Sing Peak

Sing Peak, named in 1899, honors Ty Sing, a Chinese cook for the Chief Geographer of the United States Geological Survey, Robert Marshall, when the USGS cartographers were mapping out the park and campaigning with people to preserve Yosemite. He worked for the Survey from 1888 until 1918. In 1915, Marshall handpicked Ty Sing to cook for the Mather Mountain Party in Sequoia, led by conservationist Stephen Mather and composed of prominent business leaders, to convince the men to support the idea of unified federal agency to preserve and expand the nation’s national parks. Ty Sing prepared lavish meals served on linen tablecloths with fine silverware in the woods for the men. With these gourmet meals, Mather was successful and the National Park Service was established within a year, with Mather as its first director. Later the men from the expedition called Ty Sing, “a gourmet chef of the Sierra” and “philosopher of the Sierras”. Like Ty Sing, Chinese camp cooks had a reputation for preparing good food for workers and loggers. As cook’s reputation was an important part of the camp’s ability to attract workers, Chinese cooks were rewarded with salaries, comparable to and sometimes higher than non-Asian cooks in the West. He worked for the Survey from 1888 until 1918 when he was killed in an accident in the field. The peak extends 10,522 feet above sea level and is part of the boundary between Yosemite National Park and the Sierra National Forest.