Randy Tolle writes:
That is the oldest Inyo Mono guide I believe I have seen. Thanks.
February 2022

Tim Walker writes:
In 1953, my mom caught a world record trout ( german brown) on Crowley lake, 18 lbs 9 ozs. That same year dad got a job at Hot Creek fish hatchery! What a life i lived.
February 2022

Various comments from February of 2022

Jane Smith Miller writes:
Carl's Sierra Cafe was on the west side of Main Street across from The Grill and where the theatre was.

Twila Koepp writes:
The restaurant directly across from the Sierra Trails on the east side of Main Street was Lauten's Coffee Shop in the 70's. I worked their in the late 60's as a bus girl. The Sierra Trails was where the car wash is now.

Linda Castro writes:
I worked at Carl's Sierra Cafe in '61. It was where the Seasons is now.

Various comments from February 2022

Dorothy Cleland Dessauer writes:
I remember hauling loads of cut ends and pieces of scrap lumber from there for “kindling” to start our fires in the fireplace!

Glen Courtney writes:
It’s so interesting seeing the history of our area. There are two memories here for me. I remember the saw mill in full operation and while still in high school (Bishop) in 1956, I worked at Chalfant Press which published the “Fishing” guide. Again, thank you.

Ralph Cox writes:
I worked there in the '60s.

JerryLiz Simcox writes:
My sister's first husband, Ben, worked there in the '60s.

Various comments from April 2022

Danny Leplat writes:
I worked for keith Bright (Parker's Pack Train) in the 70's and 80's and remember all the stories of the orchard and cabinsas well as bell family on Oak creek,,,

Dee Berner writes:
I happened to meet Mrs Parker one day a long time ago in the library downstairs in the Independence Courf House. We talked about Parkers Pack Station and her history. I can't recall the year now. We bought the Sequoua Kings operation which included all these trailheads. We had a long conversation.. I often think of her. In the 70' to 80 something, Jim Howell bought Parker's Pack Train along with Rainbow Pack Station out of Bishop. He became I'll with a brain tumor and wife and sons sold to Dale Berry.- both Outfits remained with one owner. Then Mike McMillion sold to us in July 1993- and we had found a buyer for the Rainbow operation at South Lake- we already had Pine Creek Pack since 1983. Husband Brian worked at Onion Valley station in 1975-76..then his folks bought the Hilton Lakes Camp & Pack Station up in Long Valley.

Barbara Langston writes:
My ex and I were trying to buy it back in 1969-70, but Gene rightly figured out neither of us were business people, and he sold it to Gary and Cookie. I can't remember their last name.

Various comments posted in 2022

Pat Houser writes:
Dear Cookie, if you didn't know who he was, you'd never know. And dear Peggy, loved her to pieces. Loved working at Pioneer Hardware over opening of fishing season. Miss those openers, bigger holiday than Christmas. But dear Cookie how he captured the love of the kids he hauled to Sabrina, and that twinkle in his eye. Cookie was a special guy, if you didn't know who he was, you would never guess. I worked with his wife Peggy at Pioneer Hardware. Great lady, Cookie would stop by, they had stars in their eyes seeing each other. They were cute. Cookie would often take a bunch of kids up to Sabrina fishing, he even had his own little rock island they would go to. What a guy!

Tim Walker writes:
Cookie used to drink at the Rocking K Ranch, where I tended bar. I used to serve him all the time.

Lori Simpson writes:
Cookie! He was a good friend of my Dad’s.

Toni Stocktonbamer writes:
Yep he would always go into McMurrays for a drink then head out. His station wagon would have at least 5 or more dogs inside of it.

Pam Milligan Vaughan writes:
A friend was good friends with his son. One Timothy were playing baseball in the backyard on Mandich. Broke a window. Cookie was very gruff about it at first and took them into the house and told his wife to bring them milk and cookies.

Kathleen Springer writes:
He was a special guy for sure. His wife was a dear friend! They lived just a block from me when I lived in town many years ago!

Sara Robinson writes:
Cookie was the first man I ever danced with. He taught me to jitterbug at a Bishop Community Theater cast party when I was 13.

Bailey Lee McRoberts writes:
I met him in the early 70s in bishop. My mom and dad drank beer with him at the bars in bishop and my mom worked with him as she was a waitress in bishop for many years!

Terry Harper writes:
I used to see him driving around bishop with a station wagon full of dogs..he lived at Wilkerson I think

Bob Graves writes:
As a summer worker for USFS in the early seventies, I used to enjoy the occasional chat and hearing Hollywood stories while sharing lunch with him at Lake Sabrina. Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, etc. were all his friends.

Ed Jones writes:
He was my mom’s landlord back in the early 1960s he and his wife lived in the house in the back and we lived in the front house. He was always very friendly and would regal us kids with his many stories about his years in show business. I still miss him to this very day.

Susan Shaw writes:
Cookie and his wife Peggy lived at Teacher's Point on Lake Sabrina during the summers. They brought kids up from Bishop to camp out with them. I loved to hang out at their camp the summer my family lived at Lake Sabrina Camp.

Sam McCay writes:
Remember Career Day at BUHS? Cookie was guest speaker for Mr. Benson’s theatre kids. I knew he was on campus because I spotted his car in the parking lot - that big pink 50’s land yacht with dog snot all over the windows.

Suzanne Story Harrelson writes:
I meet Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone in Cookie's driveway at his little house in Bishop. That's when I realized how short they both were, lol!

Dara Powell writes:
I used to go stay at his and aunt peggys Sabrina camp during the summer. And he took me hunting once with all his dogs. What a character! Peggy was my moms best friend. I called Aunt Piggy when I was little. She always gave us beautiful gifts for birthdays and xmas. She worked the fishing opener in our sporting goods sometimes. Cookie tied flys. Was an expert fly fisherman. I took this pic when he took me dove hunting one time. Laughed when his dogs knocked him over and snapped another one! Too funny! I met Van Heflin up at Sabrina camp. Nice man. Their dogs were their kids. They had ice cream parties for them! Great memories.

Various comments from February 2022

Judy Rogers writes:
I have one of those General Electric refrigerators. It was my folks. It still runs great. The best fridge ever! It's my favorite treasure. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Leilauni Holtz writes:
I have one just like this in the great room behind the bar. My Grandparents had it when I was tiny. Still runs but the handle doesn't work well unless you use the floor pedal. A pain in the neck to defrost. They get cold.

Various comments from April 2022

Hal Eaton writes:
Sportsman's had a broken fry cutter--so you got both thin and thick french fries. Nanci Hoppler taught me to dip them in my milkshake. Sitting outside by the stream and waterwheel. For awhile Sportsman's was owned by a Seventh Day Adventist so it was closed on Saturdays . . . Or maybe it was Fridays. In the sixties Sportsmans was owen by Nick & Fran, but I don't remember their last name. Nick and Fran were related to the Phil Jewett and Barbara Jewett who grew up at the fish hatchery with me.

Phil Jewett writes:
Fran and Nick opened a small steak house in Lodi, and named it " Nick's Place." Nick kept the same theme and pretty much the same dinner menu as they had at the Sportsman's.....Great steaks and the like. Not surprisingly, it became very popular with the locals. They finally retired around 1984.

Jeannine Baughman Hassoldt writes:
We moved to the area to buy the Sportman’s. Our financial partner pulled out at the last minute and we were never able to get it. Dad became a car salesman for Perry Motors and eventually a Mono County building inspector so it all worked out in the end.

Dan Herbaugh writes:
I remember the raccoons coming to the big back window eating left overs as we watched them having dinner there. Back when we could be nice and help the animals w a lil extra food.

Hal Eaton writes:
George thought Little Jo (of Wally & Jo's Motel) was an incredible waitress with a bunch of shtick sort of like that old TV show Alice.

Nancy Hoppler writes:
Leonard and Jo never changed. Leonard and Lil Jo were married on TV in Hollywood during the very beginnings of broadcast TV. They maintained their ‘40s style until they were in their late years. Jo dyed her hair jet black and wore it in a ‘40s roll in the front. Leonard tended bar at Nan and Max’s, always sporting silver lamé shirts and his pencil mustache. George Dahlquist and his wife, Annie, lived next door to Nan and Max’s, in the little white house. George had lost his leg when he was young but he was never slowed down. When he went goose hunting over on the Owens, he attached snowshoes to his crutches. If he was successful in his hunt, he’d wedge the geese’s necks in the crotch of his crutches.