The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Yosemite, by John Muir

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Title: The Yosemite

Author: John Muir

Posting Date: January 5, 2010 [EBook #7091]
Release Date: December, 2004
First Posted: March 9, 2003
Last Updated: August 28, 2006

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE YOSEMITE ***

Produced by Dan Anderson and Andrew Sly. Thanks to the
John Muir Exhibit for making this eBook available.
http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/

The Yosemite

by John Muir

Affectionately dedicated to my friend,
Robert Underwood Johnson,
faithful lover and defender of our glorious forests
and originator of the Yosemite National Park.

Acknowledgment

On the early history of Yosemite the writer is indebted to Prof. J. D.
Whitney for quotations from his volume entitled "Yosemite Guide-Book,"
and to Dr. Bunnell for extracts from his interesting volume entitled
"Discovery of the Yosemite."

Contents

1. The Approach to the Valley
2. Winter Storms and Spring Floods
3. Snow-Storms
4. Snow Banners
5. The Trees of the Valley
6. The Forest Trees in General
7. The Big Trees
8. The Flowers
9. The Birds
10. The South Dome
11. The Ancient Yosemite Glaciers: How the Valley Was Formed
12. How Best to Spend One's Yosemite Time
13. Early History of the Valley
14. Lamon
15. Galen Clark
16. Hetch Hetchy Valley
Appendix A. Legislation About the Yosemite
Appendix B. Table of Distances
Appendix C. Maximum Rates for Transportation

Chapter 1

The Approach to the Valley

When I set out on the long excursion that finally led to California I
wandered afoot and alone, from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, with a
plant-press on my back, holding a generally southward course, like the
birds when they are going from summer to winter. From the west coast
of Florida I crossed the gulf to Cuba, enjoyed the rich tropical flora
there for a few months, intending to go thence to the north end of South
America, make my way through the woods to the headwaters of the Amazon,
and float down that grand river to the ocean. But I was unable to find a
shi