Base Camp Book, 1948

This book documents the activities of the Sierra Club's 1948 Base Camp outings, held in the basins and glaciated amphitheaters of the Kings-Kern Divide, a 6-mile long ridge that runs east-west connecting the Great Western Divide and the main spine of the Sierra Nevada in California. Unlike Base Camp books previously published, this edition contains a color picture of East Lake, photographed and developed by Dick Kaufmann. Also included are six full page, black and white photographs of East Vidette Peak, Mt. Brewer, and East Lake, among other geographical landmarks in the region. Additionally, Japanese-American artist Chiura Obata (faculty member in the Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1932 to 1954) showcases five sketches in this book that he created on the 1948 Base Camp trip. The book also contains personal narratives and diary excerpts, drawings, and creative non-fiction from camp participants documenting activities taking place at camp; accounts of hikes, climbs, and other adventures; and lists of bird sightings, fish catches, and botanical collecting.