24 replies to this topic

[ski3pin]

This was a long day's adventure for Julie and me. It was quite the adventure and a wonderful visit to a place seeped in history. The story and photos are now up on our blog and can be found here -

 

Salt Springs, Sierra Nevada - October 2022

 

We hope you enjoy coming along.

[searching for nowhere]

What an interesting place.  With your description of the trail, I don't think I will ever attempt the hike to see the site.  So, thank you much for sharing your photos - the only way I'll see the site.  

[craig333]

Are you up to the task? I think I know the answer to that!  Very interesting area. I had no idea salt was collected that way. I've never made it further than the dam. 

[Lighthawk]

Really interesting!   The amount of effort to excavate 369 basins for evaporation, then later harvest the salt is quite an enterprise.

Salt is one of the original currencies.   I remember seeing barefoot porters in Nepal where each man had his own salt pouch.   

[rubberlegs]

Well, this is completely fascinating!

[AWG_Pics]

This is one of the most interesting and exciting trip logs! Thanks for sharing a unique and fascinating part of our human history. Quite a hike too!

[Ted]

What an amazing site. Thanks for the report.

 

"Salt is one of the original currencies."

I read that the Indians that worked this site did use the salt for trading. They had to keep the site location well protected to keep it a secret from others. Not that different from miners that actually did find gold and then had to keep the location of their mine a secret.

[ski3pin]

What an amazing site. Thanks for the report.

 

"Salt is one of the original currencies."

I read that the Indians that worked this site did use the salt for trading. They had to keep the site location well protected to keep it a secret from others. Not that different from miners that actually did find gold and then had to keep the location of their mine a secret.

Ted is correct. This article adds more to the story about the Miwok Tribe moving to becoming salt traders - Ancient Miwok Harvested Salt

 

Since my sister-in-law's tribe (the people driven from their ancestral home in Yosemite Valley) was closely related to the Coastal Miwok (Point Reyes), I was curious about harvesting salt at the north coast. The article talks about natural depressions that caught ocean water and spray. But, the coast lacked the intense sunlight (for evaporation) of summer that is a norm of the west slope of the Sierra.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Monte that is a great story.

I have seen that lake on maps but never knew the history of that area.

Just more evidence of how industrious the indigenous peoples were.

 

Thanks for the history lesson.

Frank

[ski3pin]

Are you up to the task? I think I know the answer to that!  Very interesting area. I had no idea salt was collected that way. I've never made it further than the dam. 

 

Thanks Craig!

 

I wanted to make note that the North Fork of the Mokelumne River is a part of early Wander the West history. One of the WTW rallys that founder DirtyDog organized was held along the river below the dam -

 

October Pork Rally Report

 

Unfortunately the bridge across the river that accessed that campground is closed. We had plans to spend the night along the river after our hike but the two other small campgrounds were closed with locked gates. The possible dispersed sites were inaccessible due to a logging crew doing major clearing under the PG&E high voltage lines from the powerhouse.