
The life of a mountaineer seems to be particularly
favorable to the development of soul-life, as well as limb-life, each
receiving abundance of exercise and abundance of food. We little
suspect the capacity that even our flesh has for knowledge. Oftentimes
in climbing canyon walls I come to polished slopes that seem to be too
steep to venture on. After scrutinizing them, carefully noting every
dint and scratch that might give hope for a foothold, I have decided
they were unsafe. Yet my limbs, as if possessing a separate sense,
would be of a different opinion, and cross the condemned slopes against
the remonstrances of the will. My legs sometimes transport me to camp,
in the darkness, over cliffs, and through bogs and forests that seem
inaccessible to civilized legs in the daylight. In like manner the soul
sets forth at times upon rambles of its own. Our bodies, though
meanwhile out of sight and forgotten, blend into the rest of nature,
blind to the boundaries of individuals. But it is after both the body
and soul of a mountaineer have worked hard, and enjoyed hard, that they
are most palpably separate. Our weary limbs, lying at rest on the pine
needles, make no attempt to follow after or sympathize with the nimble
spirit that, apparently glad of the opportunity, wanders alone down
gorges, along beetling cliffs, or away among the peaks and glaciers of
the farthest landscapes, or into realms that eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard; and when at length we are ready to return home to our
flesh-and-bone tabernacle, we scarcely for a moment or two know in what
direction to seek for it.
-- John Muir, John of the Mountains
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The Sierra Nevada is the most dominant physical feature in
California. Geologically, the northern border of the Sierra Nevada is
positioned in the Lake Almanor-Lassen Peak area, where the granite of
the Sierra meets the volcanic rock of the Cascades. In the South, the
Tehachapis mark the border. The base of the eastern escarpment forms
the edge of the range in the east. And, in the west, the range ends
where the alluvials of the central valley begin to cover the more solid
rock of the Sierra. In total area, the range covers approximately
28,000 square miles. North to south, the range measures approximately
430 miles. In some places, it is almost 70 miles wide.
Because of this stature, the Range possesses a rich human and
geological history which plays an important part in the history of the
United States, in general, and California, in particular. Sierra Nevada
Chronicles, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation thats major
purpose is to collect and make available to interested individuals
selected written and pictorial material relating to the past, present,
and future history and exploration of the Sierra Nevada. This web site
is the major medium that will be utilized for the presentation of this
material.
The idea for this site came to me while I was developing curriculum
for my mountaineering classes at U.C., Santa Cruz and researching my
article on Sierra Mountaineering that was published in Mountain
magazine. It soon became apparent that the primary source materials I
needed were extant, but were spread far and wide in old and
out-of-print mountaineering, travel, and historical books, periodicals,
and newspapers, and in unpublished letters and journals buried in
manuscript libraries. Then, as I continued to collect information for
these and other projects, it began to dawn on me that a considerable
amount of material was accumulating on virtually every flat space in my
work room. I remember thinking how much more pleasant it would have
been to have had all this material already collected in one place for
me to utilize. One thing led to another, and Sierra Nevada Chronicles,
Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, has become a reality.
Initially, this site will be broken down into eight parts. - The
Library will be the "heart" of this site. It will consist of books,
periodical and newspaper articles, manuscripts, first-hand accounts,
etc., relating to the Sierra. Each entry will copied in its entirety,
and, as much as possible, will be reproduced in its original format. In
other words, pictures will be taken of each page. That way, there will
be no transcription errors and researchers will be able to quote
accurately from each publication. Further, nothing included in the
library will in any way be edited by me. It has always bothered me that
most twentieth century editors seem to feel it is their main task to
sanitize these accounts by changing the author's prose into modern-day,
pedantic English. In my opinion, any editing detracts from a piece, and
can be justified only as self aggrandizement by the editor. Editors who
do this can, if careful, retain most (but not all) of the meaning of
the account, but, the more they tinker, the more they lose any real
"feeling' of time and place. This feeling of time and place is one of
the primary purposes of this site.
- Images, on the other hand, will be its "soul." A picture is
indeed worth a thousand words, but, more importantly, it is much better
than words to create the "feeling" of time and place. It will consist
mainly of photographs and paintings/drawings. This page is not,
however, and is not meant to be, a treatise on the subject of
photography, painting, etc. It is meant to display samples of works
produced by the artists of that time, with the equipment of that time,
of the Sierra Nevada of that time.
- News and Events is designed to keep Sierra devotees aware of
current issues and events in the Sierra. A monthly newsletter will be
produced on this page, and emailed to anyone who wishes receive a copy.
Back issues of these newsletters will be maintained on an archives
page. Space will also be made available in an editorial section of this
newsletter for anyone interested in expressing their viewpoint on any
issue. If possible, both sides of any issue will be presented.
- For the Explorer will include information for those who wish to
see and experience the Sierra first hand. As stated before, a picture
is worth a thousand words. It follows then that an experience is worth
a thousand pictures. This page will provide information to those who
wish to safely experience the Range for themselves. It will include,
but not be limited to equipment; food packaging, preparation, and
protection, hiking, camping, and mountaineering skills, weather,
leadership, group process, routefinding, health and safety, survival,
mountain flora and fauna, and basic ecology.
- Donations describe how interested individuals can make donations
to help maintain and improve the site. Sierra Nevada Chronicles, Inc.
is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, so all donations are tax
deductible for both federal and state taxes.
- Contact Us provides contact information for the site and any
other relevant individuals or organizations.
- About the Director describes the experiences that qualify me to
manage this site.
- Links on this page will be many and varied. They will all,
however, have a direct relationship to the past, present, and future
history and exploration of the Sierra Nevada.
I agree wholeheartedly with John Muir when he called the Sierra Nevada
the Range of Light, the most beautiful mountain chain I have ever seen.
This belief, along with the volume, extent, and variety of the
historical material available, will make this site, for me, both a
labor of love and a work in progress.
Home Page /
The Library /
Images /
For the Explorer /
News & Events /
Donations /
Contact Us /
About the Director /
Links and Bibliography
Sierra Nevada Chronicles, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
Unless otherwise noted, all material on this site is
© Leonard R. Daughenbaugh; Bishop, California 93514; 1984-2005
All Rights Reserved
Any Duplication and/or Reproduction of any Piece without the Express, Written Permission of its Author is Expressly Prohibited
Site Last Updated: 12/01/04 10:44 PM
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