A Story of Names and Places
Emigrant Wilderness
The Emigrant Wilderness is a 113,000-acre, protected area that lies near the borders of Yosemite National Park
When photographer Mike Shea of Grass Valley couldn’t get answers to his questions about how the lakes of the Emigrant Wilderness received their names, he decided to find out and write a book about it.
The book, called Emigrant Wilderness - Place Names, took nine years to research and write. It was published in June 2019 and relates the history of the Emigrant Wilderness by exploring the names of its lakes, meadows, mountains, and streams, and the passes leading into the wilderness. The Emigrant Wilderness is a 113,000-acre, protected area that lies within the Stanislaus National Forest and borders Yosemite National Park.
Mike covers when the features were named, why they were named, and who they were named for in his book. The book contains historical photographs of the men and women connected with the wilderness, plus color photographs of some of the area’s features.
Included in the book are a timeline of when names first appeared, the GPS coordinates and elevations of the lakes, passes, and peaks, a list of pertinent maps dating back to 1848, and an extensive bibliography.
For more information, contact [email protected]
Photographer Mike Shea
Mike Shea
Mike Shea has been backpacking for close to fifty years, with the Emigrant Wilderness being his favorite destination. He is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in a number of juried shows over the years. Mike’s images range from stunning landscapes to composite images that blend and alter reality.
His photographs of performing musicians have appeared on the cover and pages of Blues Music Magazine, its predecessor magazine, Blues Review, and also in Debra Devi's book, The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu.
After spending most of his life living and working in the San Francisco Bay area, Mike retired and is now living in the gold rush town of Grass Valley, California, with the book’s editor (his wife Julie) and their two dogs.
His website can be found at www.tritonephoto.com
Authors Note:
The book is on sale at the Tuolumne County Historical Society, Summit Ranger Station, the Kennedy Meadows store and on Amazon and eBay.
I will be giving a presentation on his book and doing a book signing at the Tuolumne County Historical Society's September 12th meeting. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm and will be held at the Tuolumne County Library, 480 Greenley Road in Sonora. Books will be available for purchase. The public is welcome.