Anyone have any good recommendations for Mountain Man/Trapper books. Fiction or Nonfiction, doesn’t matter.
I grew up going to muzzle loading shoots / and rendezvous so the interest was always there somewhat, but now as I’m older I find it much more interesting Just purchased the two in the top row over Labor Day weekend during a trip to Rock Springs Wy and a day trip to the Flaming Gorge area on the green river ( if you know about mt. Men you are familiar with the green river). I’m about 1/2 way through JOE MEEK, haven’t started the other. All the rest I’ve read, mostly in the winter while sitting by the stove.
I don't know if this is what you are looking for but I found the book quite interesting as well as the films that were made about him. Alone in the Wilderness, the story of duck Proenneke, by Bob Swerer Productions Edit: I think it is suppose to read duck Proenneke Grrrr FHC has changed the short word for Richard to Duck.
I thought about adding that one too, I read it every winter one time. Not really reading it anymore as I pretty much have it memorized. The title is… one mans wilderness
This would be something to consider for anyone interested in reading about trapping and living on the land in the boreal wilderness along the MN/Canadian border country. A friend and co-worker on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, told me stories about his family trapline through the Quetico. It was a 100 mile loop with small log cabins they had built and strategically placed to stay in along the way. The went in before freeze up and come out after breakup. The cabins were stocked with basics like flour, sugar, dried berries and meat, salt, etc..They brought, among other tings, snare wire, a bolt action .22 and a fish net. The Canadian Government made him go to school at age 16. He eventually was able to graduate from the the University of Minnesota and became a chemical dependency counselor…smart guy. I like thinking about this type of lifestyle and still enjoy recalling all the stories he told me. He has passed on since. He told me that his father came down to Mpls to visit him while he was attending the UofM. His father had never been to a city. At 10PM he was looking out the window overlooking the inter-state highway, and asked: What is going on tonight? My friend said, “what do you mean?” His dad replied, “Where is everybody going?”
No list of mountain man books would be complete without Crow Killer (which is what the movie Jeremiah Johnson is supposedly based on).
Terry C Johnston's series starting with Carry The Wind. There are about 5 books in the series. They are fiction. Sandhillbilly . Maybe you know the title. There was a book that talk about each Rendezvous with picture of how the location look today. All my books are buried deep in the walk in closet. May have to find the box.
I have it somewhere also. Searched the walk-in closet and didn't find my cache. I will have to get the ladder up there and search the top shelves.
A good buddy of mine recommended some on Jim Bridger and Hugh Glass, so I will reach out to him and see what those were. Glad I found this thread! Love historical books, and how can you go wrong with Mountain Men stories!
We live just south of ABQ right now. Definitely not from here, but living here, for the time being. Grew up in Idaho and miss a lot of the Mountain Man rendezvous activities over in that part of the country.
