Reading Notes W6 Part B: Muir
Reading Notes are from “The Mountains of California” by John Muir, pgs. 298-307
- John Muir has a big historical significance here, and is noted for his many studies on the landscapes and scenery, and we would not have several of our parks without him, which makes me excited for this reading.
- The basis of Northern California is quickly established, valleys nestled between two tough mountain ranges with only San Francisco as it’s outlet.
- Fertile soil of the Central Valley, very important for the success of California’s agriculture.
- “Range of Light” is a fitting name of sorts for the Sierras, no matter the season, a good day can make the ranges glow and sparkle of sorts.
- “No lake is seen” hmm, interesting observation, Lake Tahoe, one of the largest alpine lakes resides in the Sierras.
- I wonder how Yosemite appeared to Muir since it has changed a lot through the times, and has shrunk and grown
- Brown bears, deers, all our wildlife help the areas thrive to its most capable
- The remnants of the gold miners makes it a bit sad, the nature has been tainted a bit, and is almost undesirable now
- Ghost mining towns, that’s a bit spooky, but interesting that some are still alive, they might be more tourist attraction ones if they still are today
- He mentions up forward Mt, Shasta he sees volcanoes, cooled lava, and craters, a bit ominous feeling, remembering that these are dormant and so close to us!
- Only granite to be seen on Mount Whitney is still quite a sight I would say! Granite is a pretty natural stone.
- The Pitt River Indians folktale is a bit scary, a time when there was blackened sky and everything was dying, that could happen again with no warning
- The swap of icy and death to life and beauty feels just like the essence of California, we’re very much a state that can change based on the seasons dramatically
- The newborn landscape, it’s always great to see when the winter starts to back out and everything goes full bloom, especially after a good rain or snow.
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed reading this work by John Muir, because of his significance in California history and the work he has done to promote the creation of national parks in California, like Yosemite. He was obviously a really smart man, and the way that he described the California landscape with such great detail and accurate measurements was incredible. I also found it strange that he mentioned that there were no lakes, with the massive Lake Tahoe residing in the Sierras, I think I have to go back and see what exactly he was saying because it seems odd that a man this smart would overlook something like that. I also enjoyed him talking about the volcanoes of California, and it also made me a little nervous remembering that those could blow and create a dark sky at any moment. This was definitely one of my favorite reading thus far, and I enjoyed reading your notes on it.