My Owens Valley

"My Owens Valley"

All photos are courtsey of Ray DeLea ("The Pigmy Packer") unless otherwise noted.
All photographs are copyright Ray DeLea.

The following are photographs I have taken in and around Owens Valley.
More of my Owens Valley photographs can be found on FLICKR.


Old building by the Keeler swimming pool	Old gas station in Keeler
Keeler swimming pool (Leilauni Holtz writes: You have this posted but bet you didn't know my Grandfather, George Woods worked for NSP and he and several other men dug this pool with pick and shovel. March 2016)	Advertisement on side of an old wall in Keeler
Sign on Post Office in Keeler	Abandoned building in Keeler
Old Carson & Colorado train depot in Keeler	Old Carson & Colorado train depot in Keeler

Cerro Gordo	Cerro Gordo
	Cerro Gordo

Cerro Gordo road sign near Keeler	Cerro Gordo
	View from the Yellow Grade Road into Cerro Gordo looking west
Cerro Gordo	Cerro Gordo
American Hotel sign at Cerro Gordo
Interior of the American Hotel - Photographer Unknown

The American Hotel in Cerro Gordo	View from the road leaving Cerro Gordo looking northeast
View from the Yellow Grade Road into Cerro Gordo looking west towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains	View from the Yellow Grade Road into Cerro Gordo looking west towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains
View from the road into Cerro Gordo looking west towards the mining town of Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo

Mt. Whitney from the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA

Alabama Hills just outside of Lone Pine, CA.

Mural on the side of the Lone Pine Film History Museum

Sierra Nevada from the western end of Lubken Canyon

Panorama of the Sierra Nevada from the east side of Owens River in the Lone Pine vicinity

Motel Dow Villa sign

Frosty Chalet sign

The Mt Whitney Cafe in Lone Pine

Mt Whitney Restaurant in Lone Pine

North Entrance to Lone Pine on Highway 395

Lone Pine Mural

Lone Pine Forum Theater

The Bonanza Family Restaurant sign

Lone Pine Fire Department

Totem Cafe in Lone Pine
(Sun-facing side of the sign)

James Gustafson writes:
Some of the best chicken fried steak in the entire valley

Daniel O'Neill writes:
Totem Cafe's BBQ ribs were delicious last year during the 2023 Lone Pine Film Festival. It was fun finding the autographs on the wall, especially one of my favorites, Richard Boone.

Sierra Nevada from the Owenyo Road east of Lone Pine

Mural on building in Lone Pine

Mt. Whitney from the Alabama Hills

Mural on building in Lone Pine
1938 Lincoln Zepheyr, Driver - 3 Time Indy 500 Winner, Louis Meyer 1930s

LLoyd's of Lone Pine sign
T he place were I spent most of my summer wages
while packing for Mt. Whitney Pack Trains

Ed Turner writes:
In 1956 I worked for the Mt. Whitney Pack Trains for $0.00 per day for the entire summer (I was 17 yrs. old). I wanted to learn how to saddle a horse, ride them, travel the Sierras. It was the best job I ever had. The best part was the day I left to return to College, Bruce Morgan (Owner, Boss & a Great Teacher) shook my hand, gave me a check for $100.00, and asked me to come back next summer. I did until 1959.
June 2024

Susan Carol Joseph writes:
Me too, my Grandma Hancock would take me beginning of every school year so Elsie could fit me with a new pair of oxfords.
June 2024

Taze Nu Pa Benson writes:
Elsie found my and my sister/auntie's shoes every year for all seasons. Dad, Joe Bellas, always got our kicks there.
June 2024

Thomas Highberger writes:
Got my first real cowboy hat at Loyd’s in the 60’s. I always stocked up with Lee Riders jeans at the beginning of the summer!
June 2024

Lee Dabbs writes:
My family (Meysan, Meyers, Drew’s and Hancocks) all shopped at Lloyd’s. We bought a lot of clothes, shoes, hats, etc.. all the time I was growing up I bought my moccasins at the Indian Trading Post. At the corner of Hwy 395 and Whitney Portal Road where the water drinking rock used to be. I miss my hometown.
My maiden name is Lee Annette Meyers (Dabbs). My Grandmother was a Hancock married a Meysan. Her father in law owned Meysan’s Merchantile on Main Street same block as Lloyd’s Store.
June 2024

Doc Waltz writes:
Great store, great service. Bought a lot of stuff there over the years.
June 2024

Church of the Nazarene in Lone Pine
The place were I embarassed Norman Jefferson at a Wycliff missionary
lecture and a great adventure began for me.

Joseph's Market sign

Mural on building in Lone Pine	Death Valley 20-mule team, driver Johnny O'Keefe Mural on building in Lone Pine
Mural on building in Lone Pine Driver, Ollie Dearborn - Riding Shotgun, Governor Frank Merriam	Lone Pine Station on the abandoned Southern Pacific RR just outside of Lone Pine
Lone Pine Pioneer Cemetery	Lone Pine Pioneer Cemetery
Lone Pine Cemetery - Barbara Ann Jefferson	Lone Pine Cemetery - Thomas Norman Jefferson
Lone Pine - Mt. Whitney Wood Works	Lone Pine Hotel
Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce	Tuttle Creek Franklin Merrell-Wolff Ashram
Alabama Hills Cafe Sign Edward Richard photo, photoshopped by the Pigmy Packer

carroll_creek_trail

INSTALL GOOGLE EARTH (unless you have already installed it)

Sierra Nevada from the Owenyo Road east of Lone Pine

Horseshoe Meadow panorama taken from Cottonwood Pass in the Sierra Nevada

Tommy & Barbara Jefferson's former house on 615 East Inyo St. in Lone Pine. Many a packer slept on their lawn in the heat of the summer.	Intersection of Inyo St. and Lake View St.
Intersection of Movie Road and Moffat Ranch Road at Moffat Ranch	Alabama Hills
Moffat Ranch - Where Mt. Whitney Pack Trains wintered stock and where many westerns were filmed.
Along Owenyo Road east of Lone Pine	Looking north on the old Carson and Colorado Railroad Grade just off of Owenyo Road east of Lone Pine
Moffat Ranch	Moffat Ranch

The Sierra Nevada from Manzanar

Reconstructed guard tower at Manzanar Camp Historical Site - March 2011	Reconstructed guard tower at Manzanar Camp Historical Site - March 2011
Rock Garden and pond at Manzanar Camp	Reconstructed detention barracks at Manzanar Camp Historical Site March 2011
Trees blooming at Manzanar Camp - March 2011	Original trees blooming at Manzanar Camp - 2011 After 66 years of abandon, water is finally bring these trees back to life through the camp area.
Blue Star Memorial Highway sign.	Manzanar Camp, Independence, CA
Reconstructed guard tower at Manzanar	One of the restored garden/pools at Manzanar
One of the restored garden/pools at Manzanar	Owens River at the Manzanar Reward Road crossing
Owens River at the Manzanar Reward Road crossing	Off of the Manzanar Reward Road on a stormy July day.

Mary Austin home in Independence, CA

Pines Cafe in Independence

Sonia Robledo writes:
While still in high school (my last year), I waited tables there. Years later, as a side gig, I carried drinks when we had live music. Still later, still a side gig, I tended bar there.
June 2024

Loralee Mairs writes:
My mom was a waitress there while pregnant with me. She worked the day she delivered. I’m named after her best friend who waited tables along side her.
June 2024

Bonnie Wasson France writes:
Was our coffee and toast spot before high school most every morning. Hang out spot in the game off the bar on the weekends. Good times
June 2024

Sandra Jewett writes:
My family lived in Independence and we loved the French fries there! My folks, Eleanor and Bud Walters, had coffee often there catching up with friends and chatting with tourists. The met many interesting people at the Pines Cafe!
June 2024

Dudley Leslie writes:
Spent a lot of time there in high school I used to clean it before school and later good food in the restaurant and of course the bar a lot of good times
JUne 2024

Taze Nu Pa Benson writes:
Yup!! My dad worked there in HS and so did I.
June 2024

Linda Gray writes:
Sure one of the two restaurants in town, so spent a lot of time there growing up.
June 2024

Mark Vazquez writes:
Great places I work there for about 2 to 4 years as short order cook.
June 2024

Joe Merola writes:
When working up at the Pack Station in Onion Valley. We would come out of the mountains and it was a delight to go in and set down and eat at the Pines Cafe. Lots of Great Memories!
June 2024

James Hayden writes:
Loved the chicken fried steak! I used to see Buck Sweat and the DWP guys there for coffee. Hated to see it slowly fade away.
June 2024

Thomas Pearson writes:
My 1st job was washing dishes at The Pines. Spent many evenings in the back room playing pool during high school.
June 2024

Jim Ranshaw writes:
The building still standing which is amazing since I think it's been closed close to 30 years. I first stopped there in 1956 on the way to June Lake. It was our go to place for breakfast on the way to the Sierras. When it finally shut down, we switched to The Ranch House in Olancha. Sadly it never came back after Covid. It is soon to be bypassed by new road construction bypassing Olancha.
June 2024

Mary Arthur writes:
My sisters and I worked there in the early 70’s. It was a jewel for sure.
June 2024

George Perez writes:
My sister Sandy of Sandy and The High Country started singing in the bar there at age 14.
June 2024

Inyo County court house in Independence

Winnedumah Hotel in Independence - closed in 2014

Winnedumah Hotel in Independence grand reopening in 2015

Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery near Independence, CA

Owens Valley High Sierra Panorama between Independence and Big Pine

	Darwin
	Death Valley Sketches
	The All American
	More of My Owens Valley
	Monache Meadows
	Sam Lewis & Sierra Lady Pack Station
	Ed Brown, Mt. Whitney Pack Trains Packer and Cowboy Poet

Sign Guestbook View Old Guest Book Entries Oct 1999 - Feb 2015 (MS Word)	CONTACT the Pigmy Packer	View Guestbook View Old Guest Book Entries Oct 1999 - Feb 2015 (PDF)
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This page was last updated on 01 July 2024