The Trail

by Ethan Gallogly

“No,” Syd puffed. “The John Muir Trail was named in honor of Muir, but it wasn’t built by him. In fact, he probably only hiked parts of what is now the trail—although I don’t think anyone knows for certain which ones. He simply loved taking long rambling journeys through these mountains at a time when the only paths were those made by Native Americans, sheepherders, and the like.”

“Muir did a lot of exploring, but never bothered to make maps. Mostly, he followed his fancies; one day climbing a peak, the next watching the flowers bloom. He was more of an observer of nature than an explorer.”

In some cases, college can even kill creativity and breed conformity. It’s not for everyone.”

“Transcendentalists believe that there is an inherent ‘goodness’ in people and nature, but that this goodness becomes corrupted by society and its social systems. They believe that people are at their best when they’re independent and self-reliant.

“So lawns were basically just a way to show off?”

“The word for a path or trail is Tao.”