"John Colter Meets the Crow," John Clymer
As we approach Father’s Day, I’ve been thinking about the inspiration for Colter Co. The Father of Colter Co., if you will, John Colter.
John is widely considered the first mountain man. His story and experience is an incredible inspiration. He was part of the Lewis & Clark expedition, which almost becomes a footnote in his life story compared to fact that he was the first European to explore Yellowstone, the Tetons and much of the wilder parts of the west. Alone. In the dead of winter. He mapped out many of the passable routes that pioneers and trappers alike used to travel west. He traveled light and was reported to say that he slept too hot to use anything more than a wool blanket even on the coldest nights. He had skills. The kind of skills that allowed him to travel light. The kind of skills that allowed him to provide for himself in some of the harshest conditions of the Rockies with only what he could carry.
I admire that man. I admire his spirit of self-sufficiency and love of exploration, and aspire to keep those traditions alive. We may not need to burrow into a snow bank with a wool blanket to get by these days, but I believe that we should know how. The ability to stay alive is a part of being human that we can’t afford to lose to the sands of time.
That has been the goal of Colter Co. To preserve the human legacy of John Colter through skill and love of adventure. We learn these skills and we pass them on to our children and their children. That’s part of being human.
Thank you all who have been a part of this journey with us. We look forward to seeing what the trail ahead holds for us and have enjoyed crossing paths with so many like-minded people out there.
Happy trails!
If you want to learn more about John Colter there is a wonderful in depth article about him over here: https://truewestmagazine.com/the-first-mountain-man/
This is me (on the left) beginning to learn the outdoor skills and feel the call of the wild. Thank you Dad, for taking me outside as much as you did.
This is me (on the right) teaching my kids the joy and fulfillment that only comes at the summit of a challenging peak. Here's to many more lessons that adventure has to teach.