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Show 447. sought a vacation, not a living. They wanted to clean up the cities, the politics, and the environment of California. The Sierra Club drew members interested in an Alpine Club as well as those who were primarily interested in defending yosemite, and this dual interest characterized the Club then even as it does today. It seemed like a useful combination of interests, for recreation in Nature and political activity to create a better California in the future. Though they elected Muir as president, the purposes of the Club reflected the interest of other members as it was written: To explore, enjoy and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast; to publish authentic information concerning them; to enlist the support and co-operation of the people and the government in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. . . . These secular aims suggested a strong reliance on the public duties of the Club as a trailblazer in the wilderness, which would not only promote enjoyable recreation but also help make it a popular pastime. The Club would build trails and encourage the building of roads. It would advertise the Parks, and publish guidebooks. It would be responsible for taking people into the mountains on summer outings. The Sierra Club encouraged a "secular religion," as Joseph Sax characterizes their cult. It was to be a secular movement, indeed. And that would |
