I present this post to you in the interest of public service… When trying to research the Henness Pass Road, one will stumble across a few internet forums that contain vague and sometimes contradictory information or websites from various government agencies that just loosely mention the Henness Pass Road. Every one of these websites from … Continue reading
Made famous by the Bret Harte story, Outcasts of Poker Flat, which actually has nothing to do with the real town, the name “Poker Flat” will likely at least have name recognition for many people. And to expand on the previous sentence, although the Poker Flat in the story bears no resemblance to the real … Continue reading
I have always had a special fondness for the Palm Springs area. I love the Salton Sea. I love the aerial tramway and the world it leads you to. I love the stark desert. I love the modern architecture from the 1950s and 1960s. And given a familial connection to the community, I have many … Continue reading
It took me a while to find St. Louis as there is, unfortunately, little left of this once-thriving town to lead one to it. To get here (on the road leading to Howland Flat which one picks up a little outside of La Porte) travel for about a mile past the St. Louis Bridge up … Continue reading
Benjamin W. Sears (1846-1905) Night Scene In Sierra Picture taken in Yosemite in 2010… Continue reading
If one continues half a mile northeast past Howland Flat, over Potosi Creek, one will come to a fork in the road. This fork is where the town of Potosi was located. No one knows the source for the name of the town of Potosi. However, potosi is the Spanish word for “great wealth” and … Continue reading
First settled in 1853 when mines known as the Union Company and California Company were discovered, Howland Flat was once second in size and importance only to La Porte. Located twelve miles north of Downieville on the East Branch of Slate Creek and at the base of the dramatic 7,000′ elevation Table Rock Mountain, Howland … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 