trail Guy and friend leaving White Chief Canyon — That is Timber Gap in the middle distance. We are higher than it, because we are looking over the top of it to the Middle Fork drainage of the Kaweah River. I got a little bit behind Trail Guy and PC because of a serious distraction.

Explorer's Gentian photo by Jana Botkin — Explorer’s Gentian are my favorite flower! That color just slays me. The one on the left is a little odd – normally they have 5 petals. They appear in August and like to bloom and grow in damp places.

ridge between White Chief and Eagle Lake photo by Jana Botkin — Not hard at all. Just go up. Pick a clean route. Keep your goal in mind. Don’t step on a wasp nest. Watch out for rocks that are rocky. Just sashay up that little ridge!

looking down from the ridge photo by Jana Botkin — Whoa. We have to go down really really far now. Into those trees, and we will catch the trail down from Eagle and Mosquito Lakes, right? Eagle Lake is off the photo to the left, behind the trees. Trail Guy, are you SURE this will work?? I’m not in favor of getting bluffed up.

Eagle Creek photo by Jana Botkin — Here is Eagle Creek, flowing through Eagle Meadow. It is really hard to get lost in Mineral King. The danger is in getting bluffed up. This wasn’t a bad route, and we hit Eagle Meadow just like Trail Guy planned.

Eagle Creek, just above the sinkhole photo by Jana Botkin — Here is Eagle Creek, just before it disappears into the sinkhole.

photo by Jana Botkin of Eagle sinkhole — This never photographs well. Eagle Creek flows into a deep hole. You can see the bottom of the hole – the water just disappears! (Don’t you hate it when someone says “this is a bad photo”? Then why are you showing it?? Because it’s all I have!)

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Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King

The Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King sits at the beginning of the Eagle/Mosquito/White Chief trailhead.

It was part of the resort, back in the days of a store and rental cabins in Mineral King. That era ended in 1969, when an avalanche took out the store. By then, Walt Disney owned the place, and what the snow left behind, Uncle Wally’s people finished with fire.

This is the only remaining structure from the resort, and now it serves as a museum of Mineral King history. It is maintained by the Mineral King Preservation Society.

I paint it over and over and over. (I mean I paint canvases with its image, but I’m guessing you were tracking with me well enough to understand that.) This is #12, maybe. Since it is at the Silver City Resort and I am not, I can’t flip it over and check for you.

Honeymoon Cabin Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

White Chief in Mineral King is a Steep Hike

White Chief might be the most popular short(ish) hike in Mineral King. It might also be the steepest one. It is always worth the effort, especially when back home again.

Farewell Gap photo by Jana Botkin — This is the first awe-inspring view on the way to White Chief. It is Farewell Gap at around 10 a.m.

bridge over Spring Creek — A bridge is a welcome sight when one isn’t that great at rock-hopping.

fireweed photo by Jana Botkin — Nice patch of Fireweed by Spring Creek. Icky name for a gorgeous blossom!

White Chief photo by Jana Botkin — FINALLY at the end of the steep climb to White Chief, about to break into the canyon. I think someone moved the place higher since I last went there. The flat topped peak is White Chief Peak.

view from White Chief Canyon photo by Jana Botkin — Walk a little further up canyon, turn around, see this view.

creek in White Chief canyon photo by Jana Botkin — The creek in the middle part of White Chief is so cold that the marrow in my foot bones might have frozen a little bit. (It HAD to help plantar fasciitis, right?)

Trail Guy having lunch in White Chief canyon — Trail Guy finds great spots to perch for lunch, but the cheese was with me down in the creek. Bummer, Dude, I’m not moving because my feet are frozen.

cloudy view from middle of White Chief canyon — Tut-tut, it looks like rain. Let’s choose a different route home. (No, not a helicopter) Maybe over that ridge ahead, see that bare spot in the trees?

This is getting to be a bit long. I’ll continue it next Friday. . . same bat time, same bat channel.

Mineral King

The Rest of the (Farewell Gap) Story

I know you are just dying to ask: How did that do-over on the Farewell Gap oil painting turn out?

First, here is Farewell Gap X (that is Roman for ten, the approximate number of times I’d painted this scene of Farewell Gap in oil, approximate because I didn’t number the paintings at first and had no idea I’d keep painting the same thing over and over, and Roman numerals are more elegant than American ones, and “numeral” is more elegant than number, and I’m just one elegant California artist, not to mention eloquent, which might be elegant for “long-winded”)

oil painting of Farewell Gap by Jana Botkin — Farewell Gap X, 8×10″, oil on wrapped canvas

After Farewell Gap X perished in an unfortunate cabin fire, I painted it again.

Then, I painted it yet again so that the Silver City Store would have something else to sell for me.

Apparently I am incapable of perfect photo-reproduction of anything, even the same scene from my own photos.

And yes, I am repeating myself, but this time I am showing you 3 of the paintings instead of two. Besides, you’ve probably (I’m hoping!) slept since then.