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Show 149. If, "in Sierra architecture, the style always proclaims the nature of the rock," it was incumbent upon the geologist to investigate seriously the texture, structure, and nature of granite. After he convinced himself that the glaciers were the primary creative forces which had carved the Sierra, study of rock structure took much of his time and energy. He was convinced that the Sierra was a work of divine art, and came to understand "'He hath builded the mountains,' as not merely a figurative but a literal expression." When Muir explored the length, breadth, and heights of the range, he decided that the Sierran granite was all of one piece. This meant that the separate glaciers which followed the first universal ice sheet met and disinterred similar forms all along the axis of the range, cutting canyons which bore a strong familial resemblance. Hetch Hetchy valley, the canyon of the South Fork of the Kings River, and Yosemite were similar. "Nature is not so poor as to possess only one of anything, nor throughout her varied realms has she ever been known to offer an exceptional creation, whether of mountain or of valley." But Muir was puzzled by the monumental domes so prevalent in these Yosemities. He wondered if the controlling influence in the landscape was really a ubiquitous set of cleavage planes across the entire range. If that were so, he was troubled to explain the commanding individuality of inspiring landmarks like Half Dome. An early version of this portion of the |
