It's that time of year, so let's read about how some mountain men spent their Christmas in the mountains.

From W.A. Ferris:
In the mean time Mr. Montour and myself, set about constructing a log cabin, rather because we
had nothing else to do, than from any necessity, as his lodge was uncommonly large, and quite
comfortable. Christmas was passed agreeably with the family of mine host, and we were rather
more sumptuously entertained than on ordinary occasions. Our “bill of fare” consisted of buffalo
tongues, dry buffalo meat, fresh venison, wheat flour cakes, buffalo marrow, (for butter,) sugar,
coffee, and rum, with which we drank a variety of appropriate toasts, suited to the occasion, and
our enlarged and elevated sentiments, respecting universal benevolence and prosperity, while
our hearts were warmed, our prejudices banished, and our affections refined, by the enlivening
contents of the flowing bowl.

From General Thomas James:
On Christmas day I froze my feet and became so disabled as to be confined to the house unable to walk.

From Charles Larpenteur:
Christmas [1838].
On this anniversary a great dinner is generally made, but that was never the case here, as it was
always taken out in drinkables instead of eatables; and I, who did not drink, had to do without
my dinner. At the height of the spree the tailor and one of the carpenters had a fight in the shop,
while others took theirs outside, and toward evening I was informed that Marseillais, our hunter,
had been killed and thrown into the fireplace. We immediately ran in, and sure enough, there
he was, badly burned and senseless, but not dead yet. We were not at first sure whether this was
the mere effect of liquor, or had happened from fighting; but we learned that a fight had taken
place, and on examination we found that he had been stabbed in several places with a small dirk.
Knowing that the tailor had such a weapon, we suspected him and demanded it. He was at that
time standing behind his table; I saw him jerk the dirk out of his pocket and throw it under the
table. I immediately picked it up; it was bloody, and from its size we judged it to be the weapon
with which the wounds had been inflicted. Having learned that the carpenter had also been in the
fight, they both were placed in irons and confined to await their trial. As such Christmas frolics
could not be brought to a head much under three days, the trial took place on the fourth day,
when a regular court was held. Everything being ready, the criminals were sent for, the witnesses
were well examined, and after a short session the jury returned a verdict, “Guilty of murder.” The
judge then pronounced sentence on the convicted murderers, which was that they be hanged by
the neck, until they were “dead, dead, dead!” But, not considering it entirely safe to have this sentence
executed, he changed it to thirty-nine lashes apiece. John Brazo was appointed executioner.
Always ready for such sport, he immediately went in quest of his large ox-whip, and, not making
any difference between men and oxen, he applied it at such a rate that Mr. Mitchell, the judge, had
now and then to say, “Moderate, John, moderate”; for had John been suffered to keep on, it is very
likely that the first sentence would have been executed.

From Robert Newell:
buffalo Scarse I spent last
Christmas in Jackson hole a large vally on lewis for[k] on a hunt of Buffalo Snow about 2 feet
and game in a bundence

From Osborne Russell:
Decr. 25th It was agreed on by the
party to prepare a Christmas dinner but I shall first endeavor to describe the party and then the
dinner. I have already said the man who was the proprietor of the lodge in which I staid was a
French man with a flat head wife and one child The inmates of the next lodge was a half breed
Iowa a Nez percey wife and two children his wifes brother and another half breed next lodge was
a half breed Cree his wife a Nez percey 2 children and a Snake Indian The inmates of the 3d lodge
was a half breed Snake his wife (a Nez percey and two children). The remainder was 15 lodges of
Snake Indians Three of the party spoke English but very broken therefore that language was made
but little use of as I was familiar with the Canadian French and Indian tongue. About 1 oclk we
sat down to dinner in the lodge where I staid which was the most spacious being about 36 ft. in
circumference at the base with a fire built in the center around this sat on clean Epishemores all
who claimed kin to the white man (or to use their own expression all that were gens d’esprit) with
their legs crossed in true Turkish style - and now for the dinner The first dish that came on was a
large tin pan 18 inches in diameter rounding full of Stewed Elk meat The next dish was similar to
the first heaped up with boiled Deer meat (or as the whites would call it Venison a term not used
in the Mountains) The 3d and 4th dishes were equal in size to the first containing a boiled flour
pudding prepared with dried fruit accompanied by 4 quarts of sauce made of the juice of sour
berries and sugar Then came the cakes followed by about six gallons of strong Coffee already
sweetened with tin cups and pans to drink out of large chips or pieces of Bark Supplying the
places of plates. on being ready the butcher knives were drawn and the eating commenced at the
word given by the landlady as all dinners are accompanied with conversation this was not deficient
in that respect

An American Mountain Man winter camp

I can't help but dream about testing myself to live like that.reality is I am a little soft. Cookin my meals on a coleman stove. Don't go without coffee and tobacco every day. Use lanterns. Eat eggs and bacon every morning. Beef steak canned venison various metal cans of food. Nice to dream about it though.

Their mental and physical toughness will never cease to amaze me.

Just a few hours outside in the cold we had this weekend made me thankful for a heated house to return to.
Maybe a warm tipi would be enough.

good read thanks,