Hiker Finds 40-Year-Old Note Left On California Mountain Top

by Kraig Becker on

This past September, 69-year-old Larry Wright spent 11 days backpacking through Sequoia National Park with his son and grandson. While trekking up a remote backcountry peak, the trio discovered a small metal canister that had been carefully stashed against a rock near the summit. Curiosity got the better of Wright and he decided to open the rusted canister to see what was inside. What he found was a handwritten note that had been waiting four decades to be discovered.

The note, which was surprisingly well preserved, simply said: “Tim Taylor climbed to this peak, Thursday, August 17, 1972. Age 13 yrs. Anyone finding this note please write.” At the bottom of the page, Taylor included his home address, which was located in Flintridge, California.

Wright told the Los Angles Times that he isn’t surprised that no one had found the note until now. The hike to the mountain takes several days and few people have probably even been to the summit. He also said that the metal can was so rusted that it was hard to even notice it all. But inside, the note was nearly perfectly preserved, still waiting for someone – anyone – to find it.Once he got back to civilization, Wright attempted to contact Tim Taylor but found few clues as to his current whereabouts. A visit to Taylor’s address from the note found new residents who had never heard of the teenager that had left the note 40 years earlier. Furthermore, a search of the city voter registration records showed no one by the name of Tim Taylor still living there.

The story could have ended there, leaving us with an interesting little mystery and very few answers. But the Adventure Journal reports that not long after the Times ran the article, Tim Taylor showed up with his side of the story. Taylor, who is now a Superior Court Judge in San Diego, was a boy scout back in 1972. In August of that year, he and his troop were on a 50-mile hike through the same region as Larry Wright and his family. On one of their rest days, Taylor decided to hike to the top of a nearby peak, which may have been unclimbed at that time. While at the top, he left his note, not knowing if or when anyone would ever find it.

Taylor’s note was sort of a message in a bottle, although instead of being carried by the tides to some far off place, it sat in one location as the years rolled by. I think it is simply amazing that it was discovered at all and even more surprising that it could be still be read. It must have been quite a surprise for the now 53-year-old judge to learn that someone had found his hidden canister at last.

New Art Exhibition Features ‘Banned Booty’ Confiscated From Airport Security Checkpoints

by Jessica Marati on

Ever wonder what happens to the tweezers, sewing scissors and Swiss Army Knives abandoned by hapless travelers at airport security? While most probably ended up in the landfill, some contraband nail clippers have received a second life through a new contemporary art exhibit from California artist Steve Maloney.

The exhibit, called “Banned Booty – Palm Springs Checkpoint,” opens October 18 at the Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California. It will feature mixed-media installation pieces created from items, mostly sharp-ended, that were confiscated from carry-on luggage by the Travel Security Administration at the Palm Springs International Airport. The exhibit’s intention is “to ‘continue the conversation’ about present-day air travel,” particularly its relation to everyday lives and the city of Palm Springs, says a press release. According to Maloney:

American travel changed radically after September 11, 2001. The Banned Booty series captures a small aspect of this change. What used to be routine – checking into a flight and passing through the final security check point with no concern for the nail files or scissors stuffed in your bag – was transformed into a drawn-out endeavor.

The exhibit’s opening day will feature guests like Mayor Steve Pougnet, Palm Springs City Councilman Paul Lewin and Shannon Garcia-Hamilton, Federal Security Director for the TSA in Palm Springs, who will gather to participate in that conversation first-hand. For more information, visit BannedBooty.com.

Photo Of The Day: BART Blur

by Alex Robertson Textor on

The blur of public transportation is an atmospheric, if possibly overplayed, representation of travel itself. This particular blur, of a BART train and station, owes much to the yellow floor safety line, which grounds the image.

This blur was snapped by Flickr user kiddie1997. For me, it prompts memories of living in San Francisco, an association I was feeling particularly keenly today to begin with thanks to the slow, insistent rain outside, so reminiscent of a San Francisco winter.

Upload your best images to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. We choose our favorites from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Museum Of Craft And Folk Art In San Francisco To Close

by Sean McLachlan on

San Francisco’s Museum of Craft And Folk Art has announced in a press release that it will close its doors forever on December 1.

Museum officials said, “Sustainability in the current economic climate, with reduced funding for the arts, was a significant factor in the decision.”

The museum tried to put a brave face on the announcement by highlighting its past achievements. It was founded in 1982 in San Francisco at a time when artists carrying on craft and folk traditions were generally overlooked by the art market. The museum was instrumental in changing that, the release said.

The closure is scheduled to coincide with the end of its current exhibition “Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers.”

There is no word yet on what will happen with the museum’s collection. The museum is the only one of its kind in northern California.

The global recession has hit museums and the arts particularly hard. Many museums are scaling back exhibitions and reducing hours. I’ve written before on how Greek museums are facing the economic crisis. They’re not alone. The Edgar Allen Poe Museum may have to close, and a Dutch museum is selling part of its collection to survive.

[Photo of guitar/record player from the museum’s collection courtesy Marshall Astor]

Mammoth Mountain Guarantees Snow For Opening Day And Beyond

by Kraig Becker on

Anyone who loves to ski or snowboard can tell you that last winter was less than stellar in terms of snowfall across most of North America. But the long-term outlook for this year appears to be much improved and ski resorts are gearing up for what promises to be a much better season. In fact, the forecasts are so good that Mammoth Mountain, located in California’s Sierra Nevada, is actually guaranteeing snow for opening day.

Skiers who book a stay with Mammoth between now and November 8, the projected opening day, are guaranteed a base depth of at least 10 inches of snow when they hit the slopes. If the base is less than 10 inches, those guests can elect to keep their original registration and receive a $100 gift card or they can reschedule their stay without any kind of fees or penalties.

But the resort is extending its snow guarantee well beyond opening day. The guarantee actually stretches into February with increasing base depths to correspond with the advancing dates. So while Mammoth promises 10 inches of snow in early November, that number actually rises to 28 inches by mid-December, 50 inches by mid-January and 70 inches by mid-February.

The offer for guaranteed snow is extended to those who book their stay early, which in this case means before opening day or November 8, which ever comes first. This is a good option for skiers and snowboarders looking for fresh powder this season as they can book a stay at Mammoth early and if the snow isn’t up to expectations simply move their dates.

For more information on the Mammoth Early Booking Snow Guarantee, click here.

[Photo courtesy Mammoth Mountain]