Sam Lewis and Sierra Lady Pack Stations

Roni McFadden's "Longest Trail"

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Roni Goss (at 17) on Hellzapoppin

THE LAST RIDE

"I saw the People on both sides of me. The Paiute. They were smiling and cheering me home. I felt so much love from them. Running Bear was standing there so proud. Naked children were running beside us trying to pet Poppin'. So I stopped for a moment to let them. He enjoyed the attention so much; he must have felt he was in heaven. The old women of the tribe smiled at me and nodded. The young girl, who was my first contact with these people, came forward and gave me the rabbit skin we had worked on together. She smiled at me and I knew we would be friends forever.

[Little Bear] reached up and removed the eagle feather fro plume m his ebony hair. 'Keep this feather as a token of my affection for you and a sign I will always be with you.' He tied the eagle feather in my hair, kissed my forehead, and turned me back around toward Poppin'.

We [Sheriff Wright and Roni] walked down along the rim of the canyon until we came to the rock. The dogs went scampering off looking for anything that moved. As I approached the stone, I saw a shadow on it. I wasn't sure what it was until I got closer to it. Laying on the rock was a beautiful eagle feather, and I knew it had been placed there for me. I picked it up and turned it over in my hand.

Then I took the one out of my hair and held them next to each other. One was ancient, one was young. Gifts for me from afar. Treasured keepsakes of my time there.

I gathered all of my treasures together on the table; the bone tools found on earlier 'dream' trips; the basket faintly stained with blood, but beautiful just the same; the deerskin, soft and supple; the knife with the sharp black blade attached to a deer antler handle; the dart tips in my pouch both given and found; and, the most treasured things of all, the eagle feathers. It is said that it was on Eagle's wings the Grandfathers flew to the Spirit world. The feathers were sacred.

Yes, this last ride was important. It would set the tone for the remainder of my life. I was forever changed."

Sierra Lady Pack Station circa 1967

Sierra Lady Pack Station site - 2016
(Photo courtesy of Ray DeLea)

TRAILS END

"I went on several hunting trips that fall [1972]. The strangest thing happened on that trip. When we arrived at the pack station late that night, for some reason, instead of going into the cabin and sleeping, we all slept in the trucks. About three in the morning a loud roaring noise woke us up. All of us sat up in the back of the truck to see the cabin completely engulfed in flames. Just like that, it burned to the ground in minutes.

We were so confused by what happened. We counted heads and couldn't find Jim Slaughter. After several frantic moments, he came out from under the big rig. We were all present and accounted for. None of us had been inside that cabin. Since it hadn't been used in a couple of weeks, what had started that fire? We will never know.

In reality it was the beginning of the end for John and the pack station. The Forest Service had revoked all the leases and was making plans to turn that whole National Forest area back into wilderness. I felt so bad for John. His whole way of life in those mountains was coming to an end. John, the man who turned my life around. The man who meant everything to me.

Unbeknownst to us, the Forest Service was planning on burning down all of the cabins up in the high country. There would no longer be shelter for hikers, campers, or riders to take refuge in if bad weather stranded the. Gone forever would be all of the history engraved on those cabin walls. There were names and dates of hundreds of visitors spanning over seventy-five years. Grand, sturdy log cabins built by Sam Lewis and others in that wild country, gone. They didn't care. I couldn't imagine it.

There was one more trip after that to take in a last group of hunters and pack up all of our belongings. With an immense sense of sadness, I relished every moment of what I was sure was my very last pack trip. If only I had known then that they were going to burn all the cabins down, I would have taken many more pictures, but on that last trip, I didn't even have my camera with me. So I had to make sure the images were imprinted forever in my mind.

I rode to all of my favorite places. I spent time in the high cabin at Deer Mountain thinking about all of my secret times there with Jim and later with my husband.

I rode all of the secret trails where I had heard spirits sing to me. Their voices still sang to me. They were happy for me, wished me well, and whispered that my life now had meaning and not to be sad about leaving this place. It would always be deep inside my heart. This way of life I cherished would fade from my memories, but never completely be extinguished.

I rode back to the cabin that last evening, unsure of what the future held, but knowing it would be wonderful. I had been told it would be by all of my friends in the spirit world. They had all been part of my growth during those seven years.

The Ancients, the Sierra Lady Pack Station, and a man named John Slaughter."

Roni Goss at Dutch John Flat

Sierra Lady Pack Station site circa 2003

Five Weeks in the High Sierras
by Ted Bates

[Photos courtesy Ashley Olive: Ashley's Flickr Photostream]
Haiwee Pass Trail	Haiwee Pass Trail	Haiwee Canyon
Haiwee Pass Trail	Haiwee Canyon Road overlooking Haiwee Reservoir

Haiwee Pass Trail	Looking towards Haiwee Canyon
Haiwee Pass Road near the trail head	Haiwee Pass Trail
Haiwee Pass Trail	Haiwee Pass Trail
Haiwee Pass Trail	Haiwee Pass Trail

Haiwee Pass Trail from the Haiwee Canyon trailhead to Dutch John Flat

Olancha Peak and Owens Lake from the Inyo Mountains Crest
[photographer - unknown]

More of Sam Lewis' Pack Outfit
photos courtesy of Roni McFadden

Sam Lewis heading out for Haiwee Pass

Sam Lewis cabins at Dutch Flats between the South Fork of the Kern River and Deer Mountain

Sam Lewis on the trail

Sam Lewis family	Sam Lewis family at Dutch Flats in 1932
Sam Lewis on the trail	Sam Lewis family at Dutch Flats
Sam Lewis family L to R: Sam (8), Helen (6), Estella (11), Lucille	Sam Lewis cabin

Sam Lewis Pack Station Plackard
(plackard courtesy of Rich McCutchan Archives)

08/23

Primitive Areas Can be "Improved" with Roads

by Johnny Nettleship of the Telegram-Tribune - 1968

Joe Merola writes:

The picture of the Sam Lewis Pack Station brings back great memories. When Gene Burkhart had the lease, early 60’s, my Grandfather took deer hunters into Dutch Flats and Deer Mountain cabins. I spent many nights in that cabin and saddled a few horses at the corrals on the right. I also have a story about a theft that happened when my Grandfather went to Olancha to eat dinner. He came back to the cabin and there were tracks all around the tack shed area. The people were barefooted. And saddles and tack were stolen. My Grandfather went back up U.S. 395 to the Snowpack Cafe and called the Sheriff’s office. He waited for them there. When they finally arrived, they went up to the Pack Station together. On of the Sheriff deputies stated there were Hippes, not good people, living in Death Valley. They would go out and steal items they could sell. The hippes were The Charles Manson Bunch! The Sheriffs deputy stated you are lucky you were not here alone and you went to dinner.

June 2024

Sam Lewis The following photos and text were taken from "The Zig Zag Post Office and Its Neighbors" by Jane A. Thomann
Sam N. Lewis Sr. - 1940	Branding cattle in 1915. Placing the Calloway brand on a downed calf. Sam's back is to the camera.
Sam Lewis by Jane A. Thomann
C.W. Lewis Family and Friends in 1912. L/R (back row): Charles William Lewis, Sr. (Sam's Dad), Ike Fink, Sam Lewis, Alvin Masters L/R (front row): Loren Fink, Isabel Lewis (Sam's sister), C.W. Lewis, Jr. (Sam's brother), Ora Fink, Estella (Sam's mother), Ava Masters
Harris Oil Company 1912. Sam took a job with the Harris Oil company pulling wells with a three horse team. Later he bacame a pipe fitter, then drove an oil truck. Sam is the fourth man standing from the right of the picture.
Sam Lewis homeward bound in 1917. Sam is heading home to the High Lonesome Ranch with a load of hay, accompanied by a lady friend.
Olive Truax of Inyokern and Sam Lewis Sr. wedding day December 22, 1918.	Sam N. Lewis, Sr. and Olive - May 1971
The High Lonesome Ranch in 1918 - the home of Sam and Olive.	Sam Lewis' Troy Meadow Camp in 1928.
Sam Lewis' Dutch Flat Camp in 1930. Sam Lewis Sr., his wife Olive, their four older children, and a friend of the family.
Sam Lewis' Deer Mountain Camp in 1930. Sam's wife Olive is pictured.
Sam N. Lewis and Family in 1937. L/R: Sam Jr., Sam, Olive, Lucille, Estella, Helen L/R (in front): Barbara and Richard

08/23

Sam Lewis Horse Story - The Chinese Cook
Page 1	Page 2	Page 3

	The All American
	My Owens Valley
	Monache Meadows Cowboys
	More Sam Lewis & Sierra Lady Pack Stations
	Ed Brown - Mt. Whitney Pack Trains Packer and Cowboy Poet
	At The Movies in Owens Valley

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This page was last updated on 09 June 2024