Walt Wheelock & Ella Powers

[ Follow Ups ] [ Death Valley Talk - Archive Set 7 ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Cecile on August 18, 2004 at 15:30:45:

Anyone remember Walt Wheelock and La Siesta Press? If you ever got a chance to meet Walt, you probably met his wonderful significant other of 30 years, Ella Powers. Walt passed away several years ago and La Siesta Press was inherited by Wynne Bente who runs it now as Spotted Dog Press. I received a message from Wynne last Friday that Ella passed away.

My fondest memories of Ella was camping with her and Walt outside of Bodie, one Memorial Day weekend. As we ascended to the higher elevations, Ella suddenly took over the Cb and scared our entire group saying that she thought Walt was having a heartattack. Much to our relief, Walt grabbed the cb from her and told her he was fine, just having a little altitude sickness. Later at our remote camp off of the old Bodie railway behind the Bodie Bluff, it was quite buggy, as there was still patches of snow on the ground making conditions humid and muddy, ripe for mosquitos and no-seeums. Ella had no problem with the bugs, she just donned her safari hat with the mosquito netting and wore it the entire trip.

Walt not only published La Siesta Press books written by himself and many other backcountry historian/travelers he also was a part of the Death Valley 49'er Encampment, a Clamper, an on and off again Sierra Club member, Backroads Explorer, and who knows what else! I'm sure Walt is happy in the big blue sky above the great outdoors he loved, now that he has his elegant companion Ella Powers with him in eternity.

Follow Ups:


[ Follow Ups ] [ Death Valley Talk - Archive Set 7 ] [ FAQ ]