Page 150 - People & Places In Time

Sierra Motors Sales
Frank List owned a cabin in Mineral King; long a mountain enclave of families from Exeter and surrounding communities. Because of dad’s partnership as well as friendship with Frank, our family had what seemed like unlimited use of this cabin. Frank was not around so much anymore, spending much of his time in Nevada. When he did come to town, Frank would fly his plane low over our house, then Dad or my uncle Earl would drive out to the Pruner air strip and bring him into town.
Mineral King is isolated to say the least; High in the Sierra Nevada mountains within the Sequoia National Park but with still private cabins on leased land. Located at the end of a long, winding twenty-five mile drive out of the community of Three Rivers. The drive takes about one and a half to two hours up a steep, winding and barely paved road to the 8,500’ elevation. The cabins are rustic and reminiscent of the mining settlement this once was. There’s no electricity or utilities of any sort. Though some cabins had a generator, the pre- ferred method of lighting was by kerosene lamp and cooking by wood stove. A fireplace for heat also provided necessary mountain ambiance. Bathes were taken in a claw foot tub with water heated on the stove. Water was carried inside by iron pipes laid up stream in the creek that ran behind the cabin.
The List cabin was two story with quite a steep enclosed stairway leading up to the dormitory like bedroom and a separate smaller enclosed bedroom at one end; no bathroom. Downstairs a front door opened into the living area with a dinning table at one end. There was one downstairs bedroom, while the kitchen and bathroom were at the back of the cabin.
Uncomfortable as it may sound, the time our family spent here remains among my fondest of memories. There was a larger creek below the Hanson cabin situated just down from our place, where I would try to fish; but I never was much of a fisherman. A big rock sat about fifty yards in front of the cabin, at the edge of a meadow; my sister and I called it “frog rock”. It looked like a twelve-foot-high sitting frog; a great spot to climb, just to sit and watch what little activity might happen in this very small community.
The pack station lay just down the road, such that dad would occasionally bring
a horse back that we rode around the vicinity. My uncle Ralph Heckman had been a pack guide for the Decarterets who owned the station. He along with his best friend Doc Buck- man had spent many days and weeks together exploring the Sierra back country, leaving the valley over Farwell Gap. Delora Buckman remains a good friend today, her brother Doug, a friend as well died a few years ago, her sister Carol was one of my sisters’ best friends, yet I’ve seen little of her over the years.
Bill Hanson, a friend from next door and I would climb and explore the hillsides sur- rounding the valley. At least once a day we would climb up to the falls next to an abandoned mine, an adventure that never got old. I do see his sister Betsy from time to time, but those days are long gone though never forgotten. It was an easy and innocent time I really would wish to recapture.
When Sierra Motor Sales was lost, as difficult as that was, we had also lost the use of this place. The cabin was eventually sold to the Veolz and Sellers families.
Twenty years ago, I had been invited to return to the once List cabin with my long- time friend Becky Voelz. Sadly, she passed away unexpectedly, and the trip was lost in the same week that we were to leave. So, as it stands, I’ve not returned in sixty years
Me on my horse in Mineral King in 1954
My sister Carol standing on “Frog Rock” in front of our cabin in Mineral King as it looked in the mid 1950’s.
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