Roby Invasion at Rock Creek

We Robys have a reunion with extended family every three years. This year my mom and I were in charge of organizing it, so naturally we chose to hold it in Mammoth Lakes. This was fortuitous for many members of the family who had not been to the Lodge in many years—and for those who had never been there, even though they'd heard stories about it all their lives.

Craig London graciously allowed us to park our caravan at the Lower Corral and I stood on the cabin porch to share a brief outline of the Roby history at Rock Creek.

Photo courtesy of Martha Roby Bader.

We managed to gather almost everyone for a group shot in front of the store.

Note: included in this group are Bob Clark's three kids and one grandson with their spouses, and three of his nieces & nephews with their families—I have noted previously that he built and repaired some of the buildings.

Below are four of the Robys present: Martha, who made an appearance as a little girl in my last post, my cousin David Roby (Jim's son), and of course me and my dad.

We toured the Lodge grounds and shared a few stories before heading up to Rock Creek Lake to spend some time playing in the water.

As you can see, it was one of those perfect July days. It was nice that the canyon welcomed all of us back so generously.

View from the Lower Bridge

My great-grandmother, Clara Roby, was a photographer. She had her own darkroom and produced beautiful, professional-quality images of her children and grandchildren throughout their lives. Naturally, she also photographed Rock Creek when they were there. This photo was taken from the lower bridge sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s. You can click on it to view it larger. In the lower right corner, you can see my aunt Martha just above the rocks, and my dad standing next to the tree further downstream. We're not sure if the fisherman by the logs is my grandfather or someone unrelated. Those of you who have spent time there know how little this scene has changed in all these years.