Vignette > Snow on the Mountain

Mt. Tam was covered with snow in January 1922. The Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods trains carried visitors up there to see the snow. The trains were unable to reach the top. A snowplow initially tried to clear the track, but no headway could be made beyond the Boot Jack siding, a half a mile from West Point Inn. Forty members of the Alpine Club were snowbound at West Point Inn. They initially tried to hike down the old stage road to Bolinas, but finding the snow two or three feet deep, they returned to the Inn. They then followed the snow covered railroad tracks down to the Boot Jack siding.  A couple from San Francisco and their nine-year-old son were camping at Mountain Theatre. They awakened to find themselves shut in by snow three to five feet deep in places.  The husband who was from New Zealand had never seen snow before. After a hot breakfast, they started for West Point. It took them three and a half hours to get there. Normally it takes less than an hour. After three days of trying, the train finally managed to reach the top of the mountain.