NOW AND THEN:
Living on the edge at Pinecrest,
At the north end of Pinecrest Lake, the cabins were of a different sort.
Water laps against terraced granite outcroppings. From the ledges, the views of the windswept water are stunning. Remote, with no road, a dozen hardy families chose to build their mountain retreats on these rocks.
Twelve cabins were constructed in a 10-year span from 1925 to 1935. Despite the Great Depression, families with established employment or those who owned successful farms had extra savings to build a simple cabin. The magnificent granite cliffs became cabin foundations, and primitive structures emerged above the lake and through the pines. But transporting the building materials wasn't so simple. Every family needed a boat to load with tools, lumber, nails, windows, doors, bundles of sugar pine shakes and a wood stove. Once at the water's edge, it all had to be hauled up the rock to the building site.
Building on the granite had major drawbacks. An indoor toilet was out of the question. There was no way to penetrate the rock for a septic system. All the cabins had outhouses. All the garbage had to be transported across the lake for disposal. Water had to be carried up the cliffs from the lake. It was also impractical to haul gasoline by boat for a generator, or propane gas for a refrigerator or stove. All heating and cooking was accomplished with local wood.
These 12 families, secluded from tourists, bonded together and socialized through the generations. The common topics of conversation were often of rattlesnake sightings, big fish caught, new boats, and family news. They relished their small world.