From Deseret News archives:
Hiker works to get peaks' names on map
It's been a lifelong hobby for Colledge, a former backcountry ranger for the Uinta National Forest and a Boy Scout leader for many years.
About six years ago, those familiar hiking trails led the Orem man to his latest pursuit — making sure the county's mountain peaks are named and recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Colledge's current target is the 10,690-foot-high, pyramid-shaped peak that can be seen from the valley when looking east up Rock Canyon. The peak, known locally as Shingle Mill Peak, has never been officially named and is not identified on any USGS maps.
Its neighbor to the southwest, Freedom Peak, was in a similar situation until last summer. July 2005 marked the successful end of Colledge's yearlong effort to get the previously unnamed mountain peak officially recognized as Freedom Peak — a name Colledge says reflects the patriotic attitudes of Utah Valley residents.
The name may not start appearing on USGS maps for another year or two — possibly more — but Colledge says it's a thrill to know that it eventually will happen.
"The first time I see a printed map with Freedom Peak on it, I'm going to be so excited," he said.
The naming of Freedom Peak was a long but rewarding process, Colledge said, and one that he's been anxious to go through again.
"Shingle Mill Peak is a little bit different (from Freedom Peak)," he said. "With this one, the name is in local usage already. I figure this is going to be an easier process."
Colledge has received permission to name the peak from the Utah County Commission, and he's working to get the OK from the Uinta National Forest. Once Colledge has that approval, he'll make a formal request to the USGS and await a decision from the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Colledge said safety is his primary motivation for seeking official names for Utah County's mountain peaks. Having the peaks listed in USGS maps will help hikers in pinpointing their location, as well as assist with search-and-rescue efforts, he said.
Colledge says a newspaper article six years ago about a Boy Scout troop building a trail to the top of Shingle Mill Peak sparked his interest in names of mountain peaks.
"That was the first time I really thought about what the name of that peak was," he said.
The name originates from a lumber mill that used to be near Shingle Mill Creek, said Clyde Naylor, Utah County Public Works director.
"It hasn't been there for many, many, many years," Naylor said.
Colledge isn't a big fan of the name — "I think we could do a lot better than Shingle Mill Peak," he said — but his goal is to reduce confusion, so he's sticking with the unofficial moniker.
"I can't imagine anyone having opposition to this," Colledge said. "It's been called Shingle Mill Peak for maybe 100 years. It's just never made it onto the maps."
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com
