Life in the Rocky Mountains: A Diary of Wanderings on the Sources of the Rivers Missouri, Columbia, and Colorado, 1830-1835

by Warren Angus Ferris

This memoir by adventurer Warren Angus Ferris offers an in-depth and first-hand tale of the Rocky Mountains and its neighboring rivers, as they were during the 1830s.Beginning with an enthusiastic cry of "Westward, Ho!", we are taken on a journey by Ferris, who proves a lively and thoroughly readable commentator. His adventures with the groups of hunters and traders are varied and numerous, and the tone of his writing does a fine job capturing the spirit of risk taking and excitement of venturing to the unknown which characterized the era.We receive descriptions of the rugged and sometimes breathtaking wilderness, the Native American tribes and their warriors and their leadership, and the trade of furs which drove a great part of the westward expansion. The many perils of the frontier wilderness, from fierce animals and bears, to thieves and bandits, to hostile groups of Native Americans, were all encountered by Ferris in his years navigating the great mountain ranges.Particular attention is given to the mighty chieftains of the Native American tribes, some of whom struck the fur traders and trappers with a sense of awe for their strong bearing. We also hear how the company would survive, often enduring hunger and bad weather by honing their survivalist techniques and skills at camping.In all, this memoir oozes authenticity, the narrative ranking among the most impressive of all the rocky mountain men.This edition includes several supplementary articles, written in the local press after this autobiography was first published in 1845. From these we gain an idea of how Americans of the era read and appreciated the insight wilderness explorers such as Ferris gave to those who were unfamiliar with the vast, untrammeled lands stretching across great swathes of the North American continent.

Genres: History

444 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Steve DeViney]

Enjoyed this book very much. A well written and personal journal with lots of detail about the life of a mountain man. Would consider this the equal of Osborn Russell's "Journal Of A Trapper: Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains 1834-1843". The only thing missing for me was a recurring set of maps helping one visualize exactly where Ferris was in his travels. I kept referring to DeLorme maps of Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming; plus some Internet searches to find specific locations.