Memorial Services for Herb London

Craig London has passed along information about the two services that will be held for Herb in Ojai and Bishop. Please click here to visit the memorial page with details.

Herb London

Rock Creek has lost one of its great personalities.  I got word this morning that Herb London has died.  He was a huge presence in my life at Rock Creek and it's difficult to think that he is gone.  I'm sure most everyone has some personal memory of him, from seeing him at the Pack Station to sitting in the lobby at the Lodge listening to his stories.  The most vivid image I always recall is seeing him at Lower Corral, an Airedale or two never far from his side.  Rock Creek and all the people who love it will miss you, Herb. Craig, our thoughts are with you.

Here's an article from Sierra Wave:

Remembering Herb London of Inyo and Ojai

Written by Benett Kessler
Thursday, 31 March 2011 20:35

For some ten years back in the 60s and 70s, Herb London sat on the Inyo Board of Supervisors. He was a no nonsense, down to earth, straight talking man who was passionate about proper public planning and wilderness, and he was a story teller extraordinaire. London died Wednesday morning at his home in Ojai with his family and his dog Gus at his side. He was 92.

London was not a man of pretense. His son, Craig London of Bishop said his Dad was a very basic person. "He never bought anything just because if was new." London's Bishop home was simple and adequate. It looked like part of the land.

London sat on the Inyo Supervisors between 1964 and 1977. He was there when Inyo filed an environmental lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles over groundwater pumping. He opposed a road to Horseshoe Meadows. His son said London "didn't want uncontrolled growth."

John K. Smith, Inyo County's administrator for 30 years, said that London was "one of our better board members. He had a way of evaluating a problem and coming up with a real sensible conclusion." On the personal side, Smith and London made trips to Sacramento together. Smith said, "He was enjoyable to travel with. As a packer, he had a lot of stories. He was constantly entertaining."

London grew up around Glendale, graduated from UCLA with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He worked for American Airlines and was active in the Military Air Transport in World War II.

Herb and wife Marjorie and others bought Rock Creek Pack Station in 1947. They eventually bought out the other partners and operated the pack station for over 50 years. Craig London continues to run the business.

Family said London was responsible for creating the Millpond Recreation Center and fought for Wilderness that provided access to all types of people. He was one of the founders of Bishop Mule Days.

Herb is survived by his wife Aleta, his son Craig and wife Carmen and his loyal Airedale, Gus. Memorial gatherings in both Ojai and Bishop will be scheduled at a later date. For those who want to remember Herb, a memorial fund for trail maintenance on the Mono Pass Trail will be established in conjunction with the Sierra National Forest; or donate to any animal-based charity.

Note: the photo above was later replaced on the Sierra Wave site with the one below, so I'm adding it here too. Not the Herb we were used to seeing at Rock Creek, but a great photo of him.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very 
Merry Christmas!

~ The Roby Family

These photos are from my Grandfather Richard Roby's collection of slides, dated 1961, probably when they opened for the season.

Mancuso Brothers at Rock Creek

Joe Mancuso just shared these photos with me, so I thought I'd share them with all of you. He and his brother Carl visited the Lodge in November...

View from the upper bridge

Carl enjoys the autumn sun

Dining Room in snow

And as usual, Joe's talents perfectly capture the Lodge...

Late Season Lodge 8x10 oil

Thanks for letting me share, Joe!

A Different View of Rock Creek

I ran across a trip report by someone who rode their mountain bike up the road and then down the Sand Canyon trail along Wheeler Ridge. Thought you might enjoy the photos too (click on "trip report").  This is a nice one of the store...

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.