Enos Mills' Colorado

by James H. Pickering

For the first quarter of the twentieth century the names Enos Mills and Estes Park were virtually synonymous. Mills' base of operations was his rustic mountain inn at the foot of Longs Peak, where he wrote some sixteen books and scores of magazine and newspaper articles familiarizing the nation with the scenic wonders and animal life of the Rocky Mountain West.Rocky Mountain National Park owes its existence to the tenacity and vision of Enos Mills. The straightforward stories Mills told of his wilderness adventures with snow slides, wild beasts, and even wilder weather are exciting and fun―good reading on a quiet afternoon. James Pickering, a foremost expert on the life and writing on Enos Mills, has collected the stories that truly express Mills' experiences in Colorado. The reader is transported to the turn of the 19th century as Enos Mills guides them through the Rocky Mountain wilderness.

Genres: History

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enos Mills was a naturalist extraordinaire!

I generally avoid compilations of someone's writings, but somehow picked this one up and it far exceeded my expectations.

The selections that Pickering assembled for this book are wonderful as they reveal Mills' amazing observation skills, his memory, and his descriptive detail in sharing his knowledge of various animals in the area that became Rocky Mountain National Park: the bears, the mountain lions, and especially the beavers, yes, the amazing beavers. Mills frequently gave human attributes to the animals... they were his friends and he wanted the reader to relate, to love, to understand them and to be sad when one died. Mills' incredible tenacity to learn their habits by tracking and observing, often for days and days, in changing weather, without sufficient sustenance and protection for himself. Not to be forgotten is Mills' incredible skill for writing about all of this... It is all incomprehensible!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories published by Enos Mills, the father of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Enos was an amazing human specimen. He was able to travel through the Rocky Mountains in winter for 20 days without food, once without sight due to snow blindness, encountering snow storms, grizzly bears, mountain lions and elk.

Enos’s writing is easy to read. He is the master of underestimating danger. Guiding tourist to Long’s Peak one summer, he made 31 accents in 30 days to above 14,000 feet. Often saving tourist lives when they made a misstep.

A fascinating read. You must find out the only food he carried on his trips in the Rocky Moumtains.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of Enos Mills’ writing. Unclear, despite the introduction, how Pickering went about picking and determining the order. Enos Mills is wonderful. Each piece in its own right is enjoyable. Not sure if the reader that has little exposure to the scenes or animals will have the same experience. Using modern technology or getting outside they could receive a fun education with his writings as a guide.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for those interested in Estes Park, RMNP and nature in general. The book is a little dry in parts but contains great adventure stories and lots of interesting facts. Enos Mills is a fascinating character. I look forward to reading more of his writings and more about him as a person.