Trail Guy, AKA The Retiree, does a tremendous amount of hiking in Mineral King while I’m in Three Rivers trapped on the phone with AT&T because my email doesn’t work. But I’m not bitter. I enjoy his photos, and then you get to enjoy them. These will mostly be without comments. All you need to […]
Friends in Mineral King
There is something very unique and special about cabin communities. The friendships go on for life and through generations. Instead of yammering on and on, have a look at a very special Mineral King friendship. I’m not close friends with these guys, but they might be close friends with one another. At least they aren’t […]
What Do We Do In Mineral King?
Sometimes in Mineral King we just hang around the cabin, knitting, splitting wood, reading, playing a game called Mancala (I don’t like games but this is a tradition with my annual guest PC, and besides, the marbles are really beautiful), and baking pies in a wood stove oven. Then we say, “What are we doing?? […]
Hike to Empire, Part 2
We left our eight hikers at the bunkhouse ruins just below the Empire Mines in Mineral King. There are four different mining holes. (Are they called that?) I don’t know if they are separate mines, or entries to the same mine. Some might be enterable, but not unless you have ropes and know what you […]
Trail Guy Led a Hike to Empire in Mineral King
One Saturday a.m., it was raining like crazy in Mineral King. Too bad. We geared up, and headed over to the Sawtooth parking lot to see if there were any hardy souls who wanted to visit the Empire mines. We found 2 people in flip-flops, and said, “Nope, not those shoes”. They knew that but […]
Walk in the Park
Today that animal I am married to is turning 59. We did a stroll in The Park. Anything feels like a stroll after attempting Monarch Lake on the old “trail” last week. We stayed in the foothills, and almost wished for shorts and were annoyed by the face flies. Hard to believe it is January. […]
Weird Winter Walk, part 3
As we descended the non-maintained trail from Monarch, this was our view of Sawtooth Peak. If you aren’t familiar with it, the view here might help you. Michael referred to this as the “moonscape”. “. . .miles to go before I sleep.” Nice light, eh? Sometimes we lost the trail because we were avoiding stuff like […]
Weird Winter Walk, part 2
Yesterday I left you with the information that I am married to an animal. He went to within view of Monarch Lake, and then returned to me for the camera, which I gladly handed over, then resumed my semi-comatose state of gathering strength in the sunshine for the “walk” down. Can you see the lake? […]
Weird Winter Walk
On January 2, Michael and I drove to Mineral King. That is weird for this far into the snow season. The drive up was seasonless – is this late October? early May? Then we walked to Monarch Lake on a mostly dry trail. That is immensely weird. Okay, I lied a little bit. Michael went […]
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. […]