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[at-l] John Muir Speaks - Part I

I=92m just back from a nice three day, 35 mile trip on the Florida Trail,=
 with=0Atired feet and muscles but with a new mental vigor and outlook.  =
The section I=0Ahiked in was characterized by extremes, beautiful wooded =
trails along lazy=0AEtonia Creek as well as obliterated trails through cl=
ear-cut scars in the=0Alandscape.  The contrast provided me with the impe=
tus to research and expound=0Aupon the current polarity in position betwe=
en those like Wingfoot who see in=0Athe AT something to cherish and other=
s who seem to espouse the view that=0Abecause we are taxpayers and tax mo=
ney was used to plan, build and maintain=0Athe trail, the trail is simply=
 a playground with a view for those who need a=0Avacation from their voca=
tion.

This is a lengthy post, most likely due to the inspiration my weekend tre=
k=0Aafforded me, so delete or read on at your discretion.

Does everyone feel that special affinity with nature?  Should we despise =
those=0Awho take from the woods a richer spiritual legacy (perfectly acce=
ptable by LNT=0Astandards) than ourselves, or should we respect them and =
study their stories=0Athat we may be enriched by their inspirations?  Wit=
h regard to Wingfoot, I=0Awould direct the reader to watch the story he t=
ells about the =93touchstone=94 on=0Athe =93Trail Magic=94 video.  As I w=
atched it, I knew that he had developed a=0Adeeper understanding of natur=
e -- and himself -- due to his thru-hiking=0Aexperiences.  Did I despise =
him for his insight?  No, just the opposite; here=0Ais a veteran with exp=
erience that is willing to share with me the secrets he=0Ahas learned and=
 hopes that I can find my own meaning and fulfillment on the=0ATrail.  Wh=
y so many ruffled feathers?  Must we always covet another man=92s=0Ariche=
s!  Yet the riddle is that he gives them to us freely and gets still=0Ari=
cher in the bargain.  And we, who shove aside the offerings in anger stum=
ble=0Aaway from that which our enfeebled vision prevents us from seeing.

John Muir spoke eloquently about the =93sacredness=94 of nature and perha=
ps=0Abecause he has achieved greatness that none on this list can erase o=
r=0Abesmirch, it might be easier to advance my argument with his words ra=
ther than=0Amy own, or even Wingfoot=92s. 

I=92ll begin with a quote from the online journal of Magaroni dated March=
 31,=0A1998, written at Cherry Gap Shelter:

=93All our night time conversations bring up the topic of food at least o=
nce!=0ABeer is also a popular topic of conversation, or lack of I should =
say. Thoreau=0Aand Muir we ain't.=94

Since Magaroni seems to indicate that Thoreau and Muir possessed some spe=
cial=0Ainsight into the meaning of nature, let that be our introduction t=
o a journal=0Aentry dated July 24, 1869, by John Muir at the age of 30 or=
 31:

[To set the scene, Muir has accompanied a sheepherder named Billy onto th=
e=0Asummer mountain pastures of the Yosemite Valley with a large flock of=
 sheep.=0AThis trip is Muir=92s first close exposure to the High Sierras =
on a trip which=0Abegan seven weeks earlier.]

----
Clouds at noon occupying about half the sky gave half an hour of heavy ra=
in to=0Awash one of the cleanest landscapes in the world. How well it is =
washed! The=0Asea is hardly less dusty than the ice-burnished pavements a=
nd ridges, domes=0Aand canyons, and summit peaks plashed with snow like w=
aves with foam. How=0Afresh the woods are and calm after the last films o=
f clouds have been wiped=0Afrom the sky! A few minutes ago every tree was=
 excited, bowing to the roaring=0Astorm, waving, swirling, tossing their =
branches in glorious enthusiasm like=0Aworship. But though to the outer e=
ar these trees are now silent, their songs=0Anever cease. Every hidden ce=
ll is throbbing with music and life, every fiber=0Athrilling like harp st=
rings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam=0Abells and leaves. =
No wonder the hills and groves were God=92s first temples, and=0Athe more=
 they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther=0Ao=
ff and dimmer seems the Lord himself. The same may be said of stone templ=
es.=0AYonder, to the eastward of our camp grove, stands one of Nature=92s=
 cathedrals,=0Ahewn from living rock, almost conventional in form, about =
two thousand feet=0Ahigh, nobly adorned with spires and pinnacles, thrill=
ing under floods of=0Asunshine as if alive like a grove-temple and well n=
amed =93Cathedral Peak.=94 Even=0AShepherd Billy turns at times to this w=
onderful mountain building, though=0Aapparently deaf to all stone sermons=
. Snow that refused to melt in fire would=0Ahardly be more wonderful than=
 unchanging dullness in the rays of God=92s beauty.=0AI have been trying =
to get him to walk to the brink of Yosemite for a view,=0Aoffering to wat=
ch the sheep for a day, while he should enjoy what tourists=0Acome from a=
ll over the world to see. But though within a mile of that famous=0Avalle=
y, he will not go to it even out of mere curiosity. =93What,=94 says he, =
=93is=0AYosemite but a canyon--a lot of rocks--a hole in the ground--a pl=
ace dangerous=0Aabout falling into--a damned good place to keep away from=
.=94 =93But think of the=0Awaterfalls, Billy--just think of that big stre=
am we crossed the other day,=0Afalling half a mile through the air--think=
 of that, and the sound it makes.=0AYou can hear it now like the roar of =
the sea.=94 Thus I pressed Yosemite upon=0Ahim like a missionary offering=
 the gospel, but he would have none of it. =93I=0Ashould be afraid to loo=
k over so high a wall,=94 he said. =93It would make my head=0Aswim. There=
 is nothing worth seeing anywhere, only rocks, and I see plenty of=0Athem=
 here. Tourists that spend their money to see rocks and falls are fools,=
=0Athat=92s all. You can=92t humbug me. I=92ve been in this country too l=
ong for that.=94=0ASuch souls, I suppose, are asleep, or smothered and be=
fogged beneath mean=0Apleasures and cares.
----

Had Billy any proficiency with the turn of a phrase, perhaps he could hav=
e=0Asaid, =93Hike your own hike, John Muir, and leave me be!=94  Since I =
am not sure=0Awhether I am getting close to any file size limits, I will =
break here,  and=0Acontinue with a new post entitled =93living on the tra=
il, or LIVING ON THE=0ATRAIL.=94

Happy trails,

Solar Bear

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