Creator

John Muir

Preview

image preview

Circa Date

circa 1887

Transcription

110

concealed were decorated with majestic colored clouds like those already described but more complicated to correspond with the cluster of peaks which hold the snow & ice fountains of these three important rivers. The Grand Sierra Cathedral to the south from our camp was overshadowed like Sinai. Never before have I noticed so fine a union of rock & cloud in form & color & substance drawing earth & sky together as one, & so human is it all every feature [shape] & tint of color goes to ones [our] heart & we shout “well done” as if we had an interest in all [every particle of] the [grand heavenly] divine show. [More & more I feel myself a natural portion [of] this wild mountain nature & the thought of going (away down) to the lowlands disturbs me.]

Leaving Mr. Delaney with [to guard] the sheep I set out on a [long] fine free wild [free] walk up & along the north rim [wall] of the Tuolumne basin making my way through the forests of the two leaved [pinus contorta growing on a broad bed of moraine soil I] climbing[ed] the slopes leading up to the fountain peaks commanding broad general views of all the upper basin [from which I enjoyed splendid decorated passages of mingled earth & sky blended together in sunshine full of hope & peace]. Here & there as I plodded farther & higher I came to beautiful [little] small garden[s] patches & fernivies just where one would naturally decide that no (delicate) plant creature

111

[sketch removed]

could possibly live. But as in the [sign or] region about the head of Mono Pass & the top of Dana, it was in the wildest highest places [in the very homes & breeding places of storms] that the most beautiful & tender plant people were found. The Artic daisies, golden hulsea & the blue alpine polimorinum like enthusiastic mountains seemed to [bloom & rejoice and] shout fairly for joy [the beauty & love of Nature] louder & louder the higher up the cliffs [mountains] they wandered [went. Again & again as I looked at & lingered over these lovely plants I said “how came you here” how [live] through the winter their roots reach far down the joints of the rocks & beneath ten feet of snow killing frosts cannot reach them while they sleep in the dark 6 or 8 months of the year & in summer the rocks absorb & [reverberate] the sun heat [“What are you doing here”] [This is the high cold region of ice & snow & rocks – the fountain head of rivers & storms & they seemed to say Yes Yes it is high & cold here & the snow falls deep & slips in avalanches & the clouds]

Date Occurred

1869

Resource Identifier

MuirReel31 Notebook 009 Img048.jpg

Contributing Institution

Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Rights Management

To view additional information on copyright and related rights of this item, such as to purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish them, click here to view the Holt-Atherton Special Collections policies.

Share

 
COinS