wildsouthland: Sam Merrill Trail

About wildsouthland

wildsouthland, or at least the name, was inspired by the writings of John Muir. In 1877, Muir visited the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California and then wrote about his experience. In Steep Trails, a collection of Muir's letters, articles, and musing spanning a 29-year period, Muir speaks almost reverentially of the San Gabriels. Introducing unfamiliar readers to this iconic transverse range, Muir requests permission to "be allowed a word for wildness -- the wildness of this southland, pure and untamable as the sea." I don't profess to be a John Muir. I lack his eloquence, his colorful and evocative vocabulary, and his unique way of seeing the ordinary as sublime. But my goal, like Muir's, is to be allowed a word for wildness - the wildness of the southland and beyond. That may not always mean what you may immediately think it might. Sometimes it might mean a straight-up trail report. Other times, it might involve recounting an outdoor adventure. Still other times, it may mean wandering off path and simply using "wildness" as a platform for introspection and/or other ruminations. Whatever it means, I appreciate you visiting and hope that you find Wild Southland entertaining, informative, thought-provoking, unique, beautiful, and distinctive.