Mineral King Bridge

Because Mineral King is one of my main sources of inspiration, and many of my readers love Mineral King, there will be several posts about this bridge project. If you only read the blog for the art, stay tuned, because the project won’t last forever and will only have 1 or 2 entries a week until its completion.

At the end of the road in Mineral King, Sequoia National Park, is a bridge. It spans the currently low and slow flowing East Fork of the Kaweah River. On the other side of the creek (“river”) is a parking lot, trailhead, and a handful of cabins.

A few years ago Federal Highways bridge inspectors came to Mineral King and declared the bridge unsafe. A sign was posted to prohibit any vehicle over 4 tons (8000 lbs) from crossing the bridge. It was shored up with some jacks and I-beams, which were inelegantly covered with tires.  Engineers got involved, plans made and a prefabricated bridge has been purchased to replace the existing bridge.

The bridge is a hang-out place.

The view is incomparable, spectacular, the most photographed view in Mineral King, and possibly within all of Sequoia.

This could be a long story, so stay tuned for the next chapter tomorrow, Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel.

WALKING AGAIN!

Excuse me. Didn’t mean to shout at you with that title. Okay, pants-on-fire, I DID mean to shout! I’m happy!! After receiving a boatload of stuff from a podiatrist, along with the reassurance that walking won’t permanently injure my foot, I’m back on the trail. A little huffy-puffy, but I can work back into it.

The best flowers in Mineral King aren’t usually in Mineral King. They are 4 miles above it, where the trail splits to go to Farewell Gap or Franklin Lake and Pass. This year’s flower season is condensed, due to the late start. These photos are a week old, because I was so into that Daily Painting thing that I delayed showing you.

Michael’s favorite

My favorite

Daily Painting, 6

Mineral King, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

Waking up in the morning has never been easy for me. Some people wake up energized and ready to go; I am not one of them. My Oh-So-Wise-Dad used to say that when he woke up in the morning, he’d lie there and try to die. Failing that, he’d get up and do whatever had to be done. He was joking, mostly. Now I wonder if he didn’t just struggle with the whole wake-up-get-up thing as I do – hard to tell, because he was a very early riser. And, he expected his daughters to get up at a reasonable time too. (Our definitions of “reasonable time” never seemed to mesh.)

Occasionally, I will wake up and feel refreshed, excited about the day, ready to see what there is to see. This painting is from a photo taken on one of those rare mornings. And, for the record, it isn’t morning I struggle with; it is waking up that is the problem!

This painting is available for sale on my website. Just sayin’.

Daily Painting, 5

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

Farewell Gap is an unusually symmetrical mountain pass. The elevation is somewhere in the 10,000′ range, and the trail to get there is 6-1/2 miles long, very well graded, with fabulous flowers. I love that hike. (Never mind. Stupid plantar fasciitis.)

This year I am lollygagging about the cabin, enjoying the views from the valley. This is one of the best. This one sold, but I can paint it again. Happily! Love this view.

Daily Painting, 4

Mineral King, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

The Crowley family cabin with Farewell Gap in the background may be the most photographed scene in Mineral King. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve drawn and painted it. Each time I take the picture, I’m sure it is the most beautiful it has ever been. I’ve been to Farewell Gap many times (no helicopters were involved), met most of the Crowley family and had dinner at their cabin. Lovely family, lovely cabin, lovely scene.

This painting is sold, but I am always happy to paint it again!

Daily Painting, 3

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

This is the Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King. Originally it was part of the resort at the end of the road. Disney bought the resort, and then abandoned the idea of a ski resort because Mineral King was incorporated into Sequoia National Park. They removed all the buildings except this little cabin. The Mineral King Preservation Society restored the cabin in 1986, and now it is a mini-museum. It is so very cute, and each time I paint it, it sells.

Yep. it sold, but I can paint it for you again.

Daily Painting, 2

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

This is Sawtooth, 12, 343′ in elevation, reached by foot out of Mineral King. It shows up from the valley floor, particularly in Tulare County where it is located. I’ve painted and drawn it many times.  I’ve also been over Sawtooth Pass, below Sawtooth at Monarch Lake and at Columbine Lake, partway up Sawtooth, flown off its side in a helicopter, climbed it once, and looked at it more times that can be counted. When you are near its top, it looks too small to be visible from Visalia. This painting is for sale at the Silver City Store, or you can buy it on my website.

Old and New

In 1906 the Smith Hotel collapsed. That was in Mineral King, and it was the San Francisco earthquake that caused its demise. Those Mineral King pioneers weren’t easily daunted – instead of wringing their hands in defeat, they pushed together the pieces and created the Mineral King Store and Post Office.

1969 was a heavy heavy winter, and the Store and Post Office collapsed under all the snow. Then, the Walt Disney Corporation burned the rest. (They weren’t hardy like the earlier pioneering types.) Now, all that remains is photographs, paintings and drawings.

One of them is on the wall of my giant Mineral King mural in Exeter.

Another was drawn by me back in the previous century.

This week, I finished a redo. Oh my. This is called growth. GROWTH!

This is a commissioned piece for someone who saw the old version hanging in my cabin and wanted her own. I was more than pleased to re-draw it – my eagerness could almost be classified as giddiness.

Those old drawings are embarrassing to me. And you are probably asking yourself why I am showing them if they are such a problem. . . good question. It is because humility is good. Because I teach drawing, it is good for my students to see my growth. Even if you don’t take lessons from me, you might find it interesting.

More Inspiration

Here are the other paintings that are for sale in the Silver City Store so far this summer. 6×6″ square to fit in suitcases, $50 to fit budgets. Can be purchased by emailing me at cabinart@cabinart.net. Still just sayin’. (Still feels weird to talk that way. Can someone please tell me where that came from and what normal people say before that phrase inserted itself into the common vernacular?)

Mineral King – Vandever

(not an original title, but it is straightforward and accurate)

Redwood Canyon

(Some have called them Aunt Tillie and Uncle Pete)

Trail

Anyone want to name the exact place on the exact trail? No, this painting won’t be free to the one who gets it first  but you can have the thrill of being A Winner!

Farewell Gap

Oh-oh, we could get confused here! This is the view where I always say “Farewell, Farewell”.  (Phoebe says “You always say that” whenever I say it.)

Sawtooth

See? Inspiration!

About 4 miles below Mineral King is a place called Silver City. There is a resort there, along with an enclave of private cabins. At the resort is a store, called, of course, The Silver City Store. It is there that I was employed when I met my husband 26 years ago. (dang!) Now, they sell some little paintings for me. Here are a few for you to see.  Of course you can buy them by contacting me, but I didn’t want to look pushy by putting a Paypal button beneath them. They are all 6×6″ to fit into travelers’ suitcases and $50 to fit into travelers’ budgets. Just sayin’. (Are you impressed by my use of popular lingo? Feels weird to talk that way.)

Farewell Gap

Spring Creek Bridge

Bridge Below Atwell

Honeymoon Cabin (yes, that again! You know you love it!)

Timber Gap

(should have titled it Betsy’s Tree or Lone Red Fir!)