Anywhere That Is Wild: John Muir's First Walk to Yosemite

by Peter Thomas (Editor), Donna Thomas (Editor)

John Muir wrote many wonderful books about his travels, but one story—about his long walk from San Francisco to Yosemite—is one book he did not author himself. In April 1868, a very young John Muir stepped off a boat in San Francisco and inquired about the quickest way out of town. “But where do you want to go?” was the response, to which Muir replied, “Anywhere that is wild.” Using Muir’s personal correspondence and published articles, Peter and Donna Thomas have reconstructed the real story of Muir’s literal ramblings over California hills and through dales, with lofty Sierra Nevada peaks, Englishmen, and bears mixed in for good measure. The trip is illustrated by charming cut-paper illustrations that take their inspiration from Muir's love of nature. John Muir’s story-telling is so compelling that even 150 years later, seeing the world through his eyes makes us want to head out into the wild.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, History, Biography, Memoir, Green

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the idea of this book is pretty interesting--a walk Muir is known to have taken that he never wrote about as a whole cobbled together from various letters and other writings 150 years after the fact.

I like Muir's style, and the illustrations. The footnotes perplexed me a bit, because they never seemed to be about what I thought or hoped they would be about, and often just opened up more questions for me. And it's seriously short and somewhat choppy as a whole, so it's definitely not going to emerge as a new classic of Muir's or some such. It's nice, just...maybe a little half-baked, despite the tremendous amount of research the Thomases seem to have done.

But, then there's this, which I absolutely love:

Looking back on what I have written I see that it is nothing--just nothing, and it will not carry you a drop, not a drop, my friends, from all these oceans and gulfs and bays of plant loveliness. Can you not come? Just come for yourself and see what you can make of these great lessons of mountain and plain. Yosemite alone is worth the expense and danger of any journey in the world. It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter. It must be the sanctum sanctorum of the Sierra, and I trust that you will all be led to it.

You've sold me on Yosemite right there, Muir--well played!

Anyway, recommended for John Muir superfans, I guess? But mostly it just makes me want to read more of what Muir actually chose to publish himself, and, of course, go visit Yosemite.

Which, to be fair? May have been the Thomases' goal in putting this book together in the first place.

[Fred Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read and a nice introduction to the writing of John Muir. His combination of scientific information with an emotional love of nature lends a transcendent quality to the writing. For example, after expressing great joy about the beauty of the Santa Clara Valley, Muir writes, "Never more shall I sentamentalize about getting out of this mortal coil. This flesh is not a coil, it is a sponge steeped in immortality." And there's a pretty amusing story about Muir's party buying a gun for defense against bears.

[Abram · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just randomly reading things I find at my parents now. This was a quaint letter to a friend about a walk, kinda boring.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Can you not come?...It is by far the grandest of all of the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter...I trust that you will all be led to it. “

What a lovely little meditative read to drink up while enjoying the spring breeze on an April afternoon. I will always appreciate Muir’s wide eyed enthusiasm and yearn for the California of his lifetime that he so magically renders. He’s such a legend- wading through seas of wildflowers and embarking on a 300 mile hiking journey with no more provisions than a plant press, flour, and the makings for tea. His “leisurely wandering” in 1868 from San Francisco to Yosemite is pieced together in this book through the compilation of notes, letters, articles, and botany observations written by Muir. At one point, he took the time to chart out every species of plant he encountered in a random square yard during his trek. The resulting chart lists over a million individual findings. It tickles me to imagine this bearded botany nerd enjoying every moment of such a painstaking task. Who else would do such a thing? He is like the OG Newt Scamander and I find great joy in reading about his joy and passion for the natural world. It also delights me that with his knack for gorgeous prose, he is not above using a phrase like “the floweriest” to best communicate one of his many nature geek outs. I love this man. I want to be this man. I want to be free to roam the rest of my days with no other agenda than to soak up nature’s beauty, so that one day, I too can say, “All the world was before me and everyday was a holiday. “

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars really.

I read this the day I left Yosemite. And while I’m obsessed with John Muir, I wish the authors had provided a follow up to their journey. I felt like the book lacked integrity based on that alone.

[Julia Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband picked up this book while we were exploring the Yosemite Valley, because he was interested in reading more of John Muir's work. I have always been a bit on the fence about reading Muir's books--It seems like they would be a bit dry (for me) and hard to focus on, page after page. So I'm really glad that I read this little book, because I think I confirmed my suspicions without investing a ton of time.

While the book itself is interesting, I don't think that I would be able to handle reading the full version of "The Yosemite".. My mind would just wander after reading a paragraph or two. So, if you, like me, are curious about Muir's work, this book is an excellent introduction. And if you absolutely love it, then I think it would be a good idea to move on to his other works.. But if not, like me, then stop here happily.

[Bruce Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 30 minute read that captures the essence of John Muir's first travels to Yosemite in 1868 by foot and horseback. Whether planned or by luck, the timing of wildflower blooms couldn't have been better, and Muir's description is amazing. In the San Jaquin valley near Hills Ferry, he documents a single square yard of the flower field, counting 165,912 flowers! Description of the Sierra Nevada range from Pacheco Pass is wonderful. As far as the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Sequoyia Forest, Muir's final passage says it all: "Yosemite alone is worth the expense and danger of any journey in the world. It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter. It must be the sanctum sanctorum of the Sierra, and I trust that you will all be led to it."

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Muir’s writings are always good. The Thomases pull together his writings from many sources to chronicle his first walk from San Francisco to Yosemite, as if he were writing it himself. He may have done so, but that journal did not survive.

His most lyrical descriptions are of the San Joaquin Valley, and the flowers there, rather than of Yosemite. Of course, many of his other writings dealt intimately with Yosemite, so there’s no lack of his feelings for that wonderful Valley.

His last plea is simple. “Can you not come? Yosemite alone is worth the expense and danger of any journey in the world.”

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful read! Oh to possess the love, appreciation and knowledge of nature that John Muir had! The editors took Muir,s letters, books and articles and from them put together in Muir’s words this account of Muir’s walk just days after he arrived in San Francisco for the first time to Yosemite. Muir had all of the New Testament memorized and 2/3rds of the Old Testament by the time he was 12 years old, which obviously gifted him with the ability to express himself beautifully. This book will lift your spirits.

[Tabatha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so saddened reading this, because Muir is describing a land that no longer exists and that I can hardly wrap my mind around. How fortunate he was! Redwood trees with a 50 foot circumference, hundreds of quail calling out at once, hundreds of miles of open valley with a “robe of flowers... touching but not entwined...”

“But all this beauty of life is fading year by year, fading like the glow of a sunset, foundering in the grossness of modern refinement (21).”

Someone please hurry up with that time machine, so we can go back and keep more of it than we did!

[Natalie Lunsford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book was so cool to read after visiting Yosemite National Park! It was interesting how the editors Peter and Donna Thomas complied extensive research to turn John Muir’s first walk from San Francisco to the Yosemite Valley into a cohesive story and then journeyed the path too! I really enjoyed reading this and hope everyone gets the chance to experience this incredible park someday.

“Can you not come? Just come and see what you can make of these great lessons of mountain and plain. Yosemite alone is worth the expense and danger of any journey in the world.” -John Muir, July 1868

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very short account of John Muir’s first journey to Yosemite. The saddest thing for me was his rapture over the incredible wildflowers blanketing the Central Valley of California in April, virtually gone to agribusiness now. Also I was surprised he actually accidentally shot his companion in the shoulder, not my usual image of Muir.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. A compilation of journal entries and letters by John Muir telling of his walk from San Francisco to Yosemite. The ease at which he approached this task is both heartening and humbling. Warning: if you read this, inspiration to walk for days through flowering wilderness will overtake you.

[Haley Canales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this easy, light-hearted read up at the Calaveras Big Trees visitor center & it did not disappoint to scratch my adventure itch. Each chapter is named after a nearby place & the author did a beautiful job in connecting the original John Muir letters to form a historical, cohesive & poetic read. Tons of quotes to call you to the mountains!

[Mary Featherstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

very short read (like 30 minutes read) the index is a cannot miss and I really appreciate someone compiling this info in a cohesive and readable manner. I loved connecting John Muir's path to Yosemite to ours- bridalveil falls to wanona pipeline is so real. I also feel like I got a better sense of seasonality with the region which is nice

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and interesting read of Muir’s walk from SF to Yosemite in 1868. Fascinating descriptions of the natural beauty of San Jose / Pacheco Pass / San Joaquin Valley — certainly heavily affected today, as Muir clearly saw coming. San Jose as the freshest air he’s ever inhaled… lol. Loved the idea of the area’s natural beauty being in sunset, with industrious folk laying plans for development.

[Jenn Masse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grabbed it from the LFL in our neighborhood... if it wasn't 40 pages, it would have been a DNF. I find his ramblings hard to follow, but I was curious to read about his trek to and through Yosemite, but I don't even think 3 pages were dedicated to Yosemite. At the end of the book he says "I barely wrote anything..." and boy does that sum it up.

[Carmen Conforti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun book! This book is a quick little read with enchanting artwork inside. A lot of the writing is in the fairly dry style of a journal, but the descriptions are vivid, and the thoughts are beautiful. Loved it!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thin on the story side of John Muir’s wilderness adventures, this cute copy will still be perfect to decorate your coffee table and to share Muir’s walk to Yosemite with guests as it provides a basic overview.

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Muir’s description of nature is so poetic. “Larks and streams sang everywhere; the sky was cloudless, and the whole valley was a lake of light.”

It was a perfect little book to read while staying at a cottage in Vermont surrounded by nature.

[Brittany Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I bought this book for the cover! I enjoyed this short read though. It was my first introduction to John Muir. I liked reading a bit of his personal history as well as his adventure to reach Yosemite.

[Alexis Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super easy read-honestly, trying to make it to 100 books. My fiancé and I love Yosemite and have wondered about the trek to discover and plant the roads that we ourselves have hiked on.

It was a little too informational and not as "fictional" as I wanted.

[Pat B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and sumptuous. Having just visited Yosemite, this was a delight, finished in a couple of short sessions. Muir’s descriptions of the riot of wildflowers in the San Joaquin valley was new to me. Now lost to modern-day monoculture agribusiness, I fear.

[Mackenzie Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very simple read, I was hoping for this to be a little more informative than it was, writing about my own experience in Yosemite probably would’ve been more exciting. But all the same gave me excitement to visit more national parks.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful trip in California with Muir

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retelling uaing Muirs notea. Cleverly put together and enjoyable

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Muir's writing is like poetry dedicated to the beautiful California wilderness. I enjoyed the pockets of humor in his tales as well!

[Lisa of Hopewell]

I learned of this book here: https://thecandleenthusiast.wordpress...

[Gerri Wayland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short read for anyone who enjoys hiking and loves Yosemite National Park.

[Lauren Contreras-Loreto · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting that Peter & Donna Thomas edited the journals of John Muir to flow like a letter on his journey. In some ways it felt disjointed and the tones shifted. It was a beautiful book- but I'd direct anyone on to the originals instead.