John Muir and Me: Part Two

Retracing Muir’s footsteps in Yosemite and drawing inspiration from nature

As the sun begins its descent, the towering 3,000-foot granite face of El Capitan is bathed in a soft pink glow. Drawing by Bill Russell

I am fascinated by the life and legacy of John Muir (1838–1914), the renowned writer, environmentalist, and advocate for the National Parks. He managed to blend the roles of explorer, scientist, writer, artist, and activist in his lifelong dedication to nature. His creative and insightful approach to life is something I aspire to emulate. BTW, my previous post about John Muir is here.

I also feel a personal connection to him, as he lived in Canada beginning in 1864, seeking refuge from the American Civil War and the draft. During these formative years in southern Ontario, he made botanical discoveries and explored many of the same trails I traveled in my youth…linking my own experiences to his journey of discovery.

Storm Beaten Trees in Fruit by John Muir

Muir not only wrote extensively in his journals about Yosemite before it was a National Park, but made sketches of its magnificent landscapes. He wanted his art and poetic descriptions to convey the beauty of the park, in places like Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Glacier Point and Cathedral Peak. It shows us his deep connection with nature, that ultimately nurtured his conservation efforts.

"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." - John Muir

I recently came across John Muir's Grand Yosemite: Musings & Sketches by Mike Wurtz, Head of Special Collections and Archives¹ at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. This remarkable book features twenty-five of Muir's sketches, accompanied by his journal entries and precise directions to the locations where he made the sketches. It offers people the opportunity to visit, experience and even draw the same views Muir saw of towering mountains, cascading waterfalls and majestic redwoods. On a recent trip I was only able to get close to one John Muir location. See my drawing (below) of the re-constructed Miwok Village of Ahwahnee that sits beneath Lower Yosemite Falls. Muir describes the falls as 'a broad arc of foam bow’.

Here are a few of Muir’s sketches from Yosemite, alongside a selection of my own watercolors…an homage to both the park's beauty and Muir’s legacy. I hope they reflect my personal connection to this remarkable landscape and the visionary who fought to protect it.

On May 28, 1892, John Muir established the Sierra Club, an organization dedicated to environmental preservation. As its first president, he guided its mission until his passing in 1914.

White Oak Trees, Sierra Foothills, near Rock River Ranch by John Muir

The Ceremonial Roundhouse in the re-constructed Miwok Village of Ahwahnee sits beneath Lower Yosemite Falls.

Mt. McClure, Mt. Lyell and The Highest Yosemite Fountain by John Muir

You get a better view of the Merced River as it churns into Yosemite Valley by going up past the Happy Isles Art and Nature Center. Most everyone is on the other side trudging up the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls.

John Muir spent his later years writing books at his house in Martinez, California. Here is a drawing I made of his study.

In 1903, John Muir led President Theodore Roosevelt on a three-day wilderness trip through Yosemite, while advocating for the protection and preservation of these natural areas. This meeting helped shape Roosevelt’s broader conservation efforts, leading to the creation of five national parks, 18 national monuments, 55 wildlife refuges, and 150 national forests during his presidency.

all John Muir images courtesy Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library, Stockton, California

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Books to Consider:

• In The Story of My Boyhood and Youth John Muir describes his early life, from his birth in Scotland until he leaves the University of Wisconsin in 1863.

• A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf is John Muir’s last and probably most famous book.

• My Summer of Glorious Freedom by Robert Burcher chronicles the two years John Muir spent traveling around southern Ontario.

1. A few years ago I visited the John Muir Collection at the University of the Pacific and Librarian Mike Wurtz was gracious enough to show me a few of Muir's original journals.