Steep Trails Author:John Muir Originally published in 1918, this brilliant collection of letters and magazine articles spans nearly thirty years of Muir's writing and is one of the lesser known gems of the Muir canon. Gathered shortly after Muir's death by family friend William Frederic Bade, these passages are learned, funny, exalted, and quirky in one amazing turn after an... more »other. Here is Muir caught in a snowstorm below the peak of Mount Shasta; interviewing the one remaining miner in a Nevada ghost town; bathing "clean as a saint" in the Great Salt Lake, and sparring with Mormon elders; exploring the forests of Puget Sound, and climbing Mount Rainier; peering into the Grand Canyon, "a collection of stone books covering thousands of miles of shelving, tier on tier." Steep Trails is Muir at his wondering, joyful, ebullient best."Muir's writing has survived for a century because he was not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. He didn't hunt or fish in the wilderness, sell trees or snag nuggets, and thus in a sense he has only been freshened for us by the passage of time." -- Edward Hoagland, from his Foreword"To read this book is like going on a joyous holiday through the most picturesque parts of America." -- The New York Times, December, 1918« less
Excellent collection of letters and magazine articles written by John Muir during his travels through the Grand Canyon, Mt. Shasta, and Mount Rainier, to name a few. Originally published in 1918. Excellent read for anyone who loves the outdoors.