When John Muir, at twenty-nine, left his job as a machinist, he acted with his typical independence by walking to Florida, a distance of about a thousand miles. He chose the wildest ways, as he felt the need to give himself to the natural world. He felt that life was too precious to be devoted to machines. As he later put it, he could have become a millionaire but he chose to become a tramp. And, as it turned out, a millionaire’s life could not have produced the effect that John Muir’s life has had on the American landscape.
After his walk to Florida, Muir ually found himself in California where he became fascinated by Yosemite Valley. There he began his career as a nature essayist and conservationist. He also explored the mountains extensively and traveled to other wild areas, including Alaska. His life fell into a single-developing pattern of devotion to all things natural.
Besides independence, endurance and joy were a large part of Muir’s character. He would set off for a mountain trek(艰苦跋涉) with very few belongings and only a little food. These would last him for weeks of climbing and exploring. Wherever he looked, he saw beauty and he felt joy. He felt as if the beauty was evidence of a divine presence, and ually, in his own mind, the line between the divine and nature became blurred. Muir was one of the first voices in favor of the wild in a time better known for the destruction and exploitation of nature. He was born 150 years ago, but groves of sequoia(红杉) redwood trees still grow because of his love and work. According to the passage, John Muir lived