1903 Sierra Club High Trip

"1903 Sierra Club High Trip Photos"

All vintage photos courtesy of Tim Chick unless otherwise noted.
See USE NOTICE on Home Page.

The following scans were taken from original, gelatin silver prints (photographs) capturing the 1903 outing of the Sierra Club in Sequoia National Park, California. Henry Brown's book Mineral King Country gives a good account of the1903 High Trip to the Kern River which was the first trip where pack stock were vital to the success of the trip. Most members came by rail to Visalia, then by stage coach to Mineral King where they began their hike into the large camp at the junction of Coyote Creek and the Kern River. Pack and saddle stock were provided by Broder & Hopping of Three Rivers. After camping for a number of days on the Kern contingents (forty in one group and one-hundred three in another) of the party continued on to climb Mt. Whitney and returned to Giant Forest by way of Kaweah Gap to camp among the Giant Sequoias. These scans come from fourteen (14) spectacular photographs of the Sierra Club members and surrounding scenery of this fantastic trip of 1903 which Tim recently sold for aution on e-Bay.

The Environmental Movement
by Henry M. Brown

Sierra Club "High Trippers" enjoying a wilderness meal. (Close-up)

The Rise of Ronald Regan - Ike Livermore
by Henry M. Brown

Sierra Club "High Trippers" enjoying a wilderness meal.

The 1903 Sierra Club Outing
by Henry M. Brown

Sierra Club "High Trippers" among some earlier pioneer settlement houses.
This appears to be taken in the Mineral King area with Farewell Gap in the background.

The Heyday of Packing
by Henry M. Brown

Sierra Club "High Trippers" enjoying a wilderness meal. (Close-up)

Sierra Club "High Trippers" group photo in the evening.

Sierra Club "High Trippers" among some earlier pioneer settlement houses.
This appears to be taken in the Mineral King area with Farewell Gap in the background.

In the photograph showing the members sleeping, a name on the bottom of one of the sacks reads, "Mrs. W. Rodman, Los Angeles, Cal". A Willoughby Rodman was the director of the Sierra Club from 1909 - 1915. Mr. Rodman is documented as reading a poem at the dedication ceremony on July 3, 1904 of The LeConte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite National Park. At this dedication ceremony, " there was a large attendance of Sierra Club members, owing to the fact that Yosemite Valley had been selected as the gathering-place for the 1904 Outing".

Sketch of Bruce Morgan on the summit of Mt. Whitney with a string of mules.

Sierra Club "High Trippers" enjoying a wilderness meal. (Close-up)

Mt. Whitney East Trail - Bruce Morgan
by Henry M. Brown

Women in the Mountains
by Henry M. Brown

In The Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park as the U. S. Governemnt calls It.
With the Sierra Club, July 1903

We started from Visalia 110 strong and drove two days over very rough roads as far as the wagon road extends.

Then the effects were limited to 45 lbs. which were bound on pack mules and the party started over mountain and through valley to where Coyote Creek empties into Kern River where a permanent camp was established which was named Olney Camp.

From there, excursion

s were made among the surrounding mountains where you could fish in streams amd lakes with good success.
We slept in canvas sleeping sacks and had Chinamen for cooks.

Sheep in the Mountains
by Henry M. Brown

Lewis Camp
by Henry M. Brown

Further Reading

Mineral King Country - Visalia to Mt. Whitney by Henry Brown - 1988

Photos from the 1903 Sierra Club High Trip (Photos from the 1967 Sierra Club Handbook)
Sierra Club packers - 1906 at Hetch Hetchy Valley	1903 Sierra Club outing
1903 Sierra Club Kings Canyon outing

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	Mt. Whitney Pack Trains Memories
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This page was last updated on 25 April 2024