Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – Anonymous

In a survey conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) they found that people in the United States spend 87 percent of their time indoors, mostly at either home or work. Bear in mind, that’s an average. Many people spend much more of their lives indoors.

John Muir knew that getting into the wild was an essential to life well lived. Spending time outdoors in nature keeps us grounded, gives us perspective, and rejuvenates the soul.

We spend much of our lives worrying over what is truly trivial. Make sure you take time to choose paths of dirt.

Thanks to my wife Joan for once again being the subject of my camera’s eye. I captured this photo on our hike to the scenic Trail Canyon Falls off of Big Tujunga Canyon.

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Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. Here grow the wallflower and the violet. The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness accessible to mortals, there is no upness comparable to the mountains.” – John Muir

Muir believed that regular doses of nature were essential to our health and well-being, a notion to which I wholeheartedly agree. During the week, I work hard. I need to reconnect with the world or I get a little cranky. And the best way to do that? Get outside and take a hike.

About this Photo

I shot this photo on a hike in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma County. This is a beautiful area with waterfalls, moss-covered trees and sweeping vistas. You can read all about our hike and see more photos here.

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About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

Got a favorite Muir quote? Have a photo you’d like to share? Leave me a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for new gems from Muir, and photos that provide the right backdrop.

The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” – John Muir

When I was young, like all the kids in my neighborhood, I played outdoors. As it started to get dark, our mothers would come to the door to call us in, and we’d reply “Just a little bit longer… please!? It’s not even dark yet!” We were experiencing the world through a rousing game of kick the can, tag or hide-and-seek. Couldn’t sleep wait a little longer?

As we grow up, we learn just how big and marvelous our world really is. Muir nailed it. It’s a big world, with a lot to see. Get out there and a good look at it before it gets dark.

About this Photo

This photo was taken in Kings Canyon National Park, just south of Muir Pass. We had setup camp at a small unnamed lake for the night and as the sun set, we were treated to this spectacular show of colors on the mountain tops.

About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains. – John Muir

Many serious photographers consider sunrise and sunset photographs to be cliché. Personally, I love them! And there is nothing that compares with seeing the sunrise from Mount Whitney.

About this Photo

Hiking up Mount Whitney — the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 states — in the black of night is breathtaking (figuratively and literally). But the payoff makes it all worthwhile; sunrise from nearly 15,000 feet above sea level. The sky begins to turn light well before you even catch a glimpse of the sun. When it finally arrives, it’s a spectacle of color and light better than any firework display.

I took this photo through the “windows” less than a mile from the summit of Mt. Whitney on our JMT thru-hike.

What is your favorite peak for sunrise or sunset? Let me know in the comments below.

About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” – John Muir

Seems like whenever I ask a friend how they are doing, the reply inevitably includes “I’m so busy!” or “I’m slammed!” It seems that we are all busy, scurrying around working harder and harder these days. The wilderness becomes a refuge and an opportunity to unplug from the busy-ness that screams for our attention.

About this Photograph

This is Lake Edison, from the far western shore at Vermillion Valley Resort — or as most PCT and JMT thru-hikers know it, simply VVR. This is a popular resupply point on both of those trails, since it’s not a long hike off the official trail. During the summer, you will find an ever-changing community of hikers gathered around the table for dinner or breakfast, or around the campfire in the evening. On our JMT thru-hike, we had our zero day here (a day with zero milage, or a rest day). It was wonderful.

About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.” – John Muir

Want to reboot your life? Get outdoors. Climb a mountain. Backpack through the wilderness. It was good advice in Muir’s time over a hundred years ago, and it’s still good advice today.

About the Photo

I shot this photo of Tuolumne Meadow on our thru-hike of the John Muir Trail. Although the main road through Yosemite passes along the border of this beautiful meadow, it’s still easy to enjoy the open spaces and beauty of Nature.

About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” – John Muir

There is something special about the experience we share in nature. This especially strikes me at places like this in Yosemite, as I realize that John Muir walked this trail. He saw a view that has remained largely unchanged. And he was moved in ways that I am moved more than one hundred years later.

When we reminisce with someone who has also been to Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, Zion or whatever location, we share a bond. Nature becomes the common denominator… the great equalizer.

About This Photo

I snapped this photograph on a day hike up to Vernal and Nevada Falls in Yosemite. I don’t know who the hikers in the photo are (if you know them, please share!), but I loved the way the sunlight was filtered by the trees, with mist from the falls in the background.

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About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. – John Muir

How many times have you gone outdoors, and I mean really getting away from the grind, and been dumbstruck with the beauty of nature? Even after hiking for decades, I still am blown away by the scenery, the serenity, and the peace that I find in the wilderness.

About This Photo

I captured this photograph of Lyell Creek on our 2010 John Muir Trail thru-hike. We were hiking from Tuolumne Meadow to Upper Lyell Creek for the night. The water was so clear, the sky so blue, and the scenery so stunning that we had to remind ourselves to keep moving everyone once in a while. As it was, we stopped frequently to gawk at the beauty and appreciate the moment.

About Muir Monday

John Muir had a way with words. I’ve taken those words and put them over photos I’ve taken. I’m sharing those photos each Monday — Muir Monday — and kindly ask that if you like this image, that you share it! Tweet it, post it on Facebook, Pin it… whatever social network you use, feel free to share. And thanks for helping me spread Muir’s words of wisdom.

Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” – John Muir

When I go out hiking, it’s an opportunity to see the world anew. It’s that child-like wonder and sense of exploration, where around every corner a new experience awaits. John Muir captured that sense of awe and wonder perfectly in this week’s Muir Monday quote.

About This Photo

I shot this photo on the John Muir Trail. This wasn’t on one of my JMT thru-hikes, but on a weekend trip to Yosemite over Memorial Day weekend — their busiest weekend of the year. I hiked up to Nevada Falls via the John Muir Trail, and came across this idyllic scene not far from the top of of the falls.

What “new worlds” have you discovered on your outdoor adventures? Let me know in the comments below!

A Note About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir

About the Photo

I took this photo as I was sprawled on my back, laying on a picnic bench in the backpacker’s campground in Yosemite Valley. I had picked up our permits to thru-hike the John Muir Trail, and was feeling a little pre-hike jitters. As I lay there, the tall trunks of majestic pine trees swayed gently in the wind. At ground level, they seemed immovable; solid and ancient. But as their branches brushed the sky, they swayed to and fro in the slightest breeze. As they reached toward the heavens, they seemed as fragile as blades of grass.

The effect was calming. These trees had been on this earth much longer than me, and the mountains much longer than the trees. The JMT seemed like A Really Big Hike, but in the grand scheme of things, it is just a walk in the woods. Or as Muir might say, a saunter.

A Note About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

All the wild world is beautiful.” – John Muir

The wilderness has a beauty that cannot be replicated. It is forever changing; familiar, yet always new. Nowhere is that more evident than when the leaves begin to turn colors in the fall. The experience changes day by day and even hour by hour as the sunlight, the weather and the colors change.

About the Photo

Many people assume that fall color in Southern California is limited to a few sycamore trees turning brown and dropping their leaves, but they would be sorely mistaken. I shot this photo last weekend at the southernmost aspen grove in North America — which just so happens to be right here in Southern California, near Big Bear in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

I loved the contrast between the thick, dark trunk of the towering pine and the slender aspen trees, just beginning to turn from green to gold. Yes, you can find fall color here in Southern California on the Aspen Grove Trail. I’ll be posting details on how you can get there tomorrow.

A Note About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

Most people are on the world, not in it.” – John Muir

At 4am, the alarm jolts me out of a deep slumber. It takes a moment for me to realize that, yes, in fact it is time to wake up. I have a mountain to climb.

By 5am, I’ve got my coffee and am en route to the mountains.

We park the Xterra at the Angelus Oaks trailhead at 6am, put on our boots, do a final gear check, and begin the long ascent up San Bernardino Mountain. Today we’d be climbing 4,700 feet and logging nearly 17 miles.

When we get back in late that afternoon, our bodies ache, but we are alive! 

We are definitely in the world.  Are you in it? 

About the Photo

I shot this photo  in the early morning on the switchbacks above Angelus Oaks. Thanks to Emily for making this photo perfect.

A Note About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. Here grow the wallflower and the violet. The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness accessible to mortals, there is no upness comparable to the mountains.” – John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, (1938), page 235.

About the Photo

Two years ago I spent three weeks in Paris. It’s a beautiful city, and the trip was made even more beautiful when my girlfriend said “yes” and we were engaged on the Seine River. One of the many sites we visited in the area was the palace at Versailles. It’s a sprawling, opulent palace on huge grounds. It’s also incredibly crowded. We walked through the palace, often shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists from every corner of the world. While it was interesting from a historical perspective, we breathed a sigh of relief to get outside and on the grounds.

Many of the gardens at Versailles are manicured and formal. There are fountains, a maze of paths and surprise sculptures. But our favorite spot was this green “cathedral” of trees. We had the entire forest to ourselves. It was quiet and serene. As Muir said, “there is no repose like that of the green deep woods.”

While we weren’t deep into the wilderness, the cool shade and the serenity of these tall, green trees gave us peace from the crowds.

Leave a comment and share your  story of green serenity in the woods.

A Note About Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!” – John Muir

At 10, 834 feet, San Jacinto Peak is the highest in Riverside County and one of the tallest in Southern California. It’s one of SoCal Hiker’s Six-Pack of Peaks. There are several routes to the top, including the popular trail that starts at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram, but my favorite is the rigorous Marion Mountain Trail that starts near Idyllwild.

I took this photo on my latest trek up San Jacinto via that very trail. The skies were clear blue. There were still patches of snow on the summit. And you could see for miles in every direction.

John Muir was right. The views are a sublime spectacle.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

“The power of imagination makes us infinite.” – John Muir

This week’s Muir Monday photo comes from a hiking friend, Robert Randall. Bob and I hiked Mt. Baldy together a few years ago, and more recently, Echo Mountain.

Bob captured this fantastic shot of the Milky Way looking southward over Middle Chain Lake in Yosemite National Park. He writes:

Six of us backpacked into Chain Lakes, located in the southernmost part of Yosemite. There are three lakes linked together by streams and ponds. It’s a beautiful, serene place and the fishing is good. We packed in on Friday and out on Monday.”

Check out more of Bob Randall’s excellent outdoor photography on Picasa.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

In the mountains of San Gabriel, overlooking the lowland vines and fruit groves, Mother Nature is most ruggedly, thornily savage.” – John Muir

The San Gabriel mountains are Los Angeles’ wilderness backyard. Within the San Gabriels are towering mountain peaks, covered in snow in the winter. There are dense pine forests shading steep, rugged trails. Especially in the spring, the streams come alive, bouncing over rocks and falls and lined by lush greenery and wildflowers. Southern Californian’s are fortunate to have this treasure so nearby. For many of us, we can be in the mountains in half an hour, or even less!

John Muir traveled these same mountains, and I’d like to imagine that the view he saw as he climbed Mt. San Antonio — popularly known as Mt. Baldy — looked much like it did on my hike up the summit. When I took this photo, we drove up to Manker Flats in a cloak of gray clouds and fog. But as we started hiking, we were soon rewarded with the blue skies you see here. The low-lying clouds in the valleys below, and a few puffs of clouds above just to keep the photo more interesting. Spectacular.

This Muir Monday quote comes from Chapter 11 from Steep Trails — a compilation of Muir’s writings. This chapter comes from a letter Muir wrote the first week of September in 1877. Here is Chapter 11 in it’s entirety.

The San Gabriel Mountains

In the mountains of San Gabriel, overlooking the lowland vines and fruit groves, Mother Nature is most ruggedly, thornily savage. Not even in the Sierra have I ever made the acquaintance of mountains more rigidly inaccessible. The slopes are exceptionally steep and insecure to the foot of the explorer, however great his strength or skill may be, but thorny chaparral constitutes their chief defense. With the exception of little park and garden spots not visible in comprehensive views, the entire surface is covered with it, from the highest peaks to the plain. It swoops into every hollow and swells over every ridge, gracefully complying with the varied topography, in shaggy, ungovernable exuberance, fairly dwarfing the utmost efforts of human culture out of sight and mind.

But in the very heart of this thorny wilderness, down in the dells, you may find gardens filled with the fairest flowers, that any child would love, and unapproachable linns lined with lilies and ferns, where the ousel builds its mossy hut and sings in chorus with the white falling water. Bears, also, and panthers, wolves, wildcats; wood rats, squirrels, foxes, snakes, and innumerable birds, all find grateful homes here, adding wildness to wildness in glorious profusion and variety.

Where the coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada come together we find a very complicated system of short ranges, the geology and topography of which is yet hidden, and many years of laborious study must be given for anything like a complete interpretation of them. The San Gabriel is one or more of these ranges, forty or fifty miles long, and half as broad, extending from the Cajon Pass on the east, to the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna ranges on the west. San Antonio, the dominating peak, rises towards the eastern extremity of the range to a height of about six thousand feet, forming a sure landmark throughout the valley and all the way down to the coast, without, however, possessing much striking individuality. The whole range, seen from the plain, with the hot sun beating upon its southern slopes, wears a terribly forbidding aspect. There is nothing of the grandeur of snow, or glaciers, or deep forests, to excite curiosity or adventure; no trace of gardens or waterfalls. From base to summit all seems gray, barren, silent — dead, bleached bones of mountains, overgrown with scrubby bushes, like gray moss. But all mountains are full of hidden beauty, and the next day after my arrival at Pasadena I supplied myself with bread and eagerly set out to give myself to their keeping.

On the first day of my excursion I went only as far as the mouth of Eaton Canyon, because the heat was oppressive, and a pair of new shoes were chafing my feet to such an extent that walking began to be painful. While looking for a camping ground among the boulder beds of the canyon, I came upon a strange, dark man of doubtful parentage. He kindly invited me to camp with him, and led me to his little hut. All my conjectures as to his nationality failed, and no wonder, since his father was Irish and mother Spanish, a mixture not often met even in California. He happened to be out of candles, so we sat in the dark while he gave me a sketch of his life, which was exceedingly picturesque. Then he showed me his plans for the future. He was going to settle among these canyon boulders, and make money, and marry a Spanish woman. People mine for irrigating water along the foothills as for gold. He is now driving a prospecting tunnel into a spur of the mountains back of his cabin. “My prospect is good,” he said, “and if I strike a strong flow, I shall soon be worth five or ten thousand dollars. That flat out there, ” he continued, referring to a small, irregular patch of gravelly detritus that had been sorted out and deposited by Eaton Creek during some flood season, “is large enough for a nice orange grove, and, after watering my own trees, I can sell water down the valley; and then the hillside back of the cabin will do for vines, and I can keep bees, for the white sage and black sage up the mountains is full of honey. You see, I’ve got a good thing.” All this prospective affluence in the sunken, boulder-choked flood-bed of Eaton Creek! Most home-seekers would as soon think of settling on the summit of San Antonio.

Half an hour’s easy rambling up the canyon brought me to the foot of “The Fall,” famous throughout the valley settlements as the finest yet discovered in the range. It is a charming little thing, with a voice sweet as a songbird’s, leaping some thirty-five or forty feet into a round, mirror pool. The cliff back of it and on both sides is completely covered with thick, furry mosses, and the white fall shines against the green like a silver instrument in a velvet case. Here come the Gabriel lads and lassies from the commonplace orange groves, to make love and gather ferns and dabble away their hot holidays in the cool pool. They are fortunate in finding so fresh a retreat so near their homes. It is the Yosemite of San Gabriel. The walls, though not of the true Yosemite type either in form or sculpture, rise to a height of nearly two thousand feet. Ferns are abundant on all the rocks within reach of the spray, and picturesque maples and sycamores spread a grateful shade over a rich profusion of wild flowers that grow among the boulders, from the edge of the pool a mile or more down the dell-like bottom of the valley, the whole forming a charming little poem of wildness — the vestibule of these shaggy mountain temples.

The foot of the fall is about a thousand feet above the level of the sea, and here climbing begins. I made my way out of the valley on the west side, followed the ridge that forms the western rim of the Eaton Basin to the summit of one of the principal peaks, thence crossed the middle of the basin, forcing a way over its many subordinate ridges, and out over the eastern rim, and from first to last during three days spent in this excursion, I had to contend with the richest, most self-possessed and uncompromising chaparral I have every enjoyed since first my mountaineering began.

For a hundred feet or so the ascent was practicable only by means of bosses of the club moss that clings to the rock. Above this the ridge is weathered away to a slender knife-edge for a distance of two or three hundred yards, and thence to the summit it is a bristly mane of chaparral. Here and there small openings occur, commanding grand views of the valley and beyond to the ocean. These are favorite outlooks and resting places for bears, wolves, and wildcats. In the densest places I came upon woodrat villages whose huts were from four to eight feet high, built in the same style of architecture as those of the muskrats.

The day was nearly done. I reached the summit and I had time to make only a hasty survey of the topography of the wild basin now outspread maplike beneath, and to drink in the rare loveliness of the sunlight before hastening down in search of water. Pushing through another mile of chaparral, I emerged into one of the most beautiful parklike groves of live oak I ever saw. The ground beneath was planted only with aspidiums and brier roses. At the foot of the grove I came to the dry channel of one of the tributary streams, but, following it down a short distance, I descried a few specimens of the scarlet mimulus; and I was assured that water was near. I found about a bucketful in a granite bowl, but it was full of leaves and beetles, making a sort of brown coffee that could be rendered available only by filtering it through sand and charcoal. This I resolved to do in case the night came on before I found better. Following the channel a mile farther down to its confluence with another, larger tributary, I found a lot of boulder pools, clear as crystal, and brimming full, linked together by little glistening currents just strong enough to sing. Flowers in full bloom adorned the banks, lilies ten feet high, and luxuriant ferns arching over one another in lavish abundance, while a noble old live oak spread its rugged boughs over all, forming one of the most perfect and most secluded of Nature’s gardens. Here I camped, making my bed on smooth cobblestones.

Next morning, pushing up the channel of a tributary that takes its rise on Mount San Antonio, I passed many lovely gardens watered by oozing currentlets, every one of which had lilies in them in the full pomp of bloom, and a rich growth of ferns, chiefly woodwardias and aspidiums and maidenhairs; but toward the base of the mountain the channel was dry, and the chaparral closed over from bank to bank, so that I was compelled to creep more than a mile on hands and knees.

In one spot I found an opening in the thorny sky where I could stand erect, and on the further side of the opening discovered a small pool. “Now, HERE,” I said, “I must be careful in creeping, for the birds of the neighborhood come here to drink, and the rattlesnakes come here to catch them.” I then began to cast my eye along the channel, perhaps instinctively feeling a snaky atmosphere, and finally discovered one rattler between my feet. But there was a bashful look in his eye, and a withdrawing, deprecating kink in his neck that showed plainly as words could tell that he would not strike, and only wished to be let alone. I therefore passed on, lifting my foot a little higher than usual, and left him to enjoy his life in this his own home.

My next camp was near the heart of the basin, at the head of a grand system of cascades from ten to two hundred feet high, one following the other in close succession and making a total descent of nearly seventeen hundred feet. The rocks above me leaned over in a threatening way and were full of seams, making the camp a very unsafe one during an earthquake.

Next day the chaparral, in ascending the eastern rim of the basin, was, if possible, denser and more stubbornly bayoneted than ever. I followed bear trails, where in some places I found tufts of their hair that had been pulled out in squeezing a way through; but there was much of a very interesting character that far overpaid all my pains. Most of the plants are identical with those of the Sierra, but there are quite a number of Mexican species. One coniferous tree was all I found. This is a spruce of a species new to me, Douglasii macrocarpa.

My last camp was down at the narrow, notched bottom of a dry channel, the only open way for the life in the neighborhood. I therefore lay between two fires, built to fence out snakes and wolves.

From the summit of the eastern rim I had a glorious view of the valley out to the ocean, which would require a whole book for its description. My bread gave out a day before reaching the settlements, but I felt all the fresher and clearer for the fast.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

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 will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but Nature’s sources never fail. … The petty discomforts that beset the awkward guest, the unskilled camper, are quickly forgotten, while all that is precious remains. Fears vanish as soon as one is fairly free in the wilderness.” – John Muir

Yesterday marked the 97th anniversary of the National Park Service, and so it’s only fitting to acknowledge John Muir’s tireless efforts to preserve our wilderness treasures. And although Muir died two years before its creation, he has been called the Father of the National Park Service.

Muir in fact hosted President Theodore Roosevelt on a three-day camping trip in Yosemite, touring from the giant sequoia trees in the Mariposa Grove to Glacier Point and of course Yosemite Valley itself. While the two didn’t see eye-to-eye on everything, Roosevelt agreed that spaces like Yosemite deserved protection.

What National Parks have you visited? Leave a comment below.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

“The sun shines not on us but in us.” – John Muir

I shot this photo on my first trip to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We camped near Dos Cabeza — a great home base for hiking, bouldering or just enjoying the sunrise.

I have always loved the mountains and the beach, but I was never really attracted to the desert. Spending time there has changed that. The peace, quiet and solitude is a given. What really surprised me was the variety of terrain, animal and plant life. We explored slot canyons and mud caves. We did some bouldering and hiking.

And we enjoyed early morning views like this.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” – John Muir

Three years ago today was our 17th day on the John Muir Trail. Joan and I were hiking over Pinchot Pass and towards Woods Creek — famous for a gorgeous and unlikely suspension bridge. We had gotten into the rhythm of the life on the trail. And we had learned so much about ourselves along the way.

We knew that we were capable of doing things that some people only dream of. We knew that we had the inner strength to go further, longer and higher than we realized we could. And we knew that we shared a connection that was special.

Just like John Muir, we found that going out was indeed really going in.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

And if you’d like a square version for sharing, I’ve got you covered.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” – John Muir

Ever had a week where you felt tired and nerve-shaken? Or is that the norm? Maybe you need to unplug. Get away. Go to the mountains. Sometimes we think that life has become a fast-paced frenzy, but Muir points out that this was a problem decades ago. His solution? Go to the mountains.

I shot this photo of Lake Edison exactly three years ago today, early in the morning. This was our tenth day of a 22-day thru-hike on the John Muir Trail, and we were taking a zero day (that’s a rest day in layman terms) at Vermilion Valley Resort. As the sun crested over the mountains to the east, wisps of fog swirled above the calm surface of the lake.

The scene was peaceful and serene, and reflected our feelings after a week and a half backpacking in the Sierras. Our nerves were no longer shaken. We were no longer “over-civilized.” I’m inclined to describe it as the ultimate reset button.

So go to the mountains. And discover for yourself the healing powers of the wilderness.

A Note about Muir Monday

I started sharing the wisdom of John Muir on back in June, posting new quotes on Instagram and Facebook with a photo I’ve taken that supports the message. Muir had a way with words, and the Muir Monday meme has proven popular. Beginning today, I’m trying out a new approach, sharing these inspirational words here on SoCal Hiker. Each Monday you’ll find a new quote to inspire you. Please spread the word, and share with your friends on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or whatever networks you prefer.

And if you’d like a square version for sharing, I’ve got you covered.