Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Mexican Camp and Soda Springs

After all these years, I finally "read" my autographed edition of Doug and Elisabeth's book (btw both autographed it) while riding the Amtrak from Fresno to Richmond, CA to see my wife on the weekends.

"Mexican Camp" on page 221 and "Soda Springs" on page 238. Now, this topic may have been covered but I may have missed it. I deduce that Mexican Camp is Trail Camp and Soda Springs has to be that spring just before Outpost Camp.

Prove me wrong or prove me right. This stuff is interesting.

Oh yeah, Doug Sr.'s b-day is August 18 (my wife's is August 15).

Imagine that.

My Mom, who's a refugee of WWII, didn't know what her birthday was, so the Immigration Officer gave her August 15. We later located some relatives who were able to forward a copy of her birth certificate which let her know her real birthday is May 31.

My Junior High School best friend's birthday is August 18.

What the rule about if x number of people are in the same room, at least 2 of them will share a birthday?

I'll have to re-read those sections of the book because I don't recall mention of either of those camps.

BTW, my copy of the book, which I ordered thru Amazon Used Books is also autographed by Elizabeth.

Hi Mexican Camp is trailcamp.

Soda Springs is harder I think it is around Whitney Meadow , reading the old news reports the ranchers would summer in the high country and graze stock . Horseshoe Meadow had easy access and into the back country. The trip from Soda Springs to the summit was a day trip.My thoughts they rode around to Crabtree then up the slope till travel was slow on the horses and walked the short distance to the summit. Not a big event from the west side .

I had hoped to find a reference on the 1907 map with the location of Soda Springs. Looking over the map I did find trails from canyons I thought no one would care to travel.


Some more tidbits Jack and I hiked down to Lone Pine waterfall several years ago and Jack took a few pictures and he found some bars on a rock face south of the waterfall.We went back and looked closer and found more. Last few years I have talked with this film buff from back east ,he always searches for old film locations , he recalled a road I had sent him to that was used in an old movie and he said the movie had a waterfall . The Movie Riders of the Purple Sage , Tom Mix, Beatrice Warner, Oland .1925 Watching the movie you can see Whitney several times also the area above Lone Pine Campground and the Waterfall and the rock face they climb up. The movie was before sound recordings so you read the story watching pictures???



Gigamike has a good capture of the waterfall and the rock face on his photolink 2009. Thanks Doug

Thanks Doug

Amazing! Another reason why to "explore" the area. So much history for this area.

Whitney Meadow? I don't have a map of the Whitney area so the location is not clear unless it is near Horseshoe.

Wait, I do recall Soda Springs "something" on one of my acc hikes in HSM going towards Cottonwood Lakes or something like that. Is Whitney Meadow the meadow with the tower?

Thank you, Doug!

Thank you, Steve C...

Soda Springs coordinates. My eyeballs are lazy this time of day...well, maybe not my eyeballs...me lazy in particular...

Datum WGS84
Coordinates for point you clicked

UTM Zone 11
373529,4023247

Decimal degrees:
Lat,Lon 36.345987,-118.40938
Lon,Lat -118.40938,36.345987

Degrees and decimal minutes (Lat Lng):
N 36° 20.759' W 118° 24.563'

Degrees Minutes Seconds (Lat Lng):
36° 20' 46" -118° 24' 34"
36D 20M 46S -118D 24M 34S
36:20:46 -118:24:34

Hi So now we need Wayne to do the inverse calc and a delta vertical reduction for the next step "Could it done" . Like Mexican Camp,, Whitney Pass I have had questions about what things are called now and what the common usage was 125 years ago. Thanks Doug

Doug,

Where was the location of the "Lone Pine" before it was washed away by the flood?

Gotta love this lore stuff!