Today is a round-up of several topics, including Mineral King.
The 2019 calendars are selling steadily – $15 includes sales tax, and I am willing to eat the mailing costs, yum yum. (The Three Rivers Post Office is actually a pleasure to visit.) Yes, that is Sawtooth Peak on the cover, one of the most prominent landscape features in Mineral King. (“Features”, as if it is landscaped? Good grief.)
Ever try to type on a laptop with two purring teenage cats on your lap at the same time? Tucker kept a paw and his chin on the keyboard area, while Scout kept climbing around and slobbering a little. Not a very productive time, but it is a pleasure to have kitties around (except for the slobber part).
A friend wanted to ride her new Harley to Mineral King. She has good sense, and instead, chose to ride it to the Mineral King mural in Exeter.
Louise Jackson gave a talk at the Three Rivers library about why the Disney plan for a ski area in Mineral King failed and how it tied into the larger world. It didn’t fail for one reason but for a combination of reasons:
- Roy Disney, Walt’s brother, was the one who ran the business behind the scenes. He kept saying, “We are in the entertainment business, not the recreation business”. When Walt died at age 65 in 1966, some of the fire for the ski area died down. Walt was a skier; perhaps Roy wasn’t. . .
- The environmental movement was growing during that time; conservation and preservation became more important than development.
- The avalanches were a real problem, and when the big one happened in 1969 that took out cabins, killed a Disney guy and proved that managing the snow was potentially a huge problem, more of the wind went out of their sails.
- The road was too expensive to fix. The road was terrible. Still is. We don’t mind. 😎
The avalanche of 1969 crushed the store and rental cabins; Disney sent people in to burn all the rubble. The only little cabin that survived was the Honeymoon Cabin, also known as the Point Cabin.
And finally, I have been working on a new book! Nope, I’ll tell you about it next week. . . see you on Monday!
11 Comments
Great information on Disney/Mineral King. I also remember the issue of how to get all the sewage out being a problem with no solution. So thankful for all who got behind “SAVE MINERAL KING”. Remember the bright orange bumper stickers.
Nancy, that is an aspect I hadn’t heard about a development in MK. I don’t remember the bumper stickers but do remember school friends saying each summer, “This is the last summer we get to have our cabin”.
The bumper stickers were created and printed by Jean Koch. They were actually red background with white lettering that said “SAVE MINERAL KING.” We still have one above the doorway between our living room and kitchen.
And I remember my brother saying, “How can you still go up there with all of this happening?“ And I replied something like, “I just treat every summer as if it’s the last summer we will have our cabin and enjoy it accordingly.“
In my opinion, the biggest obstacle that the Disney Corp. could not overcome was access — and the cost of the four-lane highway from Three Rivers that Tulare County refused to pay for.
Sharon, Jean was quite an activist! I’d always heard it was the road that stopped the project, but learned from Louise’s talk that there were other obstacles too. I believe she titled it “The Perfect Storm” because there were so many factors involved that all came together at the right time to prevent the development.
I really wish I could have heard that talk! I don’t suppose it’s available in audio, written, or video form, is it?
There must have been more than that one printing. I also still have one on my bookcase. It is bright orange with black letters. I had one on my car and had several people ask me about it. Glad you still are enjoying the cabins!
You’re right, Nancy. It could have been a second run. Or even a third. It was a huge push back then to publicize our issue!
Nice review of the proposed Mineral King recreational development, Jana. And I always love the most recent adventures of your kitties. 🙂
Thank you, Louise! I hope I summed it up accurately – you would have corrected me if I got it wrong, I think!
Wow, I would have loved to her that lecture by Louise! Is that another book in the making by her (I hope, I hope)? That would be very interesting to read.
And I’ve never seen that picture of the destroyed “Mineral King Resort.” Makes me sad to see it. 🙁
Again, may I reprint this on our Mineral King Facebook page?
Hi Sharon, Thank you for your input – more will be revealed in the fullness of time. 😎 Yes, you may reprint, but probably no one cares about the kitties or the calendar or the Harley. I will send you the relevant photos in a separate email.
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