Keywords:Gold, Lodge, Rainbow, Rainbow, River, Rush, Sierras, Yuba, gold, lodge, pillows, pioneers, prohibition, river, rush, snow
Photo Info
Dimensions6840 x 1702
Original file size12.3 MB
Image typeJPEG
Color spaceUnknown
Date modified6-Mar-24 21:05
"There’s a child in the King’s Court"
I love this fairytale scene that takes me back to the medieval times when the King's Court existed. A child's entrance into the room would bring a new level of liveliness and energy. Amidst this all, nature can be mischievous and unpredictable, just like Kings and Queens. This metaphor makes me reflect on how we view the world and how we can take a childlike approach to observing nature. The boulders in the stream, like ‘children’ covered wth snow, mimic the grandeur of the towering peaks. This full winter scene was captured across from the Rainbow Lodge on the South Yuba River after a massive ten-day storm. On the left side, you can see a stone wall that is part of an original building constructed in the 1870s. Many early explorers have witnessed this iconic winter panorama numerous times. During the mid-1800s, pioneers journeying west to California discovered shelter and companionship along this section of the Yuba River. The Lodge was built on a popular camping spot where pioneers would water their horses, fish in the mountain stream, and rest up during their arduous journey. Rainbow Lodge got its name from the numerous rainbow trout visitors would catch from the banks of this very river. In the 1920s, during prohibition, an illegal Speakeasy sprang up in the basement and became a popular spot for rambunctious card games. A dispute over a reported $40,000 in gold coins from one of these card games resulted in the disappearance of the loot. It was supposedly buried near the stream and has never been found. As I gazed upon the snow-pillowed stream, I couldn’t help but think about the massive snow accumulation on the high mountains that must have existed, while here, imagining a mini scene of a gathering of kings and children in the 'King's Court.'
