For most of the summer, I caught rides up the hill with neighbors and then rode home with Trail Guy in the Botmobile. It is fun to drive the road, but there is no reason to beat my car up needlessly. It is also fun to spend car time with friends.
I didn’t make arrangements for a ride up the hill because I thought I’d still be painting in Mooney Grove. However, I finished the mural, and then wild horses could not have kept me from going to Mineral King. It was for only one night, a total of about 28 hours up the hill.
Hello, Oak Grove Bridge!!
Hello, Traugers! 
And this is what I meant by “beating up my car”. The potholes are legendary.
I didn’t photograph the hogwallows in the 3 dirt sections. The light and shade hides the deep dips, so you’d better be going v e r y slowly and paying close attention. (I thought for a bit that I needed a gear lower than first.)
Deck-time is precious, particularly in light of not having time up the hill during the past two Septembers. Much of my short stay in Mineral King was spent catching up with friends.
We had some work to do on the Honeymoon Cabin‘s new steps.
I still don’t understand why this is called the “Point Cabin”. It’s not on a point; what’s the point?
We had time for a short walk to Crystal Creek.
Fungus?
The light was rapidly changing, sometimes brilliant, sometimes muted.
The currant crop is very light this year but the juniper berries are thick.
The colors never look as good in photos as in real life.
Crystal Creek is like Facebook at this time of year: about 1/4″ deep, and a mile wide. 
There was a stray clump of Sierra Gentian by the creek. (A PhD* camera isn’t adequate to the task of exposing the flowers clearly while blurring the creek.)
And thus we conclude a quick turnaround trip to Mineral King.
*Press Here, Dummy
5 Comments
Lovely pics. Years ago I used to point out the HC to my kids and friends on the way to Eagle and Mosquito Lakes.
Bill, you are a rare person who notices things. Thanks for checking in!
ANY time is a good time to head up to Mineral King, right?!
About those potholes–that was the only thing my grandfather complained about along the road. In fact, he prefered to drive up at night because the headlights showed where the gullies and washboards were on the dirt sections (which were quite a larger part of the road back then).
Nice work on the Honeymoon Cabin steps! And why IS it called the Point Cabin? For that matter, why is it called the honeymoon cabin? It seems a bit too primitive (albeit private) to spend one’s honeymoon there. I bet MKPS knows!
Which is the better device to use? A PhD camera, or “smart”phone?
Agreed, interesting that the potholes were worse, and agreed on the HC/Point name.
I get better photos with my little Canon Elph than with the iPHone 7.
The potholes were worse back then (we’re talking 1950s-60s) because a lot more (a majority, even?) of the road was dirt which was more susceptible to washouts with heavy rain.
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