Creator
[John Muir]
Recipient
[Jeanne C.] Carr
Transcription
Camp on South Fork San Joaquin [1] [1873] Near divide of San Joaq’ & Kings River Sep 27th? - ———————————
Dear Mrs Carr We have been out nearly two weeks. Clark is going to leave us, told me five minutes ago, an a little nervous about it, but will of course push on alone We came out through the Mariposa grove around the head of the [illegible] Joaquin across the canon of the North Fork of San Joaq’. – then across the Can. of [Middle Fork?] of San Joaq’ & up E side of the South Fork one days journey. then picked our wild way across the Can’ of the South Fork & came up one days journey on the West Side of the Canon where we made a Camp, for four days. I was anxious to see the head fountains of this river - & started alone Clark not feeling able to bear the fatigues [involved?] in such a trip. I set out without blankets for a hard climb followed the Joaquin to its [underlined: glaciers], & climbed the highest mtn I could find at its head wh was either Mt Humphreys or the Mtn next S. This as a noble mtn. considerably higher than any I have before ascended. The map of the geological survey give no detail of this wild region I was gone from camp four days & discovered 15 glaciers, & Yosemite Valleys “many O” The view from that glorious mtn 13,300 ft high? is not to be attempted here. [San?] over into O[illegible] River
[2]
Valley & all across among the fountains of Kings River. I got back to Camp last evening This morning after breakfast Clark said that he ought to be at home attending to business & could not feel justified in being away & therefore had made up his mind to leave us - going home by way of the Valley of the main Joaquin. We will push over to the Kings River region & attempt to go down between the middle & North Forks, thence into the Canon of the South Fork & over the range to Owens Valley & South to Mt Whitney if the weather holds steady, then for Tahoe etc As we are groping through unexplored regions our plans may be considerably modified. I feel a little anxious about the lateness of the season. We may be at Tahoe in three or four weeks. We had a rough time crossing the Mid Fork of the Joaq’. Browny rolled down over the rocks not side wise but end over end. One of the mules rolled boulder like in a yet more irregular fashion. Billy went forth to sketch while I was among the glaciers & got lost, was 36 hours without food
I have named a grand [underlined: wide winged] mountain – on the head of the Joaquin Mt Emerson Its head is high above its fellows, & wings are white with ice & snow
This is a dear bonnie morning, the sun rays
00672
[3]
lovingly to His precious mtn pines. The brown meadows are nightly frosted browner & the yellow aspens are losing their leaves I wish I could write to you, but hard work near & far presses heavily & I cannot Nature makes huge demands yet pays a thousand thousand fold. As in all the mtns I have seen about the head of Merced & Tuolumne. This region is a song of God On my way home yesterday afternoon I gathered you these orange leaves from a grove of one of the San Joaquin Yosemites, little thought I that you would receive them so soon Remember me to the Doctor & the boys & to Mrs & Mr Moore & Keith Farewell ———
Dr Kellogg wishes to be kindly remembered
Location
…San Joaquin, near divide of San Joaq and Kings River
Circa Date
[1873] Sep 27
Source
Original letter dimensions: 25 x 39 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from [John Muir] to [Jeanne C.] Carr, [1873] Sep 27." (1873). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1539.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1539
Resource Identifier
muir02_1191-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 02, Image 1191
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
Owning Institution
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
3 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
