In a report published by the Mt. Whitney Club Journal, she described herself as ‘having been lame from early childhood’ and recounts that the others urged her not to make the trip. The extent of her lameness is not historically recorded, but it would seem that she has the further distinction of being the first handicapped person to make the climb.
In the years that followed Michael’s visit of 1873, Lovella Atwood and Misty McBride continued to run the hotel and restaurant. Lovella eventually excelled in arts and crafts and later taught classes to young and old alike. Maggie MacDonald retired from her work at the saloon and spent many years exploring the High Sierra. She often guided tours through Yosemite when it finally became a National Park. It is said that she and John Muir became best of friends.
Don and Margaret Warner, with the help of her father, Gwen Gardner, eventually opened up a hardware store, a lumberyard, and the Lone Pine Rock and Gift Shop. Ed and Michelle Spencer eventually sold the pharmacy and opened up a coffee shop to serve the incoming climbers and local residents. Charlie McCloud drove the stage until the late 1880’s, when he bought into a company that built carriages and bicycles. He sometime later invested in the inventive ideas of prominent men, who tinkered with motorized bicycles and early automobiles.
Sheriff Johnson remained in law enforcement for several more years, and eventually hired more men, who I am told later became the founders of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. Judge Dawson disappeared in the spring of 1874, while on a fishing getaway along Tuttle Creek. His camping gear and poles were recovered, but the man’s body was never found. The judge had a heart condition, and some folk’s thought he may have fallen into the creek and drowned, and was then swept away in the swift current.
John Replogle quit riding shotgun for the stage line shortly after Michael left. He continued to devote his time to both animals and people, in that order. John’s first love was always the critters. Floyd Thomas took over the shotgun rider’s position, until the stage line shut its doors in 1888. John’s nearest neighbor, Buck Grace, did find out all about gypsum, and his unique sculpturing in it eventually became well known around the country. Claude Davis often made deliveries for him. Gold and silver were also discovered in the area, and Darwin and its neighbors, including Lone Pine, once again boomed.
Cattleman Ed Winter and his foreman, Slim Woodson, built a ranch near the town of Independence, just north of Lone Pine. They raised a fine selection of beef for years, and supplied towns as far as Reno to the north and Barstow to the south. Horseman Donnie Crawford eventually left the livery and joined Winter’s cattle company; the BMW Ranch (Best of Mt. Whitney).
Sam Waters finished his diary late in 1873. He kept it until 1925, when at a very old age he accidentally knocked over a lantern in his cabin out in the Alabama Hills, just west of Lone Pine, which set the place on fire. The cabin burnt to the ground with Sam in it, but the diary was found later that year in a metal box hidden under some charred flooring. At the age of 95 the finder of that diary is still alive today, but in 1992 he traded it for a few rocks from the Lone Pine Rock and Gift Shop.
After Stalking Moon had left this earth to ride with Michael, his father, Bear Claw of the Shoshone, lived to see his granddaughter become a fine, young woman and a master in Native American craft work. She also worked often with Lovella Atwood. Bear Claw disappeared in the tall rocks just west of the Indian encampment in the fall of 1904. He was very old. His body was never found, but everyday, I am told, for many years following, a large red hawk could be seen atop the tallest rock near the encampment, the great bird calling out into the wind.
LONE PINE TODAY
The cultural blend in Lone Pine today includes Caucasian, Hispanic, Black American and Native American, as well as a few others—all bound together in their love for the high lonesome. They celebrate holidays and other festivities together at various annual gatherings, reviving the American traditions that Margaret Warner spoke of almost 140 years ago.
The town itself has changed structurally over the succeeding years since that grand redemption of the mountain, but a few of the people have not. In fact, local Native American’s tell me that there are certain people who haven’t aged for some time. Longevity? I perhaps may be one brick shy of a full load in my thinking, but I truly believe that! And here’s why…
There’s a ‘Don and Margaret Warner’ in the town who now operate three locations—Gardner’s Hardware (Margaret’s maiden name), Gardner’s Lumber, and the Lone Pine Rock and Gift Shop. These unique facilities, which display many ‘hard to find’ sale items, are located along the main street (Hwy 395) of Lone Pine. There are plenty of uncommon rocks in the ‘Rock and Gift Shop’—from all parts of the USA and around the world. Lots of crystal, too.
A man in town by the name of ‘Buck Grace’ carves gypsum, his rare creations found in Studio Too, located within a mall just next to the Chamber of Commerce (Main street, Hwy 395). Buck has long, white hair, and busies himself daily in the carving of North American wildlife subjects, specifically the native creatures of Inyo and Mono counties. The man’s sculptures are, to say the least, magnificent works of art.
There is also an ‘Ed and Michelle’ Green (a.k.a. ‘Spencer’), who operate the Lone Star Bistro, an espresso coffee shop that offers a grand variety of coffee’s, baked goods, and an assortment of flavorful ice creams. Gift items are sold in the shop as well. It is located at 107 N. Main Street (Hwy 395).
There is a ‘Lovella Atwood’, who works in the rock shop. She maintains the unique displays there and is an expert in décor. There is also a ‘Misty’ (last name?), who works at the Mt. Whitney Restaurant, right next door to the rock shop, at 227 S. Main Street (Hwy 395). They are best of friends. Then there’s a ‘Maggie’ (last name?), who works both at the hardware and the rock shop (operations run by Don and Margaret Warner). Maggie is best of friends with Lovella and Misty as well.
There’s a ‘James Dawson’ (remember the judge?). Jim tells me that he is the great-grandson of Judge Dawson, who spoke with Michael inside the Lone Pine Hotel and Restaurant (no longer exists) in 1873, and later turned up missing from his favorite fishing hole along Tuttle Creek. The great-grandson currently works at the hardware, again the same one that is currently operated by the Warner’s.
And guess what? A ‘John Replogle’ works at the hardware as well, and the man does keep to himself! And that’s for sure an uncommon name. Are all these names (other than that of James Dawson) just coincidence, or what? These names were all written in the old diary that I purchased from the rock shop. The diary was atop an old, dusty shelf, hidden under another book when I found it. Most of the pages in that diary had remained intact after the fire of 1925, but unfortunately the diary, I’m sorry to say, is no longer in my possession—it no longer exists.
In October of 2010 I was camping at Tuttle Creek, deep in the study and research of this strange tale, when a faulty propane heater suddenly exploded near my face. I ended up with a few first and second-degree burns on my skin, but my ‘Northwestern’ dome tent disintegrated in a flash—melted before my very eyes. I soon discovered that the diary, which I had earlier placed atop my cot in the tent, was nothing but ashes.
I wonder at times if everything happens for a reason? I believe that is true, but sometimes it’s difficult to understand. The diary is gone, yet I was able to write the story from recollections of what I had read, and from a variety of other sources—legend, oral accounts (hearsay), and my personal interest in the longevity thing. That one indeed intrigued me. It’s really not proper to ask some folk’s how old they might be, but one day curiosity got the best of me.
I had been allowed to do book signings on occasion in front of the Lone Pine Rock and Gift Shop. The lady, whom I will call the ‘present day’ Margaret Warner, works there on occasion, filling in for her employees on their days off. I walked up to her one day and asked her: ‘Are you the Margaret Warner in the diary of old? Is there any way you could be, at the very least, near
to one hundred sixty years old? You sure don’t look it.’
There was for sure an immediate look of guilt on her face, and she didn’t respond for a few moments—that was a shock! She looked around the room a little bit, and then turned and looked at me through narrowed eyes over-top her eyeglasses and said these words: ‘One should always tell the truth in life, but sometimes I wish I had never left that darn rope around that old rusty anvil!’ —She then looked away and told me that was all she had to say.
I have never questioned her again on the matter. It doesn’t seem right somehow. But now, dear reader, the story is in your hands—‘Three Days in Lone Pine, an untold tale of the High Sierra, circa, 1873’. Could it be that these folk’s association with Michael gave them just a little more time? Do you believe in the power of angels? It happened to Tom Hanks in ‘The Green Mile’—longer life. I don’t doubt that it is possible.
Mt. Whitney is now one of the most popular hiking areas (11 miles one-way to the summit) in the entire United States, hosting folk’s from countries all over the world as well. Visitors come into Lone Pine year ’round. It’s quite an inspiring little town—to say the least. And it’s all here—what I’ve described in this book, and more. Mt. Whitney, the Alabama Hills and the town of Lone Pine have been featured in hundreds of motion pictures, and there are picture post cards galore!
There’s also the Mt. Whitney Hostel, on Hwy 395 just across from the Rock and Gift Shop, which is a hotel built especially for the younger groups of hikers and accommodates solo ones as well; both at a very reasonable price. There are probably near two-dozen hotels/motels in this relatively small ‘hiker’s town’. You can find all your rock climbing needs here also; including several ‘practice/training rocks’, located out among the Alabama Hills. Indeed, Lone Pine of the Eastern Sierra truly appreciates Mt. Whitney—the High and the Mighty!
I sincerely hope you’ll plan on visiting Lone Pine to hike the mountain, or perhaps just to browse the unique shops within its borders—as soon as you can. Maybe you’re one who might be bold enough to approach a certain few of these folk’s here a’ bouts and ask them… “Are you really…?”
THE END
References and Notes
1. Mortals have great importance in the overall scheme of things:
Matthew 10:29-31, Luke 12:6-7, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 7:23.
2. Michael: Jude 9, Revelation 12:7, Daniel 10:13, 21, 12:1.
3. Entertaining Angels: Matthew 25:35-40, Hebrews 1:14, 13:2.
.
4. Just and fair God: Genesis 18:20 thru 19:29.
5. Mystery of the ages: Ephesians 3:3-6. Matthew 13:34,35,
Romans 16:25, 26, Colossians 2:2-3.
6. Angels encamped: Psalm 34:7, Geneses 32:1-2, Matthew
18:10, Acts 12:7-11.
7. Baptism and the Holy Spirit (our divine nature): Acts 2:38-39,
22:16, Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Peter 1:4.
8. Confession heals: Psalm 51:17, James 5:16.
9. Lucifer: Isaiah 14:12-27
10. Michaels battles: Jude 9, Daniel 10:10-14.
11. Roaring Lion: 1 Peter 5:8.
12. Satan’s domain: Luke 4:5-7, 1 John 5:19.
13. Legion/demons: Luke 8:26-39.
14. The Mount Whitney Guide, copyright © 1990, 1994, by Paul
Hellweg & Scott McDonald, p.12-14.
Three Days In LONE PINE, An Untold Tale of The High Sierra Page 21