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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 6, 2016 - 12:42pm PT
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So I did reread both parts of J. Ross Browne's "A Peep at Washoe," and there is no mention of "Lover's Leap."
It's a fine piece of journalism, however, very much a forerunner of Twain.
If you haven't read it, here it is on archive.org, where you can find most everything else published pre-1922.
The whole journey from Placerville to Strawberry, over Johnson's Pass, through Luther Pass to Hope Valley Station and down Woodford's Canyon to Woodford's Station and then on through Genoa and Carson City to Virginia City is described in great (and probably hyperbolic) detail.
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Greg,
Thanks for the links, J. Ross Browne's accounts are halarious and the many drawings are so full with expression. Fun reading about all these places we know well. Amazing, great thread....thanks!
Charlie D.
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Great read, Gregory. Can only imagine what a night in a roadhouse named "Dirty Mike's" was like.
Many miners seeking riches in the Comstock "had to walk back on their natural soles". Funny, and grim.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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The Pony Express ceased operation that very week.
maybe this is about when they built Strawberry proper? The first postoffice, along with a store, bar, and brothel, used to be over near the base of Horsetail falls. i've seen paintings, but never any photos.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 6, 2016 - 08:06pm PT
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Blueblocker -- Strawberry Lodge was definitely built prior to the Washoe Rush in the spring of 1860. It's described in many accounts I've read. The Pony Express had its first run starting on April 3, 1860, and it actually wasn't actually organized until March, so think the station house was built there prior to 1860.
I just read this newspaper account by Adolph Sutro (future mayor of SF, Sutro Tower, Sutro Baths, Cliff House dude) who was in March and April of 1860, a correspondent of the Daily Alta California sent to report on the rich Comstock strike. Here's his account of the trip back to California:
"I left Virginia on the morning of April 3d, on the stage, and reached Woodford's the same evening. The weather had been fine for three weeks, and all snow had disappeared in Carson Valley and the mines, with the exception of the hill-tops and in deep ravines. The next morning, April 4th, we mounted our mules to start across the mountains, but had hardly traveled a mile when it commenced to blow a gale, and
A SNOW STORM
set in ; there were eight in the party, and though we considered it venturesome, we concluded to push ahead. The storm grew fiercer and fiercer as we went on; the flakes of snow and hail were blowing into our faces with such power that they stang like needles, and nearly blinded us. The lofty pine trees swung to and fro, and the noise of the wind breaking through their branches, creaking and howling, was truly fearful. Our poor animals instinctively knew that they had to hurry on, and on we went, as if fleeing before a terrible enemy. At last we reached Lake Valley, stopped there for a few minutes, and commenced the ascent of the summit. The storm continued unabated until we reached Strawberry Valley House, where we arrived about three o'clock in the afternoon, congratulating ourselves for having safely reached shelter. On the very summit, we met a lonely rider dashing along at a tremendous rate. We wondered what could possibly induce him to go on through that gale, and thought it must be some very important business. It was the Pony Express.
[NOTE: That's the inaugural run of the Pony Express, the very first one. The first rider had left Montgomery Street in SF a few minutes before 4 the previous afternoon, and the rider had 70 letters in his pouch: 56 from SF, 13 from Sacramento, and 1 from Placerville. Postage, $5 each. (About $130 modern dollars.)]
Tami--yes, the whole era sucked for the native peoples of the West. No doubt about that.
And Charlie, how about the log hut and drinking saloon at Brockliss’s Bridge (west of the current Hwy 50 bridge over the river below Fresh Pond) where the owner “charged two bits for a drink of execrable brandy, warrented [SIC] to kill at twenty paces.”
Does Woodford's, up Woodford's Canyon to Hope Valley, through Luther Pass to Lake Valley, up and over Johnson's Pass (Echo Summit) to Strawberry on mules in a blinding snowstorm arriving at 3 pm strike anybody else as making really good time?
RonV: That pic below East Wall of the Leap is AWESOME. Did you take that in the lodge?
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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Greg, I have had that photo on my computer for some time now. Think Dave Stam sent it to me.
You were asking about the Kyburz name. Descendants of the Kyburz family still live locally, although the patriarch, Sam Kyburz, pasted on a few years ago.His wife is still around and may know the history of the establishment of that burg.
Although it might be of little help to you I have found some interesting local history at this web site
http://www.gerlecreek.com/history/gerlecreekhistory.htm
Cheers
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 7, 2016 - 07:48pm PT
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Good work, Ron. ;-)
The maps on that web site are pretty interesting... the older the better!
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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frickin Awesome link ronV!
Descendants of the Kyburz family still live locally, wasn't one of them known as "The Big Driver?" He was one of the best cooks in the region!
goin through all that time lapse is homogenizing.
if this was talk about Hyw 80 in the 1930's, my great great grandfathr started the fire department in Penryn. and was the gavel holder in the Mason's
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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From Wikipedidia
Kyburz (formerly, Slippery Ford and Slipperyford)[3] is a small unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It is located along the South Fork of the American River and U.S. Route 50, and is surrounded by the El Dorado National Forest. Its elevation is 4058 feet (1237 m) above sea level[1] and was named by its Postmaster Albert Kyburz, in memory of his father Samuel Kyburz, who was a early California pioneer with John Sutter.[4]
The Slippery Ford post office opened in 1861; the name was changed to Slipperyford in 1896, and to Kyburz in 1911, by its Postmaster Albert Kyburz in memory of his father Samuel Kyburz.[4]
Ski racer Spider Sabich grew up in Kyburz, where his father Vladimir, Sr., was stationed with the California Highway Patrol. Spider and his younger brother Steve raced at the Edelweiss ski area, which closed in the 1960s, and is now known as Camp Sacramento.
Also dont know if you have seen this.https://books.google.com/books?id=RRc1AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 12:39pm PT
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Here's "Keep the Washoe Routes Open," another 1860 article that discusses the road from Placerville to Carson Valley in detail and has several mentions of Sugar Loaf Flat and Strawberry.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2016 - 10:48am PT
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Sugarloaf's first ascent happened sometime prior to the summer of 1861!
Someone had raised a 20' flagpole on the summit.
Clipped from this article in the Sacramento Daily Union, July 17, 1861, which describes the journey from Placerville up the American River Canyon.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Aug 29, 2016 - 01:59pm PT
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Lot of fascinating history in the canyon Greg. Good thread. Could be better yet with some native american lore.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2016 - 02:24pm PT
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If I find it, I'll post it. (Slave to sources)
Or you can....
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Jan 13, 2018 - 08:56pm PT
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Enjoyable thread bump.
The Legend of Lover's Leap
A legend lives of long ago,
When natives liked to roam,
Of an Indian maid of the Miwok shade,
Who was far away from home.
She met a brave. They fell in love
In the alpine regions high,
‘Neath a Tahoe moon they’d often spoon
By the lake of the azure sky.
The Medicine Man, who much alarmed,
Strolled alone to his own teepee,
He rattled bones, and turquoise stones,
Then shared the Gods’ decree.
Their troth was plighted beneath the stars.
(Both happy it is said)
Came a tribal voice: “I forbid the choice!
These two shall never Wed!”
So the Washoe buck took the Miwok maid
Far away o’er hill and dell,
They stood where it’s steep, by the Lover’s Leap
And they bade the world farewell.
They went to the happy hunting ground,
And left behind earth’s trial and woe,
The beautiful maid of the Miwok shade,
And her brave of the high Washoe.
W. F. Skyhawk
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 13, 2018 - 09:31pm PT
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Does Woodford's, up Woodford's Canyon to Hope Valley, through Luther Pass to Lake Valley, up and over Johnson's Pass (Echo Summit) to Strawberry on mules in a blinding snowstorm arriving at 3 pm strike anybody else as making really good time?
That was the first thing I thought when reading that!
Nice to see the Spider Sabich reference too. I spent a lot of time in his house... that was the cabin my buddy bought after our first time driving by Sugarloaf. Still had framed racing pictures and a racing bib framed on the wall. That house had awesome exposed pine trunk beams- some rough hewn square and many just round tapering trunks of trees. My buddy loaded it up with a monster collection of books, magazines, and records... It was so nice hanging out in that place that we often squandered mornings and didn’t get out for a lap climbing The Line or Surrealisic Pillar Direct until afternoon, and then would call it a day.
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