Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man:A Field Guide to Leadership in the Great Outdoors Chapter 9

This is the ninth 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 9: Always enjoy robe season.

“There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

― Alfred Wainwright, A Coast to Coast Walk

There will always be something magical and majestic about wintertime for me. Growing up in the Midwest of the United States, winters were occasionally harsh and unpredictable. The worse the weather was, the more I enjoyed being outside. I remember many days playing in the snow or hiking around until I could no longer feel my toes, fingers or nose. The conditions made me feel alive, I loved every minute of it. The cold conditions and fresh snow opened up a whole new world of exploration for me. Gone were the impassable thickets of poison ivy, thorny plants, and all-around impenetrable underbrush. The forests were finally open and you could see so much further and deeper into this forest wonderland. Animal tracks were abundant as the whole animal world sprang to life for warmth and play, as they took time to enjoy their hard work of preparation and food storage that had been conducted during the rest of the year.

Winter is certainly not seen as a nuisance or hindrance to most of God’s amazing creation, but as a source of life-giving water and a time for renewal to begin another year of growth and revitalization. If I had a single dollar for every grumble or complaint that I have ever heard regarding winter weather, snow or cold temperatures, I would surely be a wealthy man. I believe this all to be in a person’s perspective, or their view of how this winter weather only affects them and not necessarily the world and ecosystems around them. The very people that will complain about a huge winter snowstorm, will undoubtedly also be the ones complaining come summertime, as uncontrollable forest fires rage due to a lack of winter moisture. Part of me can understand why having to drive during a daily commute in the snow and ice could be a real pain. What I have always failed to understand, however, are people who intentionally live in work in an amazing area like the Rocky Mountains, yet are constantly in complaint mode when it comes to winter weather and snow. It should not come as a surprise to anyone who lives at high elevations in the mountains or in areas of higher latitudes, that cold and snow can and does, arrive at any time of the year. In all my years of living at 9,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains, July and August were the only months that I never experienced snow directly at our house, but it did snow just a few thousand feet above us on the mountain. Now that my family and I have moved to a lower elevation (5,000 feet), this will be something I will miss. There was something exciting and energizing about feeling and experiencing God’s weather design and the abruptness of how things can change so quickly. On more than one occasion while working at camps and conference centers, I had groups that became very angry and incensed that it could possibly snow and get cold during their special retreat. Even after much effort on my part to explain to them that it was actually a great opportunity to have a learning experience of being prepared and planning ahead, their frustrations were rarely relieved. I have always believed winter to be the best time for education, as there is the most to be gained and lost in an outdoors experience. Instead of enjoying the snow and cold for what it is, a blessing and a gift from God that will help sustain and provide water and resources for life for another year, it was seen as a huge hindrance to happiness and contentment. Their lack of knowledge, preparation, and a Positive Mental Attitude robbed them of an opportunity to turn what was in their mind a very negative experience into something joyous.

Dressed for winter adventure.

I firmly believe that some of these negative views stem from mankind getting away from God’s plan of a designed wilderness and becoming stuck in a life of relative comfort and ease, instead of a life positively challenged by physical, mental and emotional adventures. I believe the rest of the issue lies with a lack of perspective and observation with the world around them. In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear, wintertime was always something that was looked forward to. They referred to wintertime as “robe season,” meaning you wear your heavyweight buffalo robe for warmth and comfort. The mountain men and women of yesteryear understood winter to be a time to finally relax a little and enjoy the fact that they had made it through another arduous year of adventure as a trapper/trader. Oftentimes, they would move in with the local native tribes for the winter and spend their evenings socializing, telling stories and enjoying the company of their fellow man and woman. This doesn’t mean that life was super easy, there were certainly still challenges, but considering the rest of the year they survived, this was considered “shinin’ times,” meaning very good. All of the streams and lakes were frozen over, so no more wading through icy cold waters to trap beavers. The threat of hostile enemies abated as everyone stayed put in villages or encampments for winter, and the much-feared grizzly bears were taking their long winter nap. The mountain men of yesteryear also understood that the more severe the winter, the more water and resources that would be available for them and the animals, and more importantly, the thicker and lusher the beaver’s fur would become for springtime trapping. This would lead to great personal and professional success. Their world was one interconnected web of seasons, people and resources.

The modern-day mountain man would do well to remember that robe season is all part of God’s plan for his all-encompassing creation. Robe season (winter) is also when Christians should get really excited, as it is the time when we celebrate the greatest gift mankind has ever received from God, the birth of His son Jesus Christ. Winter, snow, and Christmas go together and are a powerful symbol of God’s great design, and His loving and giving relationship with us. Happy Holidays!!