John Muir

Born in Scotland, John Muir (1838–1914) immigrated to the United States in 1849, making his way from Wisconsin to California by 1868. Enthralled by the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada, Muir hiked throughout the range and left his indelible mark on the region, in part by founding the Sierra Club and fighting to make Yosemite a national park. He would also battle (although unsuccessfully) against the damming of Hetch Hetchy Valley, located within the park’s boundaries.

Muir’s writings are unique among the journals of the nineteenth-century American West because--unlike narratives that emphasized “getting there” and triumphing over physical hardship--Muir celebrated what he called the “spiritual affinities” of the natural experience. Mountains were not obstacles to overcome, but cathedrals. Storms were not terrifying occurrences, but delightful evidence of a supernatural plan.

Play the selection

“The Range of Light”

Read by Robert Hanna, great-great-grandson of John Muir

 

Play the selection

“Climb the Mountains”

Read by Robert Hanna, great-great-grandson of John Muir

 

Play the selection

“Dam Hetch Hetchy!”

Read by Joe Medeiros, Professor of Biological Sciences Emeritus, Sierra College Recorded at a live performance – November 2, 2010