DAY 4 : 10.5 MILES THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE ( 9,833 FT .) TO DONAHUE PASS ( 11,056 FT .)
We had about eight mostly flat miles to go before reaching Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park , where cold drinks and fresh , hot food awaited . We giddily hiked and descended more than 1,000 ft . into Lyell Canyon and across miles of meadows blanketing the same park that Muir and then-president Theodore Roosevelt visited in 1903 , when Muir was in his mid-60s . Muir ’ s three-night camping trip with Roosevelt could be considered the most significant event in conservation history . It was here in Yosemite that they laid the foundation for Roosevelt ’ s innovative and notable conservation programs .
Trail runners began to pass us , which meant we were getting close . After five more hours of hiking , we made it to the Tuolumne Meadows , exhausted and famished . We ordered a hot meal and discussed hiking an additional twenty miles into the valley . Yet when I removed the bandage covering a blister on my right foot , I inadvertently removed all the skin on my little toe with it . “ I don ’ t know if I can hike with this ,” I told Michael . “ I don ’ t think you can either ,” he said .
Our trip was over and we would drive home the next day . I was covered in mosquito bites , my blisters hurt and I was desperate for a shower , but I was honestly sad to leave . The fifty miles we walked across were the most beautiful I have ever seen . I am so thankful for the chance to see this land with my own eyes and , in part , through those of John Muir .
Muir has taught generations of people across the world , like me , the importance of experiencing nature , and why it ’ s so critical to preserve it . Though hiking the trail was one of the hardest things I ’ ve done , it was incredibly exhilarating . I learned many things : people are not made of glass ; we are stronger than we think . Exploring the wild doesn ’ t mean certain death , but something far from it . I have never felt so alive as I did during those five days . And , above all , I learned nature is our most precious commodity . When you are surviving off water from streams and surrounded by breathtaking scenery with each step , you truly realize that we need to protect our home .
On the drive back , Michael and I were already planning our next outdoor adventure . Why ? I think Muir said it best : “ Keep close to Nature ’ s heart ... and break clear away , once in a while , and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods . Wash your spirit clean .”
HEAVENLY MEADOWS " As we approached Tuolumne Meadows , I began walking with a limp due to a festering blister . The day before , I failed to take off my shoes while crossing several wide rivers ."
UC San Diego ’ s second college was named after environmentalist pioneer and founder of the Sierra Club , John Muir , whose life and work in conservation awareness and the preservation of unspoiled wilderness exemplifies the college ’ s values of sustainability and environmental justice .
Muir College and its students support local , national , and global efforts to preserve the natural environment and promote sustainability in energy and water use , waste disposal and food production . In 2011 , the college began honoring individuals working for the environment by naming Muir College Environmental Fellows , including alumni like writer Kim Stanley Robinson ’ 74 , PhD ' 82 ; Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina ’ 87 ; nonprofit founder Kristian Gustavson ’ 08 , MAS ' 11 ; marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson ’ 09 , PhD ' 11 ; and UC San Diego professor Robert “ Skip ” Pomeroy ’ 84 .
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