Richmond author Dean King has famously gone on grueling treks as part of researching his books. For 2004’s “Skeletons on the Zahara,” he traveled more than 100 miles through the Saharan desert; for 2010’s “Unbound,” he spent eight days traversing treacherous highlands in China along the route of Mao’s Long March.
In researching his latest, “Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite,” King’s journey was more through time than space. “1998 was the first time I went to Yosemite,” he remembers. “And the minute I saw the view from Inspiration Point, my jaw dropped. It was the moment I just knew. I’m moved by this place, I want to do something.”
Twenty-five years after that moment, “Guardians” will have a gala book launch party at Candela Books and Gallery, featuring the introduction of a tribute beer, Guardians of the Valley IPA, created by Three Notch’d Brewery.
King has been plenty busy since that visit to Yosemite, writing five books, partnering with friends to start Gum Street production company, and helping to found James River Writers. Along the way, he continued to compile research on Yosemite and the park’s biggest proponent, John Muir.
Muir’s legacy has risen to the level of legend, particularly among environmentalists. His advocacy for America’s wild places led to the creation of the National Park System and the founding of the Sierra Club. “Guardians” focuses on Muir’s first experiences in Yosemite in 1868, his efforts over many decades that resulted in the area being preserved, and the ultimate failure to protect the adjoining Hetch Hetchy Valley before his death in 1914. King wanted to humanize Muir rather than further mythologize him.
“When we put things on pedestals, to me things get a little weird,” King says. “It’s always better when we can understand that these historical figures were just people and flawed. They may have done wonderful, commendable things but in the end they’re going to have both good and bad. That’s the way we’re going to best relate to them.”
A revelation for many readers will be how certain relationships were key to helping Muir make the impact he ultimately made. King touches on several in the book but the main one is Muir’s four decades-long friendship with Robert Underwood Johnson.
“I really love Johnson,” says King. “He was a guy who was both literary and practical. He could go down to Congress and convince people to do things and knew how to get stuff done.”
Johnson rose to prominence as an editor at “The Century,” a hugely influential periodical in the late 19th century. The magazine covered a wide swath of topics, publishing everything from revealing first-person accounts from soldiers who fought in the Civil War to the first excerpts of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Johnson’s political activism ultimately landed him an ambassadorship to Italy.
“If you’re somebody like Muir, to have a partner who could say, ‘write me two articles and I’m going to go to DC and get a national park created,’ that’s pretty amazing,” says King. “Johnson was also the one who said, ‘you guys need to organize out there in California,’ and Muir was like, ‘nah, I’m not the guy for that.’ But Johnson just kept saying it and finally they create the Sierra Club.”
While King had been compiling research for years, a young friend asking for guidance finally pushed him to turn it into a book. “A friend told me he had a friend named Langdon Moss who was interested in writing and when I met [Moss], I realized he was very interested in nature,” recalls King. “I told him I thought I had a project he’d be interested in and I pulled my pile of Muir stuff off the shelf.” Moss eventually became King’s mentee and research assistant.
Now that the book is finished and its release imminent, King is preparing to embark on a book tour that will keep him busy crisscrossing the country for the next two months. The partnership with Three Notch’d was a happy accident.
“It just so happened that I brought some water back [from my last trip to Yosemite] that came from the Tuolumne River that flows into the Hetch Hetchy,” says King. “And the folks at the brewery said, ‘we’ll make an ale for you and we can incorporate the water.’ So there’s water from Yosemite in there and West Coast ingredients like Sequoia Hops.”
King is preparing for the difference he sees in sensibilities between East and West Coast audiences for content related to Muir. “On the West Coast, they’re really excited about the book. I’m going to get some crowds that know a lot about Muir and really want to dive in deep.”
“On the East Coast,” he continues, “a lot of people still get confused between Yellowstone and Yosemite. I get it, it’s easy to get confused. So I think I’m going to have to start there with a lot of people.”
“Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite” will be available starting March 21st. Information on the launch party at Candela Books and Gallery can be found at https://www.candelagallery.com/news/deanking.
