Trail Guy Went to Timber Gap (in Mineral King)

Where is Timber Gap? It’s on the north side of the Mineral King Valley.

A “gap” is a low spot on a ridge or between peaks where it is natural to cross over to the other side. I suppose it is synonymous with “pass”, but in Mineral King we call them “gaps”: Tar Gap, Timber Gap, Farewell Gap. (We also have passes, but that is not today’s topic.)

Notice that Trail Guy’s photos no longer have spots in the sky. I passed my camera to him since I have graduated to an iPhone 14 in hopes that it will suffice as a camera. (Charging the battery is the current obstacle to the success of this new photographic approach but that isn’t today’s topic either.)

These are views from the trail.

In case you were wondering, it is about 2 miles to the gap. I don’t know the elevation: either 9400 or 9600’. (Do your own math from the valley floor at 7800’ if you like those types of facts.) Trail Guy counted 17 downed trees across the trail, which he went around, over, and one time, underneath.

Here is the same photo but this time the starting place in the Mineral King valley is circled for you.

Because I am still teaching drawing lessons in June, Trail Guy gets more time up the hill than I do in early summer. I think my numb feet will still allow me to do some hiking, nothing too tough, but more will be revealed as the summer unfolds…

Meanwhile, I continue to take my wussy walks to Crystal Creek or down the road and up the Nature Trail. We’ll visit that topic tomorrow.

Four Steps to Timber Gap

If you have ever walked to Timber Gap, you know experientially that it is far more than four steps. I don’t remember the specific mileage, but it seems to be about 2 miles.

This post is actually about painting Timber Gap, and it took more than four steps. However, I only took four photographs. (I liked the title, and I am the boss of my blog.)

The trail is not the Timber Gap trail. It is the trail that leads to Franklin Lakes and Farewell Gap, but we are headed the opposite direction here. The Timber Gap trail has terrific views of the entire Mineral King valley. The flowers are Bigelow sneezeweed.

Trail Guy Hikes For Us

Who is “us”? 

You, me, anyone who reads the blog but isn’t retired or on vacation in Mineral King. While I was painting walls inside Three Rivers buildings, Trail Guy went hiking in Mineral King.

He went up toward Timber Gap, and then to Empire, but not to the top, just a loop that gives good views.

While he was there looking at the mountains, I was painting the very same peaks in the Mineral King Room at the Three Rivers Historical Museum.

This is Ranger’s Roost, AKA Mather Point, looking through the timber of Timber Gap. When you are looking at Timber Gap, it is the bump to the left/west. The Mather Party came over Timber and saw Mineral King. I drew the cover in pencil and colored pencil for a book about it, but I haven’t read it. I just look at the pictures. (This was a second edition—the original drawing on the first edition went missing so the publisher commissioned me.)

There were a few flowers: shooting star, Western wallflower, phlox.

This is the rock outcropping on Empire that gives the false impression of being the actual peak. It is a favorite for enjoying alpenglow in the evening light.