Enos Abijah Mills (1870 –1922) was an American naturalist and homesteader. He was the main figure behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. Mills was born just outside Pleasanton, Kansas, near the Civil War Mine Creek Battlefield site, but moved to Colorado early in his life during a bout with tuberculosis. In 1889, he had a chance encounter with famed naturalist John Muir on a San Francisco beach, and from that point on Mills dedicated his life to conservation activism, lecturing, and writing. In 1902, Mills returned to Colorado and purchased from his cousin the Longs Peak House in Estes Park. He eventually homesteaded in the surrounding area and later turned the Longs Peak house into the Longs Peak Inn, from which he treated guests to excursions into the wilderness and evening nature talks.
From 1902–1906, Mills also served as the Colorado State Snow Observer, a position that took him into the wild he so loved. His job was to measure the snow depths to predict spring and summer runoff. Following this position, he served as government lecturer on forestry from 1907–1909. During this time, he also authored several articles and books on nature and Estes Park area.
Throughout his time in various assignments, Mills was also leading the fight to preserve the area around Longs Peak as a national park. Aided by groups such as the Sierra Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mills succeeded and Congress established Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. Called the "Father of Rocky Mountain National Park," Mills continued to lecture and write books until his death at age 52 in 1922. Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is named in his honor.
CONTENTS I. Snow-blinded On The Summit II. Waiting In The Wilderness III. Winter Mountaineering IV. Trees At Timberline V. Wind-rapids On The Heights VI. The Arctic Zone Of High Mountains VII. Naturalist Meets Prospector VIII. The White Cyclone IX. Lightning And Thunder X. Landmarks XI. Children Of My Trail School XII. A Day With A Nature Guide XIII. Play And Pranks Of Wild Folk XIV. Censored Natural History News XV. Harriet—Little Mountain Climber XVI. Evolution Of Nature Guiding XVII. Development Of A Woman Guide
This book originally published in 1920 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting.