I heard a story recently that I thought was worth passing on. I have no idea if it is true, but I like it anyway.
In 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt went on a train trip across the country, visiting notable scenic spots. In California, he visited Yosemite, where he met John Muir. Apparently they took a liking to each other. A dinner was planned in their honor at the Wawona lodge. Before the dinner, the two told Roosevelt’s staff that they were going for a walk in Mariposa grove. They didn’t tell the staff that they weren’t coming back that evening.
And so the founder of the conservation movement and the founder of the National Park system managed to give the secret service and everyone else the slip, and spend three days together in the woods. No tents or other gear, just conversation and the biggest trees on earth.
True or not, its a pretty good story.
The Lost Yak 
This story was included in Ken Burns’ recent PBS series on the National Parks. Unless Ken got fooled by somebody, the story is true.
David Barstow