Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man:A Field Guide to Leadership in the Great Outdoors Chapter 32

This is the thirty-second of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.

Chapter 32: Beaver tail soup.

"Bread without flesh is a good diet, as on many botanical excursions I have proved. Tea also may easily be ignored. Just bread and water and delightful toil is all I need,-- not unreasonably much, yet one ought to be trained and tempered to enjoy life in these brave wilds in full independence of any particular kind of nourishment.”

-John Muir July 7,1869

In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear, some of the men that ventured into the mountains on trapping and trading expeditions kept extensive personal journals of their travels and daily lives. The journals included details of the men’s and women’s diets, grooming habits, and thoughts about life in general. One topic that appears in journals throughout the entire golden age of the mountain men was that of serving and eating beaver tail or beaver tail soup. In some of the journals the beaver tail soup is written about with the highest regards in comparison to the finest fare of the most exclusive restaurants and eateries of the day. Other journals describe it as truly awful, tasting like the worst fish caught in the muddiest waters known to man with only the unsuspecting newly arrived greenhorn being able to be tricked into consuming it. This modern-day mountain man has never tried beaver tail soup, so I cannot speak with authority if it is, in fact, a rare edible delight, a joke to be played on newcomers, or something in-between. The point being, there are foods for everyone, as no two discerning tastes are exactly the same.

Having such a wide variety of foods is one of our Creator’s greatest gifts to mankind. It is important to remember when one is hungry enough that foods we usually find repulsive taste like gourmet treats from a highly rated chef. After a long day of trekking in the mountains and arriving at a selected campsite for the evening even the most mundane effort on the portable camp stove will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Throughout the years of teaching outdoor skill priorities and thought processes I have always taught and emphasized the “5 rules of the 3’s.” What these rules help to do is to lay the groundwork for placing priorities into what is actually essential when deep in the wilds of the world. Like all rules and systems, there are always exceptions. For example the “rules of the 3’s” that apply to water intake would not be very applicable in a desert environment, wherein if a person doesn’t carry enough water and hydrate constantly, they will surely perish. Some of the exceptions would also apply to the “rules of the 3’s” in reference to food, nutrition, and caloric intake. A person with a blood sugar issue or other digestive concerns will not be able to endure long periods of exertion without constant necessary nutrients and sugars.

The first “rule of the 3’s” concerns a person’s P.M.A. (Positive Mental Attitude), in which if a person loses their P.M.A. for even three seconds, things can quickly spiral out-of-control. Making a possible bad situation even worse by not maintaining a positive outlook is one of the most common mistakes that can be made in a dire situation. This is where Mr. Paul Petzoldt’s idea of stopping to take the time to smoke a “mental cigarette” is very important as it requires the leader to slow down and dissect the problem and help to see a positive outcome as quickly and accurately as possible.

The second “rule of 3’s” is an average of three minutes without oxygen before serious issues develop in the human body. There are definitely people that can hold their breath for much longer, but for the average untrained person, bad things will start to happen to our brain and body without a steady supply of oxygen. This is another reason why it is important to take the time to slow down and breathe; an oxygenated brain functions best. The third “rule of the 3’s” is about utilizing proper clothing and shelter systems when outdoors, as the human body can become dangerously hypothermic after just three hours if inappropriately insulated against the elements. The fourth “rule of the 3’s” states on average the human body can endure three days without water. As mentioned earlier, there are exceptions to this idea, but since the human body consists of about 70% water, we need to constantly replenish lost water to keep our bodies functioning properly.

The fifth and final “rule of the 3’s” is three weeks without measurable amounts of food or nutrients. This certainly shocks many people to hear this. We definitely would not be able to travel up and down mountains without high caloric intake, but staying put in one place without food for long periods of time is not only possible but has been accomplished many times throughout history. The Bible gives many accounts of people enduring long periods without food while traveling through wilderness experiences. The most well-known of these accounts is of-course being Jesus Christ’s forty-day expedition into the wilderness.

The idea that our bodies are designed to go long periods of time without food is the reason why sustenance is number seven on the 7+1 outdoor skill priorities. God designed mankind to not only survive, but thrive in times of trials. In the modern age, there are many television shows where people are left far from civilization with little to no support, left to fend for themselves in the wilds. These shows always seem to focus first on the process of obtaining and consuming wild edibles, in the more outlandish of these programs these processes aim for sheer shock value. The presenter or contestants will often find and eat food that is not only disgusting, but in some cases quite dangerous. Make no mistakes, this is solely for the rating’s value.

In the mountains, during winter conditions or during periods of high stress and physical exertion, mankind does require regular caloric intake. The human body is essentially a furnace and, like all heating devices, our bodies require regular fueling when cold or harsh conditions exist. This is one of the reasons why the mountain men of yesteryear and the native populations did in fact regularly consume beaver tail, as it is a fantastic source of nutrients and needed fats. The mountain men of yesteryear would have consumed thousands and thousands of calories a day when conditions and resources allowed, not too different than today’s elite athletes. As these men were regularly wading into ice-cold water, enduring blizzards, and traveling great distances, often on foot over very rough terrain, they would have needed constant fueling for their internal furnaces. In all likelihood this is the reason why beaver tail soup was regarded so highly in journals; the men and women were hungry constantly and anything would taste great, not to mention the absorption of high-quality nutrients provided by just such a meal. I suppose it is possible that some didn’t like the taste and reserved the meal as a joke for other unsuspecting diners, but there is no doubt that beaver tail would be a tasty treat for anyone that was hungry enough.

A Tasty Treat.

In conclusion it doesn’t matter whether a person fancies themselves as a carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, or something else, proper nutrition is important to maintain our bodily functions and especially for the body to operate at a high level. It stands to reason that the more active we are, the more calories we need to keep our furnace firing. It is important to remember that if food cannot be found or caught, our bodies were designed by our Creator to be able to endure until resources can once again be obtained. As always, this doesn’t apply to every person on the planet as some will require special diets, foods, or amounts, but it is the same mindset nonetheless. Plan ahead and set yourself and the group you are leading up for success in the outdoors by knowing exactly what food and nutrient resources are required and how much is needed, otherwise you may find yourself dining on a delicious bowl of beaver tail soup on a regular basis.