



Produced by Jim Adcock, LUlib1234 and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
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Internet Archive/American Libraries.)









THE WRITINGS OF JOHN MUIR

Sierra Edition

VOLUME II

[Illustration: _The Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park_]




MY FIRST SUMMER IN THE SIERRA

BY

JOHN MUIR

[Illustration]

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

1917




COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY JOHN MUIR

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED




TO

THE SIERRA CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

FAITHFUL DEFENDER OF THE PEOPLE'S PLAYGROUNDS




CONTENTS

     I. THROUGH THE FOOTHILLS WITH A FLOCK OF SHEEP                    3

    II. IN CAMP ON THE NORTH FORK OF THE MERCED                       32

   III. A BREAD FAMINE                                                75

    IV. TO THE HIGH MOUNTAINS                                         86

     V. THE YOSEMITE                                                 115

    VI. MOUNT HOFFMAN AND LAKE TENAYA                                149

   VII. A STRANGE EXPERIENCE                                         178

  VIII. THE MONO TRAIL                                               195

    IX. BLOODY CANYON AND MONO LAKE                                   214

     X. THE TUOLUMNE CAMP                                            232

    XI. BACK TO THE LOWLANDS                                         254

        INDEX                                                        265




ILLUSTRATIONS


THE YOSEMITE FALLS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK                _Frontispiece_

     The total height of the three falls is 2600 feet. The upper fall is
     about 1600 feet, and the lower about 400 feet. Mr. Muir was
     probably the only man who ever looked down into the heart of the
     fall from the narrow ledge of rocks near the top.

     _From a photograph by Charles S. Olcott_

SHEEP IN THE MOUNTAINS                                                 8

     Since the establishment of the Yosemite National Park the pasturing
     of sheep has not been allowed within its boundaries, and as a
     result the grasses and wild flowers have recovered very much of
     their former luxuriance. The flock of sheep here photographed were
     feeding near Alger Lake on the <DW72> of Blacktop Mountain, at an
     altitude of about 10,000 feet and just beyond the eastern boundary
     of the Park.

     _From a photograph by Herbert W. Gleason_

A SILVER FIR, OR RED FIR (_Abies magnifica_)                          90

     This tree was found in an extensive forest of red fir above the
     Middle Fork of King's River. It was estimated to be about 250 feet
     high. Mr. Muir, on being shown the photograph, remarked that it was
     one of the finest and most mature specimens of the red fir that he
     had ever seen.

     _From a photograph by Herbert W. Gleason_

THE NORTH AND SOUTH DOMES                                            122

     The great rock on the right is the South Dome, commonly called the
     Half-Dome, according to Mr. Muir "the most beautiful and most
     sublime of all the Yosemite rocks." The one on the left is the
     North Dome, while in the center is the Washington Column.

     _From a photograph by Charles S. Olcott_

CATHEDRAL PEAK                                                       154

     This view was taken from a point on the Sunrise Trail just south of
     the Peak, on a day when the "cloud mountains" so inspiring to Mr.
     Muir were much in evidence.

     _From a photograph by Herbert W. Gleason_

THE VERNAL FALLS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK                             182

     _From a photograph by Charles S. Olcott_

THE HAPPY ISLES, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK                              190

     This is the main stream of the Merced River after passing over the
     Nevada and Vernal Falls and receiving the Illilouette tributary.

     _From a photograph by Charles S. Olcott_

THE THREE BROTHERS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK                           208

     The highest rock, called Eagle Point, is 7900 feet above the sea,
     and 3900 feet above the floor of the valley.

     _From a photograph by Charles S. Olcott_

MAP OF THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK                                    264

     _From the United States Geological Survey_


FROM SKETCHES MADE BY THE AUTHOR IN 1869

     HORSESHOE BEND, MERCED RIVER                                     14

     ON SECOND BENCH. EDGE OF THE MAIN FOREST
       BELT, ABOVE COULTERV