Hanging Around the Cabin in Mineral King

I was lucky, smart or blessed enough to marry into a cabin in Mineral King, the most beautiful and peaceful place in Sequoia National Park.

One would think this would mean spending every possible hour out on a trail.

One would be wrong.

Sometimes cabin time means catching up on things that just fall through the cracks at home. Sometimes these things are just not all that urgent at home, or maybe it is just too hot to do them at home.

Cracking walnuts is much more enjoyable in Mineral King.

Splitting wood is certainly more necessary in Mineral King!

Refinishing chairs? Definitely more enjoyable in Mineral King!

Knitting is enjoyable anywhere.

Knitting is especially enjoyable when it is this yarn – the colors and texture are magical.

Sometimes we hang out and help neighbors. Mostly it is Trail Guy, because they need the kind of help that only he knows how to provide. However, I can trot back to the cabin for a tool or make a phone call.

Sometimes we don’t see some neighbors because they are hanging out at their cabins, working on their own projects. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with cracking walnuts, I might have come over and taken a “before” shot of these steps. They did a beautiful job of cleaning them out and resetting the rocks.

If this was your view, maybe you’d be content just hanging out too.

Next Friday, I’ll share photos from a walk in Mineral King.

Trail Guy in Mineral King

About half of today’s Mineral King photos are by Trail Guy, AKA Michael Botkin AKA The Husband of The Artist (who has been too busy painting a mural in Exeter to take time off to go to Mineral King as often as they’d prefer.)

stellar jay and mt. quail

A stellar jay and 2 mountain quail

black bear

Stay back there and Do Not Come Near The Cabin.

Mineral King

Farewell Gap, the Crowley Cabin, and the headwaters of the East Fork of the Kaweah River.

mineral king

In White Chief Canyon or Bowl, depending on who is doing the describing.

timber gap mineral king

Climbing out of White Chief, looking out over the top of Timber Gap

white chief mineral king

The trail leading into White Chief – Vandever is the peak on the left, with Bearskin visible (that patch of snow).

deer

Deer. Whoopee. They eat my geraniums at home.

toyota tacoma

WHAT IS THIS??? New to us, a 2003 Toyota Tacoma with matching “truck cap” (used to be called “camper shells”). But where is the Botmobile?

Right behind the Sequoia mural, resting from a drive down the Mineral King Road. 314,000 miles, Trail Guy bought this 1986 rig brand new, a year before we got married. (Good thing, because if we were married, I would have told him to buy a used one.) He doesn’t dive into things too quickly. He doesn’t dispose of things too hastily either. Makes me feel quite secure, actually.

Trail Guy In (Mineral King on) Friday

These photos are all by Trail Guy. He was in Mineral King while I was down the hill painting. That’s because he is retired. Don’t feel sorry for me – I love what I do! And he keeps me current on Mineral King until I can get back up there.

White Chief canyon

This is in White Chief Canyon. The peak called White Chief is the flat top on the far right. Vandever, the right side of Farewell Gap, shows on the left (3rd bump from left). Bearskin, the patch of snow that is shaped somewhat like a bearskin rug is visible below Vandever and to the right.

Timber Gap, Mineral King

Looking down from just above White Chief, there are a few small ponds and Timber Gap is in the distance.

green in Mineral King

Isn’t that green fabulous?? It is some mossy stuff, watered by snowmelt. In the foreground are skunk cabbage, which really are not skunk cabbage – they are Corn Lily, but resemble skunk cabbage that grows in the East.

Farewell Gap Mineral King

There is still some snow in Farewell Gap. The peak on the left side of Farewell Gap is called “West Florence” or sometimes “Little Flo”. It is NOT Tulare Peak, as mistakenly noted on some maps. Tulare Peak is a different one, and don’t you forget it! (I keep forgetting which one it is, in spite of being told multiple times while painting it on my first big mural in Exeter.)

Farewell Gap, Mineral King

See? Snow, and water flowing down from Farewell Gap.

Mineral King Marmots in wood stacks

Can you spot the 2 marmots?

Mountain quail in Mineral King

Mountain Quail are beautiful and very very shy. They show up at dusk when it is hard to photograph them, and they skitter off if they sense you are there.

More Mineral King Because It Is Friday

Have a look at a few more photos from opening weekend in Mineral King.

Maybe I should learn to use Photoshop and fix that weird thing in the sky. (It is actually in the camera, not the sky.) I did know how to use Photoshop Elements (had to learn for the book, The Cabins of Wilsonia) but it quit working. Or it stopped doing what I needed it to do, and I can’t figure out how to fix it. So, here is a nice photo of Vandever with a thing in the sky.

Weird thing gone from camera lens, very blue and green kind of day!

Hey! This is going to be some kind of berry and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before! I love that.

Soda Springs is looking bright. “Iron Springs” or “Rusty Spot” might be a more accurate name.

This is looking up-canyon at Aspen Flat from Soda Springs. These bright green trees are aspens.

And this is looking down-canyon toward Timber Gap from Soda Springs. Those not so leafy trees are also aspens.

Why are the aspens higher up more developed than those at a lower elevation?

Remember the Mineral King Bridge Project of September 2011? Now there are boards across the entire width! This means when people are sitting on the rails and a car goes by, the driver won’t feel as if he has to stay just on the running boards. He can actually move over so the sitters don’t wonder if a rear-view mirror is going to knock them over the rail.

Who Knew It Would Be This Hard To Paint?

 

This painting is called “Mineral King Morning”. I remember the light, the sound of the wind, the feel of the air. I thought this painting said it. It hasn’t sold, and people don’t really notice it.

I paint better now. I hope I paint better now. I hope I paint better every time I’m at the easels.

So, I retouched it, changed some colors a little, added a bit more detail.

I can’t tell any difference on the screen here. Maybe I’ll scan it again.

Who knew it would be this hard to paint?? I probably had an inkling, but usually enjoy a challenge and knew it was a good decision. Maybe. It may be the computer end of things that is the real challenge.

Mineral King Paintings in Progress

Every year summer happens. This is not a surprise. Summer means lots of time in Mineral King. It means paintings of Mineral King get sold at the Silver City Store. This is not a surprise either.

Every year I am just certain that this will be The Year I Paint Ahead. This year I actually am painting ahead, but that’s because the Redbud Festival is next weekend, May 3-4. Then, if Mineral King paintings haven’t sold, I’ll be a little bit ahead for summer in Mineral King.

A painting begins with a flip through my extensive photos of Mineral King to see which ideas float my boat. No matter how many terrific views there are, Farewell Gap with the Crowley Cabin is the most popular. The Honeymoon Cabin is always #2, and Sawtooth is next. After that, no discernible difference. No matter what, always always always have a painting (or two or three) of Farewell Gap on hand, in multiple sizes if possible. (I keep the words “Farewell Gap” on a sign in my painting workshop in case I forget. . . Middle-Aged Mush Brain requires more reminders than Youth.)

I chose the canvas sizes that are most likely to sell (this IS a business), put hardware on the back along with the title and an inventory #.

Sometimes I “draw” the painting with a brush first.

Sometimes I do two paintings at the same level of progress. (I almost wrote “at the same time”, but then you might think I am painting with both hands. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not THAT good.)  If I’m going to mix the paint color, I might as well mix enough for two!

These are drying. The top one might need more detail and a signature, the second one needs wildflowers and a signature, and the bottom one may just need a signature.

There is cat hair on my computer keyboard and Perkins is on my lap. It makes it awkward to type, but my boy might know that Mineral King season is coming, and he isn’t invited. We miss each other, and that is the season when I lose cats. Perkins has survived 15 summers while his comrades have been picked off, one by one. It ain’t all roses and lollipops in Three Rivers. . . sigh.

TG Friday in Mineral King

Trail Guy – Friday in Mineral King. You thought I was referring to a restaurant? Not this little gray duck.

The white snow (thank you, God!) blends with the white (gray?) sky.

Trail Guy skied up to Crystal Creek.

Look – something that isn’t like a black and white photo.

A little break in the clouds made it prettier in person than in this photo.

And thus we conclude our  late winter check-in with Mineral King. Summer is much more visually inspiring to this California artist than the snowy landscape and gray (white?) sky.

 

Sold!

The Studio Tour was a success in many ways. I found 2 new drawing students, saw old friends and students, met new friends, made contact with folks that I’d only talked to on the phone before, and lots of other important things.

And, these are some of the paintings that sold.

Meadow Fence, 10×10, oil painting on wrapped canvas, a Sequoia National Park oil painting

Vandever-Mineral King, 10×10, oil on wrapped canvas, a Mineral King oil painting

Peach on Tree, 6×6, oil on wrapped canvas

North Fork of the Kaweah, 11×14, oil on wrapped canvas, a Three Rivers oil painting

Fridays are for Mineral King

Fridays are for Mineral King when I actually have something to tell or show about Mineral King.

Trail Guy took a day trip up to MK on March 5. He was able to drive to Silver City, and then took the trackster the rest of the way. He looked at most of the cabins, checking for damage after the one storm we had (please God, send more snow and rain!). And, he skied up to Soda Springs.

Me? I was painting that day. He is retired, I am not. Thanks for asking. 😎

Hello, Farewell.

This gives a false idea of deep snow. This sign is only about 2 feet high!

This is Soda Springs, a popular easy walk in the summer time, and a fairly easy cross-country ski in the winter, if you can cross Crystal Creek.

The view back toward Timber Gap. That is Betsy’s tree, the large red fir on the right. (I call it that – not an official name.)

The classic view of Farewell Gap and the Crowley cabin.

Keep praying for snow and rain – winter isn’t over yet!

Painting Mineral King

and Crescent Meadow.

The top painting shows the Mineral King valley from up on the Monarch Lake Trail as it appeared last September.

If I am hiking to Monarch Lake, it is the Monarch Lake Trail. If I am hiking to Crystal Lake, it is the Crystal Lake Trail. If I am walking to Timber Gap (walking because that one can be done without a pack, lunch or water if you hustle your bustle), it is called the Timber Gap Trail. If I am hiking to Sawtooth. . .

Never mind. I don’t hike to Sawtooth. But, I got off track there a bit (or off trail?)

The painting might be finished. I thought maybe I could get away with a quickly done painting as long as I used juiced up colors.

But Noooooo, I had to detail it to pieces.

Same with Crescent Meadow. This is how it looks after a second pass over the canvas:

Crescent Meadow is in Sequoia National Park, near Giant Forest and Moro Rock. The painting looks a little weird because it is wet and reflective. When it is detailed to pieces, dry and scanned, it’ll not only be not weird, it will be beautiful.

I hope.