Yeah, yeah, I know I said it was rude to talk about Mineral King when it is closed to the public. HOWEVER, something happened that added to the reasons for the closure, and it is so interesting that I decided to break radio silence to show you.
The night before we headed up the hill, we got a call from a cabin neighbor about a giant sinkhole on the road. He said it was very narrow to get past, and quite deep.
We left the house around 7 a.m., and stopped by the maintenance barn to talk to the trail crew (who are all in the front country waiting for a some young peregrine falcons to vacate their nest so the crew can blow up the giant boulder above Lookout Point). The crew was available, so we headed up to the sinkhole.
First stop was at the backhoe, conveniently parked less than a mile below the sinkhole. Road Guy (formerly known as Trail Guy) changed into working clothes, and I followed him in the Botmobile to a wide spot in the road below the hole.
Holy guacamole, (Hole-y guacamole?) that is deep, and as reported, very very narrow to pass by.
The trail crew guys are very strong, and knowledgeable about moving rocks around in a non-random manner.
See the tiny pile of smaller rocks in the bottom of the photo? I schlepped any rock I could find to the guys, because it was fun to “help”. Masonry is a fabulous skill, one I might try in my next life.
It became a community event. People drove up from Silver City and walked down from West Mineral King (also known as Faculty Flat, a mile below the end of the road). One of the guys helped me gather rocks; I pointed out the ones that were too big for me and he obliged.
See that skinny little dude? Very, very strong.
This is Hengst Peak, just to give you an idea of where this road failure was located. We call the area “the Bluffs”, which is above High Bridge.
These guys were very specific about their rock placements. Biggest ones first, and they actually slammed some of them with a sledge hammer to shape them to fit. The idea is as few gaps as possible. Eventually when I brought rocks my instructions were simply to toss them here or there. Finally, the dirt that Road Guy kept bringing went in to bring the hole back up to the level of the road.
See? All fixed. The culvert is plugged, which may be the reason the hole appeared. It is the reason that water is still going over the road.
And those yellow barriers read “CLOSED FOR CLEANING”. Sometimes a crew just has to make do with whatever is available.
Road Guy returned the backhoe, I picked him up, and then he went back and forth over the site with the Botmobile to pack the dirt. 
Fantastic teamwork, incredible timing of available men with excellent skills.
13 Comments
Thanks for sharing. And thanks to all of the people who are busy repairing the road! I look forward to returning to Mineral King in 2024!
Mark, thanks for checking in. We look forward to having MK open to the public again!
Great to follow along! Thanks for sharing.
Lisa, certainly more comfortable to follow along from a chair, safely planted down the hill. Happy to be of service!
Great work; you all’s dedication to Mineral King is greatly appreciated and admired!!!!
Thank you, Glenn! MK folks tend to be innovative and community minded, and it is a real privilege to get to know people whose paths wouldn’t normally cross. (Really, where else would I ever have a chance to meet a Deep Space Communicator??)
Fantastic narrative; fantastic photos and most of all fantastic work done by everyone, including the Park! Good job, everyone! Keep posting, Jana; those of us who are bound to lower elevations can live these adventures with you and Trail Guy!
Nice to hear from you, Sophie! I will post when it seems helpful or interesting, but I will NOT encourage people to drive the road, or rub people’s noses in the fact that the public is excluded this year. Sigh. It is a delicate balance.
Fabulous! Thank thank you thank you for showing this. Way to go road guy and crew!
Thank you, Anonymous! The timing on all the moving parts was rather remarkable.
I continue to be impressed with road guy/ trail guy and his incredible skills … thank you Michael, Jana and friends of MK who solved the problem!!!
Thank you, Anonymous! It was actually quite fun. The best way to spend time with friends is either taking a walk or doing a project together.
Woweeee, what a project! As if washouts, boulders, and peregrine falcons weren’t enough, now we have a giant sinkhole to contend with.
I loved seeing the pictorial progress, and it looks like it was a very successful group effort by Road Guy, NPS workers, and the Mineral King / Silver City communities. Good job, everyone (including the photographer and part-time rock mover)!
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