| About the Barren River Party |
"At this place, all the branches of this stream is collected from the mountain into the main channel, which forms quite a large stream; and to which we gave the name Barren River- a name which we thought would be quite appropriate, as the country, natives and everything belongling to it, justly deserves the name." -Zenas Leonard, 1833- "Adventures of a Mountain Man", page 111. And thus, our party has derived its name. Zenas Leonard traveled with Joseph Walker's historic 1833 expedition across the Great Basin, using the Humboldt (Barren) River as their route to the Sierra Nevada. They were the first whites to cross that range in winter, and the first to gaze upon Yosemite Valley and the Giant Sequoias. More history of the Humboldt (Barren, Mary's) River- First discovered November 9, 1828, by Peter Skene Ogden on his fifth Snake Country expedition. Entering Nevada near present Denio, Ogden came southward along Quinn River and the Little Humboldt River, emerging on the Humboldt main stem near this site. Ogden explored hundreds of square miles of the Humboldt's course, left records of his trailblazing in his journal and first map of the area. Ogden gave the name "Unknown River" to the Humboldt at this time, as he was unsure where it went. Later, after the death of his trapper Joseph Paul, Ogden renamed the stream Paul's River, then Swampy River, finally Mary's River, from the legendary Indian wife of one of his trappers. In 1833 the Bonneville-Walker fur party named it Barren River. Ogden's or Mary's River were commonly used names for the Humboldt prior to the publication of John C. Fremont's map in 1848. The Humboldt was the only natural arterial across the Great Basin. It funneled thousands of emigrants along its valley en route to the Pacific Coast during the period of 1841-1870. |
The Mountain Man's life was one of skill. Not only was he a trapper and woodsman without equal, he was also a trader, blacksmith, horsewrangler, teamster, doctor, gunsmith, tailor, explorer, packer and guide. There was little room for softness in the life of the Mountain Man. He had to be as hard as the elements he lived in. Although today's "historians" often attempt to picture him as a careless ne'er-do- well, there was really no room for carelessness or timidity in his life. He had to be constantly alert for signs of danger and ready for immediate action. As long periods of time might, and often did, pass without his seeing another man, it was necessary that he be self-sufficient, able to live from what nature provided. The Mountain Man had to possess that spirit of adventure that makes a man wonder just what is up the river and over the mountain, then go and find out, regardless of time or danger. Perhaps most important of all, the Mountain Men had the complete loyalty toward one another that can be found only in a brotherhood of rugged men of like spirit. To quote Kit Carson, "There is alway a brotherly affection existing among trappers and the side of danger is alway their choice." The Mountain Men were strict individualists. They seldom asked for help when danger threatened or a Brother was in need. Asking was just not necessary. Today most of this spirit has been lost. The life style of most of today's men has changed to total dependence upon society and on others of us being forced by law to assist them through life. The American Mountain Men have little interest in these social concepts. We are trying to preserve what is left of the spirit of the original Mountain Men and bring back much of what has been lost. We want men who are willing to step back in time, to attempt for a short time, at least, to live life as man was meant to live it, as Free Individuals and true Sons of the Wilderness. You won't be asked about your politics, religion or private life. These are your personal concern. You can expect, however, to be asked about your outdoor experience. You can expect to be questioned about your feelings toward firearms, hunting, trapping, camping alone and getting along with others during a primitive encampment or jornada. We don't ask that you have a lot of experience. We do ask that you have a sincere interest in what we are doing and that you are willing to learn and teach that which you do know. The learning experience will often be under primitive conditions. If your stick floats this way, we suggest you contact us. |
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| Joseph Walker |