MINERAL — Members of this community nestled in the foothills of Mount Rainier opened their arms to welcome crowds of fishermen on Saturday. On the opening weekend of fishing this quiet lakeside community of 430 residents expands to accommodate 3,000 to 4,000 fishermen.
The American Legion Storm King Post #171 17th Annual Trout Fishing Derby provides focus for the weekenders. And come rain or shine, the Mineral community gathers together and works hard to feed, entertain, and provide shopping and recreational opportunities for its guests.
Mineral Lake, known as the “Home of the 10-Pound Trout,” was heavily dotted Saturday morning with eager derby-bound anglers. Over 60 prizes were donated from within this close-knit community and outlying areas to draw anglers to buy the $2 raffle tickets. The derby started one minute past midnight.
“There must have been 50 boats with lights out on the water last night at midnight,” said Mike Gordon, a man who wears many hats: volunteer fireman, American Legion and Lions Club member, and Mineral Lake Resort manager.
In the daylight hours one could see cars, trucks and trailers lining the roads and filling every open space in the half-mile stretch from Mineral Lake Resort to the Lion’s Den and beyond.
Families, clad in rain gear and camouflage, damp but warm in the mild climate, found friendly faces, hot coffee and hot dogs at the recently remodeled American Legion hall. Legion members, working to serve the hungry fisherman, spoke with pride of their service to the community of Mineral.
“We’re such a small community, between the Lions Club, the American Legion and the (Mineral Presbyterian) church — we cross paths a lot in our volunteer work. We support our senior citizens; our fire department is all volunteers. We work hard to put everything we earn here today back into the community,” explained Gordon.
Retired year-round resident Louanne Groth lives in a cozy home overlooking the activity on the lake below. She was raised in Pleasant Valley and went to school in Morton.
“We really enjoy it here. This is a great place to live, nice people. I had problems with my knee a while back and they kept him fed the whole time,” she said, nodding her head to indicate her husband, Virgil Groth.
An avid fisherman, Virgil Groth expressed enthusiasm for the lake and its people, and said he didn’t mind the noise and excitement of the fishing season.
“The summers are enjoyable, the fishing is great and the winters are quiet,” he said.
While trout fishing takes center stage on opening weekend, there was plenty to see and do off the water. Many of the area residents held garage sales. The Mineral Arts & Crafts Guild held their annual show and sale in the historic Mineral Presbyterian Church.
The old elementary school building, closed in 2002, has been converted into the spacious Mineral Lake Events Center.
Inside the events center the Mineral Lake Café served food from their revamped school cafeteria kitchen. Classrooms up and down the halls were filled with antiques, collectibles and handcrafted items. Just outside the events center, food vendors staked out territory, tantalizing hungry fisherman with the smoky aroma of barbecued chicken.
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Kimberly Mason is a freelance writer based in Cinebar. She can be contacted at kz@tds.net.
