Fur Trappers of the Old West by A.M. Anderson

They were known as the Mountain Men. Venturing far out into the Rocky Mountain wilds, they blazed a trail to places where most men would not dare go. The job of a trapper was never easy. Wading in icy streams to set their traps, these bearded daredevils had to be on constant watch for angry grizzlies and savage Indians. Many of them paid with their lives for the privilege of being the first white men to see places that have now become famous. Year after year, they led their pack horses back to the mighty mountains in search of beaver fur. Every turn of the trail, every stretch of river rapids held the possibility of riches to be gained or a fight for life. They opened the West to the settlers who would come after them, and left behind them a thousand legends