Other editions of book My First Summer in the Sierra

Following the American Civil War in the summer of 1869, John Muir signed on with a crew of shepherds to drive a flock of 2500 sheep to Yosemite National Park at the headwaters of the Merced river. It wasn't until 1911, however, that he published "My First Summer in Sierra", an account of that experience which would inspire many to visit the Yosemite region and has become a classic of environmentalist literature.

First published in 1911, My First Summer in the Sierra incorporates the lyrical accounts and sketches he produced during his four-month stay in the Yosemite River Valley and the High Sierra. His record tracks that memorable experience, describing in picturesque terms the majestic vistas, flora and fauna, and other breathtaking natural wonders of the area. Today Muir is recognized as one of the most important and influential naturalists and nature writers in America. This book, the most popular of the author’s works, will delight environmentalists and nature lovers with its exuberant observations.

This antiquarian volume contains John Muir’s 1911 travel book, "My First Summer in the Sierra". After the American Civil War, John Muir assembled a group of shepherds to drive a large flock of sheep to Yosemite National Park. In 1911 he published this account of the experience, which would encourage many people to visit the Yosemite region and become a seminal piece of environmentalist literature. The contents include: “Through the Foothills with a Flock of Sheep”, “In Camp on the North Fork of the Merced”, “A Bread Famine”, “To the High Mountains”, “The Yosemite”, “Mount Hoffman and Lake Tenaya”, “A Strange Experience”, “The Mono Trail”, etcetera. John Muir (1838 - 1914), was a Scottish-American writer, naturalist, and pioneering advocate of American wilderness preservation. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition - complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Recovering from a factory accident that nearly claimed his eyesight, a young John Muir ventured into the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The flowers, wildlife, and rock formations he saw during the summer of 1869 changed how he would look at nature forever. Recollected at the end of his life from early journals and sketches, this ecstatic personal narrative gives insight into the forward-looking nature lover who would become known as father of the nation's parks system. To read this book is to become Muir's hiking partner, sharing in "a glorious botanical and geological excursion" that would blaze the trail for the modern-day environmental movement.

"The place seemed holy, where one might hope to see God. After dark, when the camp was at rest, I groped my way back to the altar boulder and passed the night on it,—above the water, beneath the leaves and stars,—everything still more impressive than by day, the fall seen dimly white, singing Nature's old love song with solemn enthusiasm, while the stars peering through the leaf-roof seemed to join in the white water's song. Precious night, precious day to abide in me forever. Thanks be to God for this immortal gift." -John Muir "As a revelation of 'the glory and freedom of the out-of-doors' exemplified in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in and about the Yosemite Valley, Mr. Muir's narrative of his first impressions in those regions is most charming and refreshing." -The Dial "John Muir, famous now, and long to remain so, as the man of the California Sierras, spent his first summer on their sunny heights as a sort of assistant sheepherder, with never a thought of anything but the delight of it, and the joy of the naturalist and explorer. This book is made of the daily record with which he then stored his note-book - a record of slow journeyings on the lofty meadows whence spring the Tuolumne and Merced rivers, where only narrow Indian trails gave a hint of human presence, and the wild animals were hardly less tame than the sheep, for tis was away back in '69. Muir was the last man to frighten them. He wanted to see them, just as they were, at home; and what he saw he straightway set down in that simple, refreshing, strong yet wonderfully flexible English, which makes his writing a pattern for descriptive literature....But while you read the book first in gentle enthusiasm over its style, and the feeling of the mountain-meadows and vast clear distances and crisp vibrant atmosphere it conveys, you will reread it for its information. The book is packed with notes of observations of nature in every aspect - and it is all fact. One does not know whether John Muir is most poet or most naturalist. He points out a beauty and then explains how and why it is beautiful, so naturally and unaffectedly that you do not dream you are being instructed until the information has got into your system; and when you fear he is going to begin teaching, you get merely an odd trait of the dogs or a comical difficulty with the silly sheep. In short there is nobody quite like John Muir, in the Sierras or out of them; and this book gives one of his most delightful revelations." -The Literary Digest CONTENTS I. Through the Foothills with a Flock Of Sheep II. In Camp on the North Fork of the Merced III. A Bread Famine IV. To the High Mountains V. The Yosemite VI. Mount Hoffman and Lake Tenaya VII. A Strange Experience VIII. The Mono Trail IX. Bloody Cañon and Mono Lake X. The Tuolumne Camp XI. Back To the Lowlands

See The World Through John Muir’s Eyes!This deluxe, unabridged reprint Legacy Edition of John Muir’s 1911 My First Summer In The Sierra is a celebration of the beauty of California mountains and the great Yosemite valley. Take a walk with Muir as he explores Yosemite, the Sierras, the land of the large Sequoias, the ancient homes of native peoples, and the forests of America. In this volume, Muir discusses much of what he saw during his travels during his first summer in California’s Sierra Range. Reflect on the words of Muir’s keen eye for nature and the lore of the woods while you plan your own escape to the wilderness. Muir’s admiration of the diversity of his surroundings and appreciation of every living creature big and small is clearly seen in every page! This book makes a perfect gift for backpacking and camping enthusiasts, outsoorspeople, campers, hunters, bushcrafters, scouts, and historians. This book represents the rich history of the American outdoors and camping tradition, and belongs on the bookshelf of every outdoors enthusiast! A part of the Doublebit John Muir Collection: Volume 2This Doublebit Legacy Edition reprint of My First Summer In The Sierra is professionally restored and presented from the original source with the highest degree of fidelity possible. Available in both paperback and hardcover, readers can enjoy this Legacy Edition for generations and learn from its timeless knowledge for years to come.About the Doublebit Press Library of Legacy Edition ReprintsSometimes we need to remember our history to move forward. Sometimes, remembering our heritage is just fun or inspirational. With technology playing a major role in everyday life, sometimes we need to take a step back in time to find those basic building blocks used for gaining mastery – the things that we have luckily not completely lost and has been recorded in books over the last two centuries. These skills aren’t forgotten, they’ve just been shelved. It’s time to unshelve them once again and reclaim the lost knowledge of self-sufficiency!As a part of the Doublebit John Muir Collection, this unabridged Legacy Edition volume is reprinted in the exact form as it was presented in the original publication. Both important and minor details have equally both been accounted for by our publishing staff, down to the cover, font, layout, and images. It is the goal of Doublebit Legacy Edition series to preserve outdoors heritage, but also be cherished as collectible pieces, worthy of collection in any outdoorsperson’s library and that can be passed to future generations.

My First Summer in the Sierra presents Muir's journal entries from his first long-term adventure in Yosemite and the surrounding area, when he helped drive a flock of sheep through the foothills toward the headwaters of the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers. Muir's vivid descriptions of nature are infused with his characteristic wonder at the magnificence of wilderness, from a single lily “worth going hungry and footsore endless miles to see” to a vista of the luminous Range of Light.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.