JAMES CHARLES JENKINS 1952-1979
"Nowhere have I felt more desolate and lonely than at Connel's Cow Camp, of Thousand Mile Summer fame. There were no people for miles, and a swarm of persistent, biting deer flies hung a veil of depression over the day. I feel a growing empathy with the philosophy of John Steinbeck in Travels With Charley. I find that I derive no pleasure in camping alone, miles from anyone; I want to discover not only the land, but the people who love it. And I will get the opportunity of pursuing my new purpose, for I am about to begin the densely populated John Muir Trail."
	Jim Jenkins Tuolumne Meadows July 29, 1979
He was a sincere young man with a deep love of the wilderness, admired and respected by all who crossed his path. A decade ago he dedicated himself to learning all he could about the southern Sierra Nevada, preserving its pristine high country, and writing about it. From his facile pen came four guidebooks, detailing the roads, the camps, the trails, the natural and human history of his beloved Southern Sierra. He knew this gentle wilderness as few others have known it. As a person he was unique. There was nothing artificial or temporal in his makeup. He sought truth and meaning in life, and these qualities radiated into all who were fortunate enough to know him. Truth is reflected in his writings. His books, so painstakingly and thoroughly researched, are monuments to accuracy. He was a congenial and gentle person, willing to go to almost any length to help a friend or acquaintance in need. His intellect was straight-forward and captivating, his sense of humor delightfully subtle. He will be sorely missed by many. My most treasured memories of Jim date back to the summer of 1973, when we were working together on two guidebooks for Wilderness Press. We criss-crossed the Kern Plateau and Mineral King country that summer, checking out landmarks

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