Thousand Island Lake (2997m) and Banner Peak (3943m), looking southwest from John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail at 3080m, in the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

His Challenges

• Born in San Francisco, California on February 20, 1902.
• His parents were upper-class and his father owned a lumber business that was created by his grandfather.
• During the aftershocks of the April 18, 1906 earthquake, he was tossed into a wall and broke his nose. He was four years old.
• He was frequently sick and diagnosed with hypochondria.
• He fell in love with nature at a young age. He and his family were close to Lobos Creek, Baker Beach, and Lands End.
• His father’s business dropped after the grandfather’s death and the Panic of 1907. Their lifestyle changed drastically.