The John Muir Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2004

• Main Author: The John Muir Center for Environmental Studies
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Scholarly Commons 2004
• Subjects: John Muir; Newsletter; Holt-Atherton Special Collections; University of the Pacific; Holt-Atherton Pacific Center for Western Studies; Stockton; California; John Muir Center for Regional Studies; American Studies; Natural Resources and Conservation; United States History; Atherton; Pacific; glaciers; Alaska
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmn/76; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/jmn/article/1075/viewcontent/spring_summer04.pdf

News feSITY OF' THE PACIFIC, STOCKTON, CA Volume 14, Number 2/3 SPRING/SUMMER-2004 The Dim Dark Sea of the Norther John Muir's Exploits into the Pacific Northwest by Shane M. Hetzler (Editor's note: A native ofBeaverton, Oregon, Shane Hetzler graduated from Pacific in May, 2004, with a double major in Histoiy and French as well as a minor in Environmental Studies. This paper was researched as an Independent Study research project utilizing the unique resources of the John Muir Papers on campus.) 7ti the Pacific Northwest of today, many people do not wonder why they are able to enjoy wild and scenic places to the extent that they are able. They do not question the fact that some of the most spectacular vistas, most stately mountains, and wisest forests survive today because of the dedication and commitment of the people before them. It is widely recognized that John Muir's contributions to the American conservation movement place Muir in a category by himself. His fight to preserve natural wonders like Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon ensured that those special places would become public lands under federal guardianship. However, because Muir's name is often synonymous with unique locations like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, many fail to realize the mark that he left on other areas of the West.1 In his lifetime, Muir voyaged across deserts, mountains, glaciers, oceans, and jungles. His zeal for the outdoors and his lifelong desire for knowledge proved to be a conduit for his travels. But little is known about his relationship to the Pacific Northwest, namely Oregon, Washington, and to a lesser extent Idaho. Many Muir admirers know of his adventure with Stickeen,2 the dog in Alaska, and especially his many excursions in Yosemite Valley, but what mark did he leave on the Northwest? Equally important, what mark did the Northwest leave on him? The purpose of this article is to examine Muir in the context of the people and places of the Pacific Northwest that became important to him. The study also explores ...