Mineral King

Sawtooth Peak from the back side

Mineral King had already experienced hard-rock mining, timber extraction, sheepherding, and somehow managed to stagger into the mid 20th-century relatively intact.

Its been way too long since I've been back up there. I've been there backpacking, trailrunning and backcountry ski-touring. Next to King's Canyon, its the best California has to offer.

The proposed Disney Mineral King ski resort would have been an environmental catastrophe.

In 1989 I took a ski avalanche workshop from Dave Beck, one of the original snow rangers Disney hired to do snow survey. Mineral King is an avalanche zone from any angle. Dave said that half of the slopes in the main L-shaped valley were unstable on a good day. The few cabins and mule-barn are located in the few stable areas.

Secondly, the valley and surrounding peaks create an inversion layer that would trap all smog and particulates from the proposed resort. The geology of the valley would also not be able to withstand the impact of escalated water use and sewage disposal.

Third, the only access into the valley is a curvy 1-1/2 lane road. The resort plans called for a 4-lane expressway to be blasted up the valley from Three Rivers, with extensive damage to the creek drainages with pillars, spans, cuts and fills.

The Sierra Club mobilized public opinion, and fought Disney to a standstill, ending in 1967 or so. They fought especially hard since they felt that that they'd given away the store on Glen Canyon Dam in 1964.

In the end Disney came to the conclusion that certainties of high costs and persistent avalanches outweighed any profit from an alpine resort. They probably decided at that point to start looking at Florida.

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