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donnski
Mountain climber
Nanoose Bay, BC
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Nov 26, 2014 - 10:55am PT
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This really ticks me off, and I am from Canada. The idea that wilderness is a white guy's idea is offensive. Jon Christensen is not our friend.
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Nov 26, 2014 - 11:23am PT
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We'll said Jan. Isnt that the way of it for all of us. I love the outdoors like people like me so Muir is an awesome visionary and that la guy sucks! We humans and our belief creation capabilities rule! (somehow ..)
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 11:39am PT
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I have been thinking lately, that once all the other lands are fracked, we will still have our Parks to run to. That's the lazy way out. Do the Parks make it possible for everything else to get raped? That guy's harshness toward Muir is just a way to get people to look. Muir rules.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 12:41pm PT
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duke of puke
climber
boulder, co
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Nov 26, 2014 - 02:43pm PT
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Guys... you don't get it. Capitalism, what we're all on, is the religion of consumption. Everything Muir fought for will eventually be consumed, or our economy wont exist, and we all want an economy ( or religion ), now, don't we?.
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Hoff
Big Wall climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 04:59pm PT
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Shameful what lengths people will go to for publicity. Maybe they will stay away from Yosemite forever, and it will be less crowded on my next visit.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Nov 26, 2014 - 05:07pm PT
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Muir articulated in a very clear and accessible way the necessity of wilderness to the human spirit and for that we should be thankful. He convinced thousands of folks of the restorative and reconciling qualities of the wild and the result of that influence still lives... I don't know what people expect, lives are long and the opportunities to be fallible are endless. Racist, perhaps. But he did much good and I like his writing, but then I like adjectives, especially "glorious".
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
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Nov 27, 2014 - 12:12am PT
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Irrelevant? Hardly.
rambler
climber
mountaineer
Naturalist
Natural philosopher
Came to theories that glaciers were a prominant force of nature in sculpting the Sierras and took copious notes on these theories before the Geology community ever came to them. Didn't John have a run in with Whitney (geologist) over these contraversial ideas at the time?
All around crazy mountain man who climbed big trees, rode an avalanche, danced all night on a mountain top to avoid freezing, slept in a fumerole on Mt. Shasta to avoid freezing to death, and did it all on herbs and tea (I'm probably stretching the truth on the last statement) among many other feats of daring and bravery (or stupidity depending on how you look at it). Just a wild, wilderness fun kind of guy.
Conservationist and preserver of wilderness for many generations to come
Founder of the Sierra Club
Father of the National Park System
Unbelievably gifted writer and author
By the way, it's John's B-Day on April 21st (and mine!)
I have a special place in my heart for John Muir. Would have loved to have met him.
Edit:
http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/
"John Muir (1838-1914) was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. He is one of California's most important historical personalities. He has been called "The Father of our National Parks," "Wilderness Prophet," and "Citizen of the Universe." He once described himself more humorously, and perhaps most accurately, as, a "poetico-trampo-geologist-botanist and ornithologist-naturalist etc. etc. !!!!" Legendary librarian and author Lawrence Clark Powell (1906-2001), (anticipating an event that was not to occur until 2006), said of him: "If I were to choose a single Californian to occupy the Hall of Fame, it would be this tenacious Scot who became a Californian during the final forty-six years of his life." "
Pursuit of his love of science, especially geology, often occupied his free time. Muir soon became convinced that glaciers had sculpted many of the features of the valley and surrounding area. This notion was in stark contradiction to the accepted contemporary theory, promulgated by Josiah Whitney (head of the California Geological Survey), which attributed the formation of the valley to a catastrophic earthquake. As Muir's ideas spread, Whitney would try to discredit Muir by branding him as an amateur. But Louis Agassiz, the premier geologist of the day, saw merit in Muir's ideas, and lauded him as "the first man I have ever found who has any adequate conception of glacial action."[23]
In 1871, Muir discovered an active alpine glacier below Merced Peak, which helped his theories gain acceptance. He was a highly productive writer and had many of his accounts and papers published as far away as New York. Muir's former professor at the University of Wisconsin, Ezra Carr, and his wife Jeanne, encouraged Muir to put his ideas into print. They also introduced Muir to notables such as Emerson, as well as leading scientists such as Louis Agassiz, John Tyndall, John Torrey, Clinton Hart Merriam, and Joseph LeConte.[citation needed]
A large earthquake centered near Lone Pine, California in Owens Valley (see 1872 Lone Pine earthquake) strongly shook occupants of Yosemite Valley in March 1872. The quake woke Muir in the early morning and he ran out of his cabin "both glad and frightened," exclaiming, "A noble earthquake!" Other valley settlers, who believed Whitney's ideas, feared that the quake was a prelude to a cataclysmic deepening of the valley. Muir had no such fear and promptly made a moonlit survey of new talus piles created by earthquake-triggered rock-slides. This event led more people to believe in Muir's ideas about the formation of the valley."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir
Not only did John Muir wear many hats and his interests were far-ranging in the natural sciences and environmental conservation, mountaineering etc., but let's not forget perhaps one of the most important aspects of his life and the foundation of his World view . . . He was also a devout man of faith. He believed in GOD, The Trinity. This comes out crystal clear throughout his many writings. He also owned a plethora of copies of The Good Book, The Holy Bible.
Sounds like a UCLA prof is just a little envious of Muir's life accomplishments, so he has to try to pull him down. Human nature at its worst.
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JerryA
Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:38am PT
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The Muir-Hanna Cabin is in Lundy Canyon. Google it to read an interesting L.A.Times article about one of his descendants.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 27, 2014 - 10:27am PT
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Muir's main contribution was in getting government to set aside some significant tracks of land and declaring to the world that we can't screw with this terrain - at all, for all time. That these few places HAVE to remain the very same. We cannot improve, develop, or change the scenery. They are scared relics of our heritage and it's going to be hands off forever.
What does this mean? Where is the value here?
Climbing and kayaking and BASE jumping and all the rest can be viewed as metaphors for things that often go missing in our lives: simplicity, passion and playing for keeps, with real stakes and nerve and consummate skill — things that are exactly what they appear to be, and not pursued for money or power. Places and activities that force people back into intimate contact with dirt and rock and sun - and their own feelings. No posing and no spin. No glib presentation. No bullsh#t.
The essential “reason” to visit the wild places, the austere and bleak places that Muir had set aside, is to get centered and grounded, to find a restorative, personal experience of something real, unfeigned and unrehearsed. And most of all, something bad ass. Visiting these places is one way to reclaim our fierceness, naturalness and power.
Who is really going to step up to the microphone and declare that these experiences are no longer relevant to our lives today? Based on what experiencs? I would wager that whoever said as much has never bivouacked on a wall climb, or even spend a few nights alone in the wilds. Go do that and get back to us with a message that you wasted your time on something irrelevant.
JL
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Nov 27, 2014 - 10:34am PT
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I was puzzled by this article.
But first, one must be aware that when you are interviewed, you are never quite sure what will be quoted in the article. I had a friend recently interviewed for 60 minutes for three hours by Anderson Cooper, only to be onscreen for 30 seconds.
I know Glen MacDonald, who I would describe as the very antithesis of the meaning of this article. I think he is very appropriate in the John Muir chair.
The historian, I do not. I find it odd that a historian would belittle the historical importance of Muir. I am puzzled because I don't know the basis of "Muir's irrelevancy"--he never actually states it. His UCLA bio states:
Jon Christensen has been an environmental journalist and science writer for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Nature, TheNewYorker.com, High Country News, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other newspapers, magazines, journals, and radio and television shows. Jon was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University in 2002-2003 and a Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University in 2003-2004, before returning to Stanford to work on a Ph.D. in environmental history and the history of science. Jon was a founder of the Spatial History Project and executive director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West, an interdisciplinary center for research, teaching, new media, and journalism at Stanford before coming to UCLA in 2012.
It seems that he should be plugged in, but he seems out of touch with many in the environmental movement and even the agencies on the land.
What a strange article. It does not match my experience.
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:14pm PT
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"I have done the best I could to show forth the beauty, grandeur, and all-embracing usefulness of our wild mountain forest reservations and parks, with a view to inciting the people to come and enjoy them, and get them into their hearts, that so at length their preservation and right use might be made sure." John Muir Martinez, California September 1901
submitted by Steven Thaw, Moraga, California
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:16pm PT
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"The Spirit has again led me into the Wilderness, in opposition to all counter attractions, and I am once more in the glory of the Yosemite."
John Muir
submitted by Steve Thaw, Moraga, California
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:18pm PT
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"In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir
submitted by Steve Thaw, Moraga, California
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:29pm PT
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"Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grass and gentians of glacier meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of Nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.The winds will blow their own freshness into you,and the storms their energy, while cares drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on one source of of enjoyment is closed, but Nature's sources never fail." John Muir
submitted by Steve Thaw, Moraga, California
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:30pm PT
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"Natural Faith casts out fear." John Muir
submitted by Steve Thaw, Moraga, California
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Polar Bear
Mountain climber
Moraga, California
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:33pm PT
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"The rights of all creation..." John Muir
submitted by Steve Thaw, Moraga, California
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AE
climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 29, 2014 - 01:23pm PT
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Come back in 100 years and look up Jon Christensen....
Perhaps he is misquoted but to make absurd statements of ethnicity as correlated to strong environmentalism sounds far more "radical poly sci" than mere journalist. Face it, native americans were not as eco-friendly as we like to believe - just more stable small indigenous populations that had relatively little power to leverage against the natural forces in their ecosystems. Romanticism was the big movement in Muir's time, but he actually walked the walk, while east coast literary types like Thoreau waxed eloquent without much more than dipping a toe into the shallow end.
The entire paradigm shift towards more environmental consciousness depended on folks like Muir to invoke a real awe towards great natural wonders and wilderness, however biased by human beliefs, and far more humble areas around the country would all be planted or paved by now without that motivating inspiration.
Third try to spell paradigm correctly. Damn.
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