I like to think of myself as a rugged outdoor guy.
I’m guessing most sportsmen and sportswomen think of themselves that way to some degree.
Really rugged, though? I’m not sure I ever really was.
I was reminded of what the word might truly mean as I reread “Journal of a Trapper” by Osborne Russell, who spent a decade as a mountain man in the Rockies. There are several good journals left by trappers, but Russell’s is considered among the best. He was an educated man with strong powers of observation, a thoughtful bent, and an unadorned, matter-of-fact writing style that lends authenticity to his tales. He conveys the hard life of the trapper very well.

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