A recent hike up Mt. Konocti offered the great exercise and
stunning views of Clear Lake I was expecting. But
it surprised me with fascinating glimpses into the past, including the former
home of a determined widow and a tragic piece of Ukiah history I knew nothing about.
That was cool
The Wright Peak Summit Trail is about three miles and begins after
a short drive up a winding dirt road in Mt. Knocoti County Park near Kelseyville.
Sure, the trail is technically a fire road, but it does take
you through an apple orchard and offer you bathrooms every mile or so, which I
found to be a rare and most-welcome treat. There is no water available,
however, and the trail gets very hot, so bring plenty to drink.
Most descriptions of the trail I found explain that a short
side trip will take you to the home of Mary Downen, which is a cabin
built in 1903 that the homesteader refused to leave even as an elderly widow.
According to the historical marker at the site, she didn’t
want to live with her family in Lakeport, but every day at 2 p.m. she would
walk to the side of the mountain and use a mirror to reflect the sun as
a way to tell her daughter she was OK. When her daughter signaled back, Downen
went back to her cabin.
But I knew nothing about the plane crash wreckage I found
just before the summit.
 |
| The plane wreckage can be seen in the distance. |
According to the interpretive sign nearby, Mervin and
Julia Enzler of Ukiah were flying home from Santa Rosa on Jan. 26, 1970, in their small plane
when it crashed on the top of Wright Peak during bad weather.
The Enzlers were in their 60s and had recently retired
as owners of the Model Bakery, which is now known as
Schat’s Bakery in downtown Ukiah.
The wreckage of their white and turquoise 1946 Navion A is
still there, lying just a few feet from the panel describing the crash, which
was built and dedicated in June of 2016 in a ceremony attended by the Enzlers’
son Ed and his children.
A bit more of the site can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/_jj6ekURcl0
A bit more of the site can be seen in this video: https://youtu.be/_jj6ekURcl0
Or read more about the crash and the trail here:
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