John Muir

and
The Yosemite

Christopher Peterson
Fall 2014

Where do you want to go? asked the manTo any place that is wild, I said.
(Muir, 1912)

This quote can be found in the opening paragraph of John Muirs, The Yosemite,
published in 1912. Having recovered from malaria in southern Florida and sailing
through Panama to San Francisco, these six words sent the fully bearded, thirty year
old Muir on a journey which would ultimately affect the rest of his life and countless
others. It wouldnt have happened had Muir not been relatively broke and unable to
afford the trip he wanted to take- down the Amazon River. But we can all be happy that
it did happen because Muirs experiences after leaving San Francisco in 1868 helped to
shape the view of wilderness recreation that we know today.
After spending much of his early life doing farm work, inventing clever devices
like the early riser bed, and reading as much as possible, his sight was nearly
destroyed in a factory in 1867. It was then that Muir began his journey of approximately
one thousand miles to Florida, purely because he wanted to study the diversity and
beauty of the land. Muirs decision to travel to California was of no concern at the time.
He reasoned that if he could not afford to travel to South America-as he had intended,
he would instead see what else the world had to offer. As he traveled eastward from
San Francisco across vast sandy plains, low mountain ranges appeared before him
which did not present much difficulty to traverse. These ranges exposed large valleys

of unending beauty and before he had even reached the recently protected Yosemite
Valley, he was falling in love.
It was an essential component to Muirs writing that he relate the journey which
brought him to the Yosemite Valley. It brings the reader into his frame of mind. He was
a man who had seen the busy life and wanted to find somewhere peaceful and
uninhibited by mans intervention. This, to a large extent, is what he found in Yosemite.
It is not a tale of his trials in the wilderness, but an account of the natural beauty he
encountered. His writing embraced the intrinsic value of the region, likely in an attempt
to show readers that travelling in the wilderness could not only be done successfully,
but that it could provide a sense of tranquility and instill a desire to continue to protect
this beautiful, wild landscape. Through his vivid descriptions, one can almost hear the
rushing water of the creek over which he constructed a cabin to have the water running
through it, just for the sound. One can picture the intense snowstorms, vast fields of
flowers (eventually ravaged by sheep, to which Muir worked successfully to end
shepherding in the valley), and the stunning rock formations which make up Yosemites
floor.
Muir goes on to describe various aspects and trails through the wilderness with
the intention of inspiring his readers to go out and have their own experience. Couple
this effective writing style with the popular transcendentalist movement of the 1800s and
it is no wonder that many of his writings are still highly sought after one hundred years
after his passing.
Later in The Yosemite, Muir goes on to explain how the processes of glacial
activity decided the landscape of Yosemite Valley. The popular theory into the late

1800s was that earthquakes had formed the valley and its many expanses of rock
outcroppings. Though he was no scientist, he believed that glacial movement was
responsible. Scientists of the time tried to discredit not only his theory, but Muir as an
explorer. When he was able to see an active glacier changing the face of the land,
however, his credibility was returned and Muirs popularity soared. Suddenly, Muirs
writings were considered valid and were sought after by many publications, even
leading to an offer of a university post- which he declined.
In the 1870s, Muir realized that in order to continue the preservation of Yosemite
Valley and other deserving landscapes, he must return to civilization as an advocate to
be seen in the public eye. His influence helped to establish the Yosemite National Park
in 1890, leading to many others. Shortly thereafter (1892) he helped to found the Sierra
Club whose mission is was to protect the wilderness. Muir served as its president until
his death in 1914.
John Muir was a man who simply wanted others to appreciate the wilderness as
he did. The Yosemite and many other writings continue to inspire people all over the
world to go out and enjoy the wilderness- but, more importantly- to protect it. It is
unlikely that the conservationist movement and our national park system would be
nearly as prevalent and well supported as it is without his efforts, talent for the written
word, and his passion.

References

John Muir, The Yosemite. The Century Co. New York, 1912

John Perrottet, John Muirs Yosemite, Smithsonian Magazine, July 2008.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/john-muirs-yosemite-10737/?page=1