The Original Finis Mitchell
(from Wikipedia)
Finis Mitchell (14 November 1901–13 November 1995) was an American mountaineer and forester based in
Wyoming. During the Depression, he and his wife stocked lakes in the Wind River Range with over 2.5 million
trout. He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1955 to 1958. At the age of 67 he retired from
his job as a railroad foreman and dedicated himself full-time to exploring and writing about the Wind River
Range of mountains.
Over the course of his life, Mitchell climbed all but 20 of the 300 peaks in the range. At the age of 73, while
on a glacier, he twisted his knee in a snow-covered crevasse. He hacked crude crutches out of pine wood and
hobbled 18 miles to find a doctor, and was able to resume climbing until the age of 84, when further injury to
the knee from a fall put an end to his solo climbing career. In 1975, he published a guidebook to the range
called Wind River Trails; in 1977 the University of Wyoming gave him an honorary doctorate. Congress named
the mountain Mitchell Peak after him — one of the few landforms to ever be named after a living American.
After 1985, Mitchell continued to give talks about the Wind River area, free of charge, and to correspond
with hikers seeking his counsel.
Quotes
“ What, show people the wilderness that belongs to them and make them pay for it? That's selfish,
selfish. ”
— Finis Mitchell, quoted in Blundell
References
· Congressional Record ppS2340
· Blundell, William E. (1988). The Art And Craft Of Feature Writing. Plume/Penguin. ISBN 0-452-26158-9.
1. FINIS MITCHELL (U. S. Senate minutes - March 17, 1997)
Finis Mitchell was born on November 14, 1901 in Ethel, Missouri, the son of the late Henry Reece and Faye
Troutman Mitchell. He traveled with his parents from Missouri to Wyoming's Wind River Range, arriving on
April 26, 1906.
Finis Mitchell started mountain climbing back in October, 1909. He continued solo climbing until 1975 when at
the age of 73, he suffered a debilitating fall that left him with a bad knee.
Finis Mitchell began taking pictures as a hobby with his climbing, so that he could show people where he had
been and what was in our national forests. By the time he stopped climbing he had accumulated a collection
of 35mm slides in excess of 126,000. Finis spent most of his free time exploring the Wind Rivers, capturing their
beauty on film, naming lakes, and mapping the terrain.
Finis Mitchell and Emma Nelson were married in Rock Springs at the Congregational Church on June 4, 1925.
The two pioneers, in 1930, started Mitchell's Fishing Camp at the Big Sandy Openings, which was to become
the first recreation area on the Pacific side of the Wind River Range. Due to the lack of fish, Finis and Emma
transported fish in five gallon milk cans, twelve at a time using six pack horses. In the seven years that they
operated their fishing camp, they stocked over 300 lakes with over 2.5 million little trout, all free for the
public to enjoy.
Finis Mitchell had been the recipient of many awards and honors for his conservation efforts by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the National Forest Service and several presidents. He served in the
Wyoming House of Representatives from 1955-1958. In 1975 Finis published a guidebook to the Wind Rivers,
Wind River Trails. In 1977 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wyoming. The Congress
of the United States named Finis' favorite mountain after him. Mitchell Peak at 12,482 feet, is one of a very
few land forms in the country that was named after a living American.
Finis Mitchell passed away November 13, 1995, the day before his 94th birthday.
(from Wikipedia)
Finis Mitchell (14 November 1901–13 November 1995) was an American mountaineer and forester based in
Wyoming. During the Depression, he and his wife stocked lakes in the Wind River Range with over 2.5 million
trout. He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1955 to 1958. At the age of 67 he retired from
his job as a railroad foreman and dedicated himself full-time to exploring and writing about the Wind River
Range of mountains.
Over the course of his life, Mitchell climbed all but 20 of the 300 peaks in the range. At the age of 73, while
on a glacier, he twisted his knee in a snow-covered crevasse. He hacked crude crutches out of pine wood and
hobbled 18 miles to find a doctor, and was able to resume climbing until the age of 84, when further injury to
the knee from a fall put an end to his solo climbing career. In 1975, he published a guidebook to the range
called Wind River Trails; in 1977 the University of Wyoming gave him an honorary doctorate. Congress named
the mountain Mitchell Peak after him — one of the few landforms to ever be named after a living American.
After 1985, Mitchell continued to give talks about the Wind River area, free of charge, and to correspond
with hikers seeking his counsel.
Quotes
“ What, show people the wilderness that belongs to them and make them pay for it? That's selfish,
selfish. ”
— Finis Mitchell, quoted in Blundell
References
· Congressional Record ppS2340
· Blundell, William E. (1988). The Art And Craft Of Feature Writing. Plume/Penguin. ISBN 0-452-26158-9.
1. FINIS MITCHELL (U. S. Senate minutes - March 17, 1997)
Finis Mitchell was born on November 14, 1901 in Ethel, Missouri, the son of the late Henry Reece and Faye
Troutman Mitchell. He traveled with his parents from Missouri to Wyoming's Wind River Range, arriving on
April 26, 1906.
Finis Mitchell started mountain climbing back in October, 1909. He continued solo climbing until 1975 when at
the age of 73, he suffered a debilitating fall that left him with a bad knee.
Finis Mitchell began taking pictures as a hobby with his climbing, so that he could show people where he had
been and what was in our national forests. By the time he stopped climbing he had accumulated a collection
of 35mm slides in excess of 126,000. Finis spent most of his free time exploring the Wind Rivers, capturing their
beauty on film, naming lakes, and mapping the terrain.
Finis Mitchell and Emma Nelson were married in Rock Springs at the Congregational Church on June 4, 1925.
The two pioneers, in 1930, started Mitchell's Fishing Camp at the Big Sandy Openings, which was to become
the first recreation area on the Pacific side of the Wind River Range. Due to the lack of fish, Finis and Emma
transported fish in five gallon milk cans, twelve at a time using six pack horses. In the seven years that they
operated their fishing camp, they stocked over 300 lakes with over 2.5 million little trout, all free for the
public to enjoy.
Finis Mitchell had been the recipient of many awards and honors for his conservation efforts by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the National Forest Service and several presidents. He served in the
Wyoming House of Representatives from 1955-1958. In 1975 Finis published a guidebook to the Wind Rivers,
Wind River Trails. In 1977 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wyoming. The Congress
of the United States named Finis' favorite mountain after him. Mitchell Peak at 12,482 feet, is one of a very
few land forms in the country that was named after a living American.
Finis Mitchell passed away November 13, 1995, the day before his 94th birthday.
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