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Home » Adventure Blog » Yosemite Weekly Photo Updates » iPhone Panorama » Happy 177th Birthday John Muir: Yosemite Panorama Photos 2015.04.21

April 21, 2015 By YExplore Leave a Comment

Happy 177th Birthday John Muir: Yosemite Panorama Photos 2015.04.21

Retracing Muir’s Footsteps on the North Rim 
By John P. DeGrazio 
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Yosemite Valley from Eagle Peak by John P. DeGrazio

It’s not every day you get to follow a legend. This past week I had the opportunity to follow the path of the greatest Yosemite legend of all time, John Muir. It’s only fitting that we honor him on what would have been his 177th birthday today, April 21.

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Clouds Rest, North Dome, and Half Dome from the North Rim by John P. DeGrazio

John Muir wrote about his adventures in many books. In “My First Summer in the Sierra” he eloquently shared:

“Another glorious Sierra day in which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed and sent pulsing onward we know not where. Life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality.”

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Yosemite Falls and Half Dome with the Clark Range and Glacier Point by John P. DeGrazio

During that first summer, Muir took a job herding sheep through wilderness above Yosemite State Park in 1869. The wilderness Muir roamed was unprotected at the time. This summer trip changed his life forever, and he dedicated the rest of his time adventuring in and later protecting the American West. Thanks mainly to his efforts, the area surrounding the Valley is now part of Yosemite National Park (established Oct. 1, 1890).

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Half Dome and Basket Dome from the Snow Creek Trail by John P. DeGrazio

I relish every chance I have to wander on that very same North Rim of Yosemite Valley and had the good fortune to lead a private 4 Day Yosemite backpacking trip there this past week. Muir’s words were in my head as we danced from peak to peak in no particular hurry. It is a feeling of ultimate freedom and one I encourage everyone on this earth to experience. I know my photos won’t represent these landscapes with any justice, but I will share them anyway.

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Yosemite from El Capitan by John P. DeGrazio

I owe my professional life to trailblazers like John Muir and am forever in his debt. For that, I will always honor his spirit, his teachings, and his legacy. Happy birthday John of the Mountains. Thank you for the gifts you left for us all.

If you are interested in reading about more holiday periods, then please find thoughts from New Year 2015 here as well as reflections from Thanksgiving in Yosemite.

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Yosemite Falls and Half Dome from the trail by John P. DeGrazio
Yosemite-HalfDome-Verticle-YExplore-DeGrazio-APR2015
Half Dome and trees Up Arrow Panorama by John P. DeGrazio

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Filed Under: Adventure Blog, iPhone Panorama, Yosemite Adventures, Yosemite Weekly Photo Updates

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