Posted: Tuesday, September 5, 2006 12:00 am
PROVO, Utah (AP) - Michael Colledge believes mountain peaks in Utah County deserve names.
So it's become a cause for the former forest ranger and Boy Scout leader, who got the federal government last year to recognize Freedom Peak.
"The first time I see a printed map with Freedom Peak on it, I'm going to be so excited," said Colledge, who regularly hikes the Wasatch Mountains.
His latest target is Freedom Peak's neighbor, a mountain known locally as Shingle Mill Peak, elevation 10,690 feet. It has never been officially named or identified on U.S. Geological Survey maps.
"Shingle Mill Peak is a little bit different" than Freedom Peak, Colledge said. "With this one, the name is in local usage already. I figure this is going to be an easier process."
The Utah County Commission has agreed to the name, and Colledge is seeking approval from Uinta National Forest. Then he'll talk to USGS and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Colledge said he wants to promote safety. Hikers can pinpoint their locations with peaks listed on USGS maps.
The name Shingle Mill Peak originated with a lumber mill that was near Shingle Mill Creek, said Clyde Naylor, Utah County's public works director.
Colledge doesn't like the name - "we could do a lot better" - but wants to stick with it to avoid confusion.
"I can't imagine anyone having opposition to this," he said. "It's been called Shingle Mill Peak for maybe 100 years. It's just never made it onto maps."