Head into the wilderness on the trail of some of the most celebrated fable and figures of Americana from Kit Carson to Jedidiah Smith. They were the men who helped open up the West to the rest of the nation, who lived the adventure that the “American Spirit” symbolizes. They were rough, often lawless people who became heroes, brash enough to risk everything to satisfy their wanderlust and desire for the big payday. MOUNTAIN MEN examines the myths, legends and reality surrounding such figures as Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, John Colter and Jedidiah Smith. Experts like author Robert Utley (A Life Wild and Perilous) help unravel the tangled skein of fables and facts surrounding them and explore their significance to the America of their time and ours. Trace their journeys through the wilderness and relive their astonishing accomplishments. And period art and accounts offer a glimpse at these figures through the lens of their contemporaries. Though their time of prominence lasted little more than a generation, the mark they left on the nation remains today.
