I just wonder if our present president would pose like this. Or would he fly over in a
helicopter and say that he viewed Yosemite. George Wright
*****
We were in Dunbar, Scotland in 1999 and saw John Muir's home! It's just small and if
I remember right is part of a row of houses. My husband's ancestors were captured in
1650 in Dunbar by Cromwell's forces. They were marched to a prison in Northern
England and eventually sent to the states as indentured servants. The Dunbar
community website has a nice piece on the history of the place and I wrote up a piece
for my website. It's very beautiful there. Sue Edminster
*****
Yes, I have been to Yosemite. Wilderness camping in the early eighties. Hard to
forget...It was beautiful - although I swear I might have slept better in one of the
"bearproof food lockers", than in a tent. It might be hard to go back now with the
crowds. Dave Doucette
*****
My paternal grandmother's family lived not far from John Muir's house which is
located on the outskirts of Martinez in Contra Costa County, California. It is quite
possible that they glimpsed him and his family on occasion. Mike Dalton
*****
Some great times there. Jack actually swam across the pond under Yosemite Falls.
The water was ICE cold! But he made it round trip. Son, Bob, chickened out about
1/2 way across! Jinny Collins
*****
Right now we have a cottage near Yosemite, and I can recommend the month of
October to visit. It is cooler, all the tourists are gone, so no long lines or traffic, and
you can walk in to the Ahwahnee and have lunch with no problem. We took my
husband's elderly parents up there last October, and there was even plenty of fall color.
I recommend it highly. Pat Thomas
*****
The picture was taken just about 100 miles from where I live - Yosemite National Park.
Sheri Fenley
*****
I am headed there in August and will look for that view. Judy Pfaff
*****
I have never been to Yosemite. I have only been to Calif. a couple of times.
Disneyland about 1972 and a couple of business trips to L.A. I grew up in a time when
trips were to visit grandparents. I never heard of a vacation where you did anything
else. Then marriage and raising 6 kids kept us busy and off the tourist circuit. Pete
and I have been to Arizona a couple of times in the last couple of years. So we are
starting to get around. But I would rather spend my time at the LDS Library in Salt
Lake than at Yosemite. I grew up in Idaho and have never even been to Yellowstone.
You can see what a sheltered life I have lived. LOL Alice Miles
*****
You are quite correct that Yosemite is bursting with tourists, especially in the summer
months. Most are visitors from Germany and Japan. The absolutely best time to visit is
in February. There is usually a light dusting of snow, the sky is a pristine blue, and you
can walk for hours without running into other tourists. I have not been in a few years
and am hope my next trip is soon. The first time I went was on my 50th birthday and it
was the 100 year anniversary of the Park becoming a National Park. It was so cool.
My husband was nice enough to not tease me about the half century mark. They had
all kinds of festivities to celebrate, including a huge cake. I loved every minute of it.
Sharon Martin
*****
I have to give Mark credit for that one. He recognized them right away. We are big
Muir fans. We've been to the Muir woods north of SF and all the redwood parks up
there. Can't say we've been to Yosemite....We usually travel during the year while kids
are in school and stay home during those summer months. We were in Banff and
Jasper the first week of June. People up there told us we picked the perfect time. I'd
rather deal with the rain than millions of people. Dumb us though, we live 10 miles
from Rocky Mountain National Park and have a hard time entering the hwy from our
mountain road during the touristy months. Eating out is the same way. Sometimes I
want to yell "People go home!" but I do realize that their tax dollars keep the town
running, so I'm always polite. Plus, I'm a tourist once in a while. Gwen Upton
*****
I've visited Yosemite many times and have found that only the valley is crowded, but
then only during the summer. All you need to do is to go to the backcountry - either
backpack or dayhike. In thirty minutes, as soon as you get out of earshot of the
highway traffic you have the solitude and quiet that John Muir wrote about.
You don't really need to go on a multi-day backpack as I have. Start walking just after
breakfast and return at nightfall and you will see a days worth of beauty. You will find
that hiking a trail up a steep hill in the Yosemite backcountry might seem like work, but
the grand view you get from the top of any hill makes it worth it. George Wright
*****
I am a Californian so have visited Yosemite a number of times. I recognized it in the
pic. I thot John Muir was probably one of the people in the pic and as I looked more
carefully I thought I recognized TR. From there it was a simple matter to search the
two names and Yosemite all at once. I actually found a less clear copy of your photo
on the site that came up. Debi Stewart
*****
I hope to someday be able to visit Yosemite, the closest I have been to there is when
I rode with my husband in an 18 wheeler across from New York to Portland, Oregon
in 2000. He doesn't drive any big trucks more. So now it will be a planned trip. It is
defintely a shame the way progress has treated our natural landscape. Our people today
should take a page from history and keep the environment cleaner. Anyway, enough of
my soapbox. Have a great day, hope yours will be drier than ours here. Anna Farris
*****
I last saw Yosemite in July 1962 and it was breathtaking. Because of air pollution and
crowds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (just outside of Knoxville), there
is talk of banning cars and adding electric trams to tour the 11-mile Cades Cove loop
road. Love your website! I'll check back often. Diane Ricks Burkitt
*****
Yes, it's the same problem with Yellowstone, at times, but it's not so near major
population centers. I just returned from a trip to Europe and England and while I had a
good time, I was sad to see that everything beautiful and interesting, everywhere I went
was swamped with tourists, too, most of them Americans, it seems! Not like my first
trip 30 years ago when there were far fewer people and the people who were there (this
was the days of the hippie travelers with backpacks) seemed far more respectful of the
places they were seeing and the other people who were there to see it too! But that's
what happens when there are so many more of us, I guess. Take care... Paula Harris
helicopter and say that he viewed Yosemite. George Wright
*****
We were in Dunbar, Scotland in 1999 and saw John Muir's home! It's just small and if
I remember right is part of a row of houses. My husband's ancestors were captured in
1650 in Dunbar by Cromwell's forces. They were marched to a prison in Northern
England and eventually sent to the states as indentured servants. The Dunbar
community website has a nice piece on the history of the place and I wrote up a piece
for my website. It's very beautiful there. Sue Edminster
*****
Yes, I have been to Yosemite. Wilderness camping in the early eighties. Hard to
forget...It was beautiful - although I swear I might have slept better in one of the
"bearproof food lockers", than in a tent. It might be hard to go back now with the
crowds. Dave Doucette
*****
My paternal grandmother's family lived not far from John Muir's house which is
located on the outskirts of Martinez in Contra Costa County, California. It is quite
possible that they glimpsed him and his family on occasion. Mike Dalton
*****
Some great times there. Jack actually swam across the pond under Yosemite Falls.
The water was ICE cold! But he made it round trip. Son, Bob, chickened out about
1/2 way across! Jinny Collins
*****
Right now we have a cottage near Yosemite, and I can recommend the month of
October to visit. It is cooler, all the tourists are gone, so no long lines or traffic, and
you can walk in to the Ahwahnee and have lunch with no problem. We took my
husband's elderly parents up there last October, and there was even plenty of fall color.
I recommend it highly. Pat Thomas
*****
The picture was taken just about 100 miles from where I live - Yosemite National Park.
Sheri Fenley
*****
I am headed there in August and will look for that view. Judy Pfaff
*****
I have never been to Yosemite. I have only been to Calif. a couple of times.
Disneyland about 1972 and a couple of business trips to L.A. I grew up in a time when
trips were to visit grandparents. I never heard of a vacation where you did anything
else. Then marriage and raising 6 kids kept us busy and off the tourist circuit. Pete
and I have been to Arizona a couple of times in the last couple of years. So we are
starting to get around. But I would rather spend my time at the LDS Library in Salt
Lake than at Yosemite. I grew up in Idaho and have never even been to Yellowstone.
You can see what a sheltered life I have lived. LOL Alice Miles
*****
You are quite correct that Yosemite is bursting with tourists, especially in the summer
months. Most are visitors from Germany and Japan. The absolutely best time to visit is
in February. There is usually a light dusting of snow, the sky is a pristine blue, and you
can walk for hours without running into other tourists. I have not been in a few years
and am hope my next trip is soon. The first time I went was on my 50th birthday and it
was the 100 year anniversary of the Park becoming a National Park. It was so cool.
My husband was nice enough to not tease me about the half century mark. They had
all kinds of festivities to celebrate, including a huge cake. I loved every minute of it.
Sharon Martin
*****
I have to give Mark credit for that one. He recognized them right away. We are big
Muir fans. We've been to the Muir woods north of SF and all the redwood parks up
there. Can't say we've been to Yosemite....We usually travel during the year while kids
are in school and stay home during those summer months. We were in Banff and
Jasper the first week of June. People up there told us we picked the perfect time. I'd
rather deal with the rain than millions of people. Dumb us though, we live 10 miles
from Rocky Mountain National Park and have a hard time entering the hwy from our
mountain road during the touristy months. Eating out is the same way. Sometimes I
want to yell "People go home!" but I do realize that their tax dollars keep the town
running, so I'm always polite. Plus, I'm a tourist once in a while. Gwen Upton
*****
I've visited Yosemite many times and have found that only the valley is crowded, but
then only during the summer. All you need to do is to go to the backcountry - either
backpack or dayhike. In thirty minutes, as soon as you get out of earshot of the
highway traffic you have the solitude and quiet that John Muir wrote about.
You don't really need to go on a multi-day backpack as I have. Start walking just after
breakfast and return at nightfall and you will see a days worth of beauty. You will find
that hiking a trail up a steep hill in the Yosemite backcountry might seem like work, but
the grand view you get from the top of any hill makes it worth it. George Wright
*****
I am a Californian so have visited Yosemite a number of times. I recognized it in the
pic. I thot John Muir was probably one of the people in the pic and as I looked more
carefully I thought I recognized TR. From there it was a simple matter to search the
two names and Yosemite all at once. I actually found a less clear copy of your photo
on the site that came up. Debi Stewart
*****
I hope to someday be able to visit Yosemite, the closest I have been to there is when
I rode with my husband in an 18 wheeler across from New York to Portland, Oregon
in 2000. He doesn't drive any big trucks more. So now it will be a planned trip. It is
defintely a shame the way progress has treated our natural landscape. Our people today
should take a page from history and keep the environment cleaner. Anyway, enough of
my soapbox. Have a great day, hope yours will be drier than ours here. Anna Farris
*****
I last saw Yosemite in July 1962 and it was breathtaking. Because of air pollution and
crowds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (just outside of Knoxville), there
is talk of banning cars and adding electric trams to tour the 11-mile Cades Cove loop
road. Love your website! I'll check back often. Diane Ricks Burkitt
*****
Yes, it's the same problem with Yellowstone, at times, but it's not so near major
population centers. I just returned from a trip to Europe and England and while I had a
good time, I was sad to see that everything beautiful and interesting, everywhere I went
was swamped with tourists, too, most of them Americans, it seems! Not like my first
trip 30 years ago when there were far fewer people and the people who were there (this
was the days of the hippie travelers with backpacks) seemed far more respectful of the
places they were seeing and the other people who were there to see it too! But that's
what happens when there are so many more of us, I guess. Take care... Paula Harris
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Milene Rawlinson Debi Stewart Alice Miles Linda Dean Gwen and Mark Upton Dave Doucette George Wright Carol Haueter Sandy Thompson Anna Farris Diane Ricks Burkitt Pinky Palladino Evan Hindman Lisa Stahlberg Sue Edminster Wayne Douglas Jinny Collins Pat Thomas Sharon Martin Tom Pincince Paula Harris Brett Payne Phyllis Barattia Gary Sterne Dale Cheetham Dale Niesen Grace Smith Rick Mackinney Kelly Fetherlin Delores Martin Debbie Sterbinsky Tom Siegel Dorothy Oksner Patty Kaliher Bob McKenna Kristi Murdock Suzan Farris Mike Dalton Frank Nollette Bob Witherspoon Edee Scott Joel Amos Gordon Betty Ware Fred Stuart Ruth Govorchin Marjorie Wilser Dawn Carlile Emily Aulicino Sinika Garey Sheri Fenley Jim Kiser Grace Hertz Judy Pfaff Mark D. Brzys |
Yosemite is a national park located largely in
Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California,
United States. The park covers an area of
761,266 acres or 1,189 square miles (3,081 km²)
and reaches across the western slopes of the
Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Yosemite is visited
by over 3.5 million people each year, with most
visitors only seeing the seven square miles (18
km²) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World
Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally
recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs,
waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves,
and biological diversity. About 89% of the park is
designated wilderness. It was also the first park
set aside by the U.S. federal government.
Although not the first designated national park,
Yosemite was a focal point in the development of
the national park idea, largely owing to the work
of people like John Muir.
Yosemite is one of the largest and least
Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California,
United States. The park covers an area of
761,266 acres or 1,189 square miles (3,081 km²)
and reaches across the western slopes of the
Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Yosemite is visited
by over 3.5 million people each year, with most
visitors only seeing the seven square miles (18
km²) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World
Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally
recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs,
waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves,
and biological diversity. About 89% of the park is
designated wilderness. It was also the first park
set aside by the U.S. federal government.
Although not the first designated national park,
Yosemite was a focal point in the development of
the national park idea, largely owing to the work
of people like John Muir.
Yosemite is one of the largest and least
Gilrye. He was one of eight children: Margaret, Sarah, David, Daniel, Ann and Mary
(twins), and the American-born Joanna.. Until the age of eleven he attended the local
schools of that small coastal town. In 1849, the Muir family emigrated to the United
States, settling first at Fountain Lake and then moving to Hickory Hill Farm near
Portage, Wisconsin.
Muir's father was a harsh disciplinarian and worked his family from dawn to dusk.
Whenever they were allowed a short period away from the plow and hoe, Muir and his
younger brother would roam the fields and woods of the rich Wisconsin countryside.
John became more and more the loving observer of the natural word. He also became
an inventor, a carver of curious but practical mechanisms in wood. He made clocks
that kept accurate time and created a wondrous device that tipped him out of bed
before dawn.
In 1860, Muir took his inventions to the state fair at Madison, where he won admiration
and prizes. Also that year he entered the University of Wisconsin. He made fine grades,
(twins), and the American-born Joanna.. Until the age of eleven he attended the local
schools of that small coastal town. In 1849, the Muir family emigrated to the United
States, settling first at Fountain Lake and then moving to Hickory Hill Farm near
Portage, Wisconsin.
Muir's father was a harsh disciplinarian and worked his family from dawn to dusk.
Whenever they were allowed a short period away from the plow and hoe, Muir and his
younger brother would roam the fields and woods of the rich Wisconsin countryside.
John became more and more the loving observer of the natural word. He also became
an inventor, a carver of curious but practical mechanisms in wood. He made clocks
that kept accurate time and created a wondrous device that tipped him out of bed
before dawn.
In 1860, Muir took his inventions to the state fair at Madison, where he won admiration
and prizes. Also that year he entered the University of Wisconsin. He made fine grades,
| Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. -- John Muir |
 |  |  |  |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
| Quiz #119 Results |
 |  |  |  |
| Answer to Quiz #119 July 21, 2007 |
| ********** |
| Click here to see our reader's choice for Best Picture and the results of Survey #3, December 22, 2006. |
| ********** |
| See results of Survey #2 May 12-19, 2006 Click here. |
| See results of Survey #1 December 9-16, 2005 Click here. |
| Dead Horse Update Click HERE to read our analysis of the Dead Horse Picture from the Sheboygan Press. |
| Who are these famous Americans? Where was the picture taken? (You can have a hint if you need one.) |
| Thanks to Stan Read for suggesting this quiz. |
| Answers: Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States John Muir, Noted American Naturalist and Founder of the Sierra Club Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park |
| ********** |
| Comments from Our Readers |
| ********** |
John Muir - farmer, inventor, sheepherder, naturalist,
explorer, writer, and conservationist - was born on April
21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland to Daniel Muir and Ann
explorer, writer, and conservationist - was born on April
21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland to Daniel Muir and Ann
| John Burroughs and John Muir http://sierraclub.org/john_muir_... |
| John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt on Horseback in Yosemite, 1903 http://www.sjvls.org/photoheritage/... |
| John Muir by Edward Hughes, 1902 http://sierraclub.org/... |
| Yosemite National Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite |
| John Muir 1838-1914 |
but after three years left Madison to travel the
northern United States and Canada, odd-jobbing his
way through the yet unspoiled land.
In 1867, while working at a carriage parts shop in
Indianapolis, Muir suffered a blinding eye injury
that would change his life. When he regained his
sight one month later, Muir resolved to turn his
eyes to the fields and woods. There began his
years of wanderlust. He walked a thousand miles
from Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico. He had
planned to continue on to South America, but was
stricken by malaria and went to California instead.
He sailed to Cuba, and later to Panama, where he
crossed the Isthmus and sailed up the West Coast,
landing in San Francisco in March, 1868. From
that moment on, though he would travel around the
world, California became his home.
It was California's Sierra Nevada and Yosemite that
truly claimed him. In 1868, he walked across the
San Joaquin Valley through waist-high wildflowers
and into the high country for the first time. Later
northern United States and Canada, odd-jobbing his
way through the yet unspoiled land.
In 1867, while working at a carriage parts shop in
Indianapolis, Muir suffered a blinding eye injury
that would change his life. When he regained his
sight one month later, Muir resolved to turn his
eyes to the fields and woods. There began his
years of wanderlust. He walked a thousand miles
from Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico. He had
planned to continue on to South America, but was
stricken by malaria and went to California instead.
He sailed to Cuba, and later to Panama, where he
crossed the Isthmus and sailed up the West Coast,
landing in San Francisco in March, 1868. From
that moment on, though he would travel around the
world, California became his home.
It was California's Sierra Nevada and Yosemite that
truly claimed him. In 1868, he walked across the
San Joaquin Valley through waist-high wildflowers
and into the high country for the first time. Later
he would write: "Then it seemed to me the Sierra should be
called no the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of
Light...the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I
have ever seen."
After his initial eight-day visit, he returned to the Sierra
foothills and became a ferry operator, sheepherder and
bronco buster. In May 1869 a rancher named Pat Delaney
offered Muir a summer job in the mountains to accompany
and watch over Delaney's sheep and sheepherder. Muir
enthusiastically accepted the offer and spent that summer
with the sheep in the Yosemite area. That summer Muir
climbed Cathedral Peak, Mount Dana and hiked the old
Indian trail down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake. During this
time, he started to create theories about how the area was
called no the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of
Light...the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I
have ever seen."
After his initial eight-day visit, he returned to the Sierra
foothills and became a ferry operator, sheepherder and
bronco buster. In May 1869 a rancher named Pat Delaney
offered Muir a summer job in the mountains to accompany
and watch over Delaney's sheep and sheepherder. Muir
enthusiastically accepted the offer and spent that summer
with the sheep in the Yosemite area. That summer Muir
climbed Cathedral Peak, Mount Dana and hiked the old
Indian trail down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake. During this
time, he started to create theories about how the area was
developed and how its ecosystem functioned.
Now more enthusiastic about the area than before, Muir secured a job operating a
sawmill in the Yosemite Valley under the supervision of innkeeper James Hutchings. A
natural born inventor, Muir designed a water-powered mill to cut wind-felled trees and
he built a small cabin for himself along Yosemite Creek.
By 1871 he had found living glaciers in he Sierra and had conceived his controversial
Now more enthusiastic about the area than before, Muir secured a job operating a
sawmill in the Yosemite Valley under the supervision of innkeeper James Hutchings. A
natural born inventor, Muir designed a water-powered mill to cut wind-felled trees and
he built a small cabin for himself along Yosemite Creek.
By 1871 he had found living glaciers in he Sierra and had conceived his controversial
Roosevelt. In 1903 Roosevelt accompanied Muir
on a visit to the park. Muir joined Roosevelt in
Oakland, California for the train trip to Raymond.
The presidential entourage then traveled by
stagecoach into the park. While traveling to the
park, Muir told the president about state
mismanagement of the valley and rampant
exploitation of the valley's resources. Even before
they entered the park, he was able to convince
Roosevelt that the best way to protect the valley
was through federal control and management.
After entering the park and seeing the magnificent
splendor of the valley, the president asked Muir to
show him the real Yosemite. Muir and Roosevelt
set off largely by themselves and camped in the
backcountry. While circling around a fire, the duo
talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open air
and were dusted by a fresh snowfall in the
morning - a night Roosevelt never would forget.
Muir then increased efforts by the Sierra Club to
consolidate park management and was rewarded
in 1905 when Congress transferred the Mariposa
Grove and Yosemite Valley into the park. His wife
Louisa died on 6 August 1905.
Muir and the Sierra Club fought many battles to
protect Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada, the most
dramatic being the campaign to prevent the
damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley within
Yosemite National Park. Pressure was mounting
to dam the Tuolumne River. In 1913, after years
of effort, the battle was lost and the valley that
Muir likened to Yosemite itself was doomed to
become a reservoir to supply the water needs of a
growing San Francisco. The following year on
December 24, 1914 Muir died of pneumonia in a
Los Angeles hospital after visiting his daughter
Wanda. Some say he died of a broken heart.
John Muir was perhaps this country's most
famous and influential naturalist and
conservationist. He taught the people of his time
and ours the importance of experiencing and
protecting our natural heritage. His words have
on a visit to the park. Muir joined Roosevelt in
Oakland, California for the train trip to Raymond.
The presidential entourage then traveled by
stagecoach into the park. While traveling to the
park, Muir told the president about state
mismanagement of the valley and rampant
exploitation of the valley's resources. Even before
they entered the park, he was able to convince
Roosevelt that the best way to protect the valley
was through federal control and management.
After entering the park and seeing the magnificent
splendor of the valley, the president asked Muir to
show him the real Yosemite. Muir and Roosevelt
set off largely by themselves and camped in the
backcountry. While circling around a fire, the duo
talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open air
and were dusted by a fresh snowfall in the
morning - a night Roosevelt never would forget.
Muir then increased efforts by the Sierra Club to
consolidate park management and was rewarded
in 1905 when Congress transferred the Mariposa
Grove and Yosemite Valley into the park. His wife
Louisa died on 6 August 1905.
Muir and the Sierra Club fought many battles to
protect Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada, the most
dramatic being the campaign to prevent the
damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley within
Yosemite National Park. Pressure was mounting
to dam the Tuolumne River. In 1913, after years
of effort, the battle was lost and the valley that
Muir likened to Yosemite itself was doomed to
become a reservoir to supply the water needs of a
growing San Francisco. The following year on
December 24, 1914 Muir died of pneumonia in a
Los Angeles hospital after visiting his daughter
Wanda. Some say he died of a broken heart.
John Muir was perhaps this country's most
famous and influential naturalist and
conservationist. He taught the people of his time
and ours the importance of experiencing and
protecting our natural heritage. His words have
theory of the glaciation of Yosemite Valley. He
began to be known throughout the country.
Famous men of the time - Joseph LeConte, Asa
Gray and Ralph Waldo Emerson - made their way
to the door of his pine cabin.
Beginning in 1874, a series of articles by Muir
entitled "Studies in the Sierra" launched his
successful career as a writer. He left the mountains
and lived for awhile in Oakland, California. From
there he took many trips, including his first to
Alaska in 1879, where he discovered Glacier Bay.
began to be known throughout the country.
Famous men of the time - Joseph LeConte, Asa
Gray and Ralph Waldo Emerson - made their way
to the door of his pine cabin.
Beginning in 1874, a series of articles by Muir
entitled "Studies in the Sierra" launched his
successful career as a writer. He left the mountains
and lived for awhile in Oakland, California. From
there he took many trips, including his first to
Alaska in 1879, where he discovered Glacier Bay.
| Yosemite Falls http://www.astronomynotes.com/nature/yos12.htm |
| Yosemite Valley http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/50527.htm |
| Bridal Veil Falls Yosemite National Park Link Here |
In 1880, he married Louisa Wanda Strentzel and moved to
Martinez, California, where they raised their two daughters,
Wanda and Helen. For the next ten years he devoted
himself to managing the family ranch, consisting of 2600
acres of orchards and vineyards which became very
successful. (When he died he left an estate of $250,000,
worth more than $4 million dollars in 2005 terms
(Worster). Their house and part of the ranch are now a
National Historical Site.)
But ten years of active ranching did not quell Muir's
wanderlust. His travels took him to Alaska many more
times, to Australia, South America, Africa, Europe, China,
Japan, and of course, again and again to his beloved Sierra
Nevada. .
In later years he turned more seriously to writing,
publishing 300 articles and 10 major books that recounted
his travels, expounded his naturalist philosophy, and
beckoned everyone to "Climb the mountains and get their
good tidings." Muir's love of the high country gave his
writings a spiritual quality. His readers, whether they be
presidents, congressmen, or plain folks, were inspired and
often moved to action by the enthusiasm of Muir's own
unbounded love of nature.
Through a series of articles appearing in Century magazine,
Muir drew attention to the devastation of mountain
meadows and forests by sheep and cattle. With the help of
Century's associate editor, Robert Underwood Johnson,
Muir worked to remedy this destruction. In 1890, due in
large part to the efforts of Muir and Johnson, an act of
Congress created Yosemite National Park. Muir was also
personally involved in the creation of Sequoia, Mount
Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon national parks.
Muir deservedly is often called the "Father of Our National
Park System".
Johnson and others suggested to Muir that an association
be formed to protect the newly created Yosemite National
Park from the assaults of stockmen and others who would
diminish its boundaries. In 1892, Muir and a number of his
supporters founded the Sierra Club to, in Muir's words,
"do something for wildness and make the mountains glad."
Muir served as the Club's president until his death in 1914.
In 1901, Muir published Our National Parks , the book that
brought him to the attention of President Theodore
Martinez, California, where they raised their two daughters,
Wanda and Helen. For the next ten years he devoted
himself to managing the family ranch, consisting of 2600
acres of orchards and vineyards which became very
successful. (When he died he left an estate of $250,000,
worth more than $4 million dollars in 2005 terms
(Worster). Their house and part of the ranch are now a
National Historical Site.)
But ten years of active ranching did not quell Muir's
wanderlust. His travels took him to Alaska many more
times, to Australia, South America, Africa, Europe, China,
Japan, and of course, again and again to his beloved Sierra
Nevada. .
In later years he turned more seriously to writing,
publishing 300 articles and 10 major books that recounted
his travels, expounded his naturalist philosophy, and
beckoned everyone to "Climb the mountains and get their
good tidings." Muir's love of the high country gave his
writings a spiritual quality. His readers, whether they be
presidents, congressmen, or plain folks, were inspired and
often moved to action by the enthusiasm of Muir's own
unbounded love of nature.
Through a series of articles appearing in Century magazine,
Muir drew attention to the devastation of mountain
meadows and forests by sheep and cattle. With the help of
Century's associate editor, Robert Underwood Johnson,
Muir worked to remedy this destruction. In 1890, due in
large part to the efforts of Muir and Johnson, an act of
Congress created Yosemite National Park. Muir was also
personally involved in the creation of Sequoia, Mount
Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon national parks.
Muir deservedly is often called the "Father of Our National
Park System".
Johnson and others suggested to Muir that an association
be formed to protect the newly created Yosemite National
Park from the assaults of stockmen and others who would
diminish its boundaries. In 1892, Muir and a number of his
supporters founded the Sierra Club to, in Muir's words,
"do something for wildness and make the mountains glad."
Muir served as the Club's president until his death in 1914.
In 1901, Muir published Our National Parks , the book that
brought him to the attention of President Theodore
| Half Dome Yosemite National Park Link Here |
| Lower Cathedral Lake Yosemite National Park Link Here |
| Tuolumne Meadows from Lambert Dome Yosemite National Park Link Here |
| Merced River Yosemite National Park Link Here |
heightened our perception of nature. His personal and determined involvement in the
great conservation questions of the day was and remains an inspiration for
environmental activists everywhere.
See http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir
great conservation questions of the day was and remains an inspiration for
environmental activists everywhere.
See http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir
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| Yosemite National Park Panorama from Glacier Point This is the view Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir had from their location in this week's quiz photo. |
| Yosemite National Park Map http://www.leavenotrace.com/yose_map.html |
fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of
plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet (600 to
4,000 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower
montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species,
about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is
suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare
local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of
these plants occupy.
The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of
older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to
form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The
uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep,
narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming
glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness
in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet (1200 m) during the early glacial
episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped
valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.
plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet (600 to
4,000 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak woodland, lower
montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species,
about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is
suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare
local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of
these plants occupy.
The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of
older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to
form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The
uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep,
narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming
glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness
in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet (1200 m) during the early glacial
episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped
valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.
| Location of Yosemite National Park http://maps.google.com/maps |
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| Photo on sale on eBay Auction ended July 30, 2007 |
There can be nothing in the world more
beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the
giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the
Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the
Three Tetons; and our people should see to it
that they are preserved for their children and
their children's children forever, with their
majestic beauty all unmarred.
Theodore Roosevelt
beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the
giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the
Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the
Three Tetons; and our people should see to it
that they are preserved for their children and
their children's children forever, with their
majestic beauty all unmarred.
Theodore Roosevelt
| Brett Payne Offers His Solution to the Puzzle |
First, I recognised the waterfall as being in Yellowstone NP.
Then, I thought I recognised Teddy Roosevelt in the photo, and
remembered his onnetion with the park, so I searched for
Roosevelt and Yellowstone on Google images. One of the
images I came up with was this:
http://www.catskillarchive.com/jb/bm-17b.htm of "John
Burroughs with Theodore Roosevelt in Yellowstone." I also
found a similar image to the competition photo on this site about
Roosevelt:
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biopictures.htm which
confirms Roosevelt's identity, and states that it was taken c.
1905.
The man in your photo, however, does not have a
white beard, and it is not quite as full as that of John
Burroughs. If you look at the image above the one
mentioned above, it shows a group of people at the
base of a California Redwood, and is captioned "Here
we find President Theodore Roosevelt with naturalist
John Muir at Yosemite in 1903." The man next to
Roosevelt looks very similar to the other man in your
photo, and I wondered, therefore, if he was John
Muir? I did another Google Images search for
"Roosevelt Muir Yosemite" and, hey presto - there they
were!
Then, I thought I recognised Teddy Roosevelt in the photo, and
remembered his onnetion with the park, so I searched for
Roosevelt and Yellowstone on Google images. One of the
images I came up with was this:
http://www.catskillarchive.com/jb/bm-17b.htm of "John
Burroughs with Theodore Roosevelt in Yellowstone." I also
found a similar image to the competition photo on this site about
Roosevelt:
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biopictures.htm which
confirms Roosevelt's identity, and states that it was taken c.
1905.
The man in your photo, however, does not have a
white beard, and it is not quite as full as that of John
Burroughs. If you look at the image above the one
mentioned above, it shows a group of people at the
base of a California Redwood, and is captioned "Here
we find President Theodore Roosevelt with naturalist
John Muir at Yosemite in 1903." The man next to
Roosevelt looks very similar to the other man in your
photo, and I wondered, therefore, if he was John
Muir? I did another Google Images search for
"Roosevelt Muir Yosemite" and, hey presto - there they
were!
There are numberous instances of the picture around the web, but the one acessible on
this page seems the best quality:
http://www2.umt.edu/ethics/courses/wilderness_aesthetics.html
Another easy one, thank you. Regards and best wishes, Brett
this page seems the best quality:
http://www2.umt.edu/ethics/courses/wilderness_aesthetics.html
Another easy one, thank you. Regards and best wishes, Brett
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| A stereoview of this week's quiz photo. Link |
