Walking with Muir across Yosemite

Does today’s visitor trekking Yosemite National Park find it much different from what John Muir encountered a century ago? Thomas and Geraldine Vale retrace Muir’s path, based upon journal descriptions of his activities and experiences during his first summer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From the foothills through Yosemite Valley and on up to the Tuolumne Meadows, the Vales follow the present roads and trails that crossed Muir’s route, imagining his reaction to the landscape while reflecting on the natural world in both his time and ours.
     Illustrated with drawings by John Muir and drawings and photos by the Vales, Walking with Muir across Yosemite emphasizes that current visitors to Yosemite—indeed to any national park—can still experience the solitude, wildness, and romanticism of nature. They believe, however, that this modern exploration would benefit from a national parks policy that actively promotes nature study and encourages a more profound interaction between humans and the natural world.

Can today's visitor to Yosemite National Park still find what John Muir encountered a century ago? Thomas and Geraldine Vale retrace Muir's path, based upon journals of his first summer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Illustrated with drawings by Muir and photographs and drawings by the Vales, Walking with Muir across Yosemite shows that current visitors to Yosemite can still find much of the solitude and wildness Muir experienced. The Vales suggest, however, that a national parks policy promoting nature study could encourage a more profound interaction between humans and the natural world.

Thomas R. Vale is professor of geography  at the UW-Madison.  He received  his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Geraldine R. Vale  is a freelance writer and public school teacher. They are the coauthors of U.S. Forty Today: Thirty Years of Landscape Change in America, also published by the University of Wisconsin Press. Thomas Vale is co-editor, with Robert Ostergren, of Wisconsin Land and Life, also published by the Press.