Mineral King Pioneer Passes

 From Judy Bedell:

"I wanted to share the sad news of the passing of Phyllis Bedell.  Don and Phyllis operated the Mineral King Pack Station for many years in the 1970's to 80's.  Phyllis was known for her hospitality, patience and great pancakes.  

She loved having her children and grandchildren visit the Pack Station and she hardly ever complained about all the work, dirty laundry and living without "real" electricity.  Phyllis will be missed but we know she is in heaven in peace and with her family members. 

A memorial celebration will be held later this spring in the Paso Robles area. If you would like to be included in receiving upcoming information, send me a message and I will add you to our long list of Phyllis admirers.  God Bless You Phyllis!!!"

Pile Burn Scheduled for Mineral King Area

The latest from our Fire Specialist:

PILE BURNING AT LOOKOUT POINT (MINERAL KING - SEQUOIA NP)

Theune, Michael J

January 25, 2021 8:21 AM

Good morning,

Thank you for all your time,

For the next few days, pending favorable weather, fuel conditions, and access, fire crews will be burning cut vegetation piles created from defensible space projects.

In total there are about a dozen piles in the Lookout Point area of Mineral King we will be focusing on.

Smoke and / or flames may be visible from roads or trails. Fire crews will monitor the piles as they burndown and self-extinguish.

Mike Theune

---------------------------------

Fire Communication and Education Specialist (Fire PIO)

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 47050 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, CA, 93271

Phone: 559-565-3703 | Typical days off: Friday, Saturday, and every other Sunday.

go.nps.gov/sekifire

Mineral King Campgrounds

Today (January 22) on Twitter, @SequoiaKingsNPS posted a notice that campground reservations will be available beginning February 9 through recreation.gov.  However, if you follow the link and look up the two locations in Mineral King--Atwell Mill and Cold Springs--both searches result in, "campground does not offer reservations through recreation.gov."

I wonder if this means both of these Mineral King campgrounds will be available by walk-up only, as they have been in the past?

A Chat with Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP and Nat'l Forest

The public is invited to join us on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. for an evening of conversation with Superintendent Jordan from Sequoia & Kings Canyon Nat'l Parks and Forest Supervisor Theresa Benson from Sequoia Nat'l Forest & Giant Sequoia Nat'l Monument on what is happening in the parks and what visitors can expect in 2021. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the parks and forest.

This chat will take place on the SEKI Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SequoiaKingsNPS

Attendance is free but registration is required. Questions can be submitted in advance or via the chat box during the webinar. Registration will be open January 13 through Tuesday, January 26, or until full.

REGISTER HERE:
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_FcOBDTFBQy2bKVJjOOqAwQ

New Years at Mineral King

Some folks spent New Year's weekend at Mineral King, and assembled a collection of almost 100 photos.  Here's a sneak preview.

If you want to see the entire collection, the link is here: https://yourownhike.com/pics/sequoia2020dec/

"Mineral King Upchuckers"

I can't say I was a member of this illustrious group, but I've been with a few travelers who were!

2020 Fire Restrictions Removed in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release

For Immediate Release Contact: Mike Theune, Fire Information Officer Phone Number: 559-565-3703 E-mail: mike_theune@nps.gov

Reference Number: 8550-2037

2020 Fire Restrictions Removed in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. December 22, 2020 – Effective at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will no longer be in fire restrictions.   This decision was made following a determination by the parks’ superintendent and fire management officials that risk from unwanted human-caused wildfires has been greatly reduced. Therefore, campfires and charcoal barbeques can once again be allowed in all open designated areas of the parks.   Even with cooler temperatures and higher levels of moisture in plants this time of year, visitors should be extra careful when having a campfire, cooking, and smoking. One less spark, means one less fire.   “Please remember to put out all fires before leaving the area or going to sleep,” said Clay Jordan, Superintendent for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.”   Additional fire restrictions for backpackers are in place for wilderness travel to reduce impacts on fragile alpine ecosystems. Refer to the parks’ minimum impact restrictions online for specific location information at https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/minimum-impact-restrictions.htm   Additionally, fire-related closures in Sequoia National Park from this year’s Castle Fire and Rattlesnake Fire are still in place. Both fires remain uncontained and interior areas of smoke, flame, and hazard trees have been observed. For more information on closure specifics, please refer to https://go.nps.gov/2020sequoiafireclosures For information on the other fire restriction stage levels, please visit https://go.nps.gov/sekifirerestrictions   Downloadable / Printable PDF (188 Kb) of this news release.