Inaugural thread…John Muir

[jscott]

By complete accident I have the privilege of submitting the initial post to this forum. Thanks to bpl for providing it! John Muir had sketchy equipment at best. He didn't care about setting speed records. He did however observe nature and geology with an acute eye. People often think of him as primarily a poet of wilderness, forgetting his deeply scientific mindset. After all, he 'solved' the mystery of glaciation in the Sierra despite opposition from academic geologists. But he also loved wind, water, birds and peaks. So here's to Muir! a great stylist to boot.

[Kattt]

Wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Anonymous]

" But he also loved wind, water, birds and peaks.: Indeed. This aspect of his contributions to knowledge of the Sierra is often overlooked. His knowledge of birds, among the many animals native to the Sierra, was extensive, and I was delighted to find out that he and I share an abiding love of the Ouzel in particular. I adapted it as my avatar and he wrote probably the most detailed, perceptive monograph available on this reclusive, iconic denizen of High Sierra streams. Both of us have spent a lot of time observing this delightful, eccentric little critter, although I readily cede primacy to him in this regard as well. Below is a link to his monograph, should anyone like to know more about the Ouzel. http://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/the_mountains_of_california/chapter_13.aspx

[Ralph Burgess]

This all seems a bit rushed. I mean, just because the plants grow alongside the trail and the birds fly overhead, it seems like a bit of a fringe interest for a forum about backpacking. Some of just like to hike along as fast as we possibly can, and ignore everything that's around us. Will we have a voice, or will this just be a one-sided subforum dominated by obsessive nature lovers? Ok, I'll stop channeling Tipi. This is great, thanks Roger! And an excuse to post my favorite John Muir Quote – "The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning."

[Ken Thompson]

Thanks powers that be. Muir just got a new pathway in Scotland http://johnmuirway.org

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