Creator
Wanda [Muir]
Recipient
[John Muir]
Transcription
[1]
Berkeley
July 21 '03
Typed
Dear Papa
Helen and I are both down here in Berkeley now, trying to get used to summer school and wishing we were still in the mountains where we had such a glorious time [illegible] little while ago. Our trip was a grand success in everyway. We went wherever we wanted to, whenever and however we pleased and enjoyed every minute we were up there, yet had no terribly exciting adventures did not get lost, frozen or even very tired in spite of the fact that there was no "head" or "guide" to our
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party, but all came back feeling well and strong and happy and wishing we could have stayed there longer. We went first to Crockers, stayed a few days in the fine [illegible] fine woods there and then went to Hetch Hetchy where we stayed ten days We were the first people in there this season so we had the whole beautiful valley to ourselves while it was just at its best There was one delightful snow storm while we were there and two fine roaring thunder storms
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but the rest of the time the weather was warm and springlike. There was a great deal of water in the falls and the lower part of the valley was still overflowed but where we camped [illegible] some California Oaks it was quilt dry and there were hundreds of lovely little flowers around us everywhere. Many of them I had never seen before We also went up into [illegible]lltill Valley, a very little way into the Tuolumne Canyon and over into Poo[illegible]ant Valley. The packer that we had expected to have go
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with us into Hetch Hetchy, backed out at the last minute but we got along alright for Robert Anderson and Isoon became quite expert packers and we were rather glad not to be bothered by having [a stranger?] around camp. Two of the pack horses bolted on the way into Hetch Hetchy and we had an extremely lively seven mile chase after them but finally caught them in an old sheep coral and after that we had no further trouble with them. They were all good strong horses and though we did our own packing and
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rode them over logs and rough trails they were all in better condition at the end of the trip than when we got them The cooking was mostly fun for the party was not [illegible] enough to make it much work and every one helped. We all got so we could make very good bread (your way) and once we made a fine cake in the frying pan out of flour, water, sugar raisins and fine nuts.
After Hetch Hetchy five of us made a hurried trip to the Tuolumne meadows
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which I think Helen told you about in one of her letters. It was very cold snowy and sh[illegible]hy up there and we didn't have much to eat but every thing looked so wonderful, all [illegible] and we had such glorious old camp fires in the marveous clear, frosty nights that I enjoyed that part the most of the whole trip. After we came back from the meadows we stayed three days at Crockers and then went to Yosemite where we stayed for ten days. There was a
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tremendous crowd of people in the valley but we had a fine camp under the Royal Arches and I was very glad to be in the Valley long enough to see more of [it then?] I did when I was there before. We went over nearly all the trails and also took some grand one and two day trips where there were no trails. We did not go very far around the rim of the Valley because the rest of the trip took rather longer than we expected it would and the rest of the party wanted to spend
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most of the time there was left, in the valley and on the trails but we went around the top from Nevada Falls to Glacier Point and camped one night near the top of Eagle Peak and [illegible] sun set and sun rise. Perhaps some other time I will have a chance to go all the way around the rim. The Santa Fe people treated us beautifully both going in and coming out. We had remarkably good teams and comfortable stages and they took us all the way in to Crockers I don't like summer
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school at all. It is hard notorious work and Berkeley seems dreadfully dull and lonesome with out college and the college people, but it only lasts three weeks longer and [illegible] I can survive till then. Helen is only doing a little work and as every thing is new to her down here she rather enjoys it.
Mama is pretty well most of the time but says it seems awfully lonesome at home when you are so far away and we are down here in Berkeley
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so much of the time.
Aunt Margaret has been dreadfully sick with the grip but is now much better and able to be up a little while every day. I hope she [will?] soon be as well as usual again. She longs to hear from you often so we always take your letters over for her to read and they are a great comfort to her
What a fine trip you must be having and how many things you have already seen. I wish I were with you
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It is getting very late and I have a lot of physics and "trig" to study before I go to bed so good night
Your loving daughter
Wanda
Gamma Phi Beta House
[illegible] [Charming?] Way
09190
Location
Berkeley [Calif.]
Circa Date
[1903] Jul 21
Source
Original letter dimensions: 21 x 12.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, Wanda, "Letter from Wanda [Muir] to [John Muir], [1903] Jul 21." (1903). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 2673.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/2673
Resource Identifier
muir13_0720-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 13, Image 0720
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
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
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.
Pages
6 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
