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Patrick Taylor

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7 min read

Age & reading levelAdult
Reader rating
4.4 · 934 Amazon ratings
reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
$19.45 on Amazon
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Front cover of River Hippies & Mountain Men (Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti)

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River Hippies & Mountain Men

River Hippies & Mountain Men by Patrick Taylor Review: A Rugged Backcountry Apprenticeship Memoir

by Patrick Taylor

River Hippies & Mountain Men is the third installment in Patrick Taylor's non-fiction "Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti" series, chronicling his two-year apprenticeship as a stockman and backcountry packer in Idaho's vast Frank Church Wilderness — a portrait of a life genuinely, not vicariously, lived outdoors.

$19.45 on Amazon
Adult

LuvemBooks Verdict

Best for

Readers who love American wilderness non-fiction and Western backcountry culture — especially fans of the earlier Texas Yeti books looking for Taylor's account of his two-year working apprenticeship among the river guides and mountain men of Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness.

Worth it if

You're drawn to authentic, lived adventure memoir from an unorthodox perspective — an older Texan immersed in one of America's most remote landscapes — and are willing to meet a self-published series voice on its own terms.

Skip if

You prefer literary introspection, urban memoir, or narrative non-fiction with broad cultural stakes, or you're new to the series and unwilling to backtrack — the book assumes familiarity with Taylor's persona and backstory rather than re-establishing it.

Bookseller listings on AbeBooks.co.uk highlight that Taylor is described as "the antipode of Walter Mitty" — someone who actually lives the adventures he imagines — and quote verified purchasers praising the book's storytelling. AllAuthor's profile of Taylor notes that his debut journal of solo-wintering Lewis and Clark's Rocky Mountain route became an Amazon bestseller, establishing the series' credibility.

Sources: AbeBooks.co.uk, AllAuthor
4.4from 934 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score

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River Hippies & Mountain Men is the third entry in Patrick Taylor's "Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti" series, documenting his two-year working apprenticeship as a stockman and backcountry packer in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness — one of the largest roadless areas in the contiguous United States. Its greatest strength is the lived authenticity of a man who genuinely inhabited the world he describes, from mule packing to the social culture of wilderness outfitters. The book rewards fans of the series and readers drawn to American backcountry non-fiction, but its highly specialized subject matter and series dependency make it a harder sell for casual or first-time Taylor readers.
Is it worth reading?
For readers already invested in the 'Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti' series, River Hippies & Mountain Men is a rewarding continuation that adds communal depth to Taylor's established persona. Verified Amazon purchase reviews describe it as entertaining and well-written — 'the next best thing to being there,' in the words of one verified reviewer. The key caveat is series dependency: new readers may find themselves catching up on a character whose backstory is assumed rather than re-established, and the highly specialized subject matter — mule packing, wilderness outfitting, Frank Church Wilderness subculture — will resonate most with readers already drawn to American backcountry non-fiction.
Similar books
Readers drawn to River Hippies & Mountain Men will find common ground with several titles in the LuvemBooks catalogue. Kevin Fedarko's A Walk in the Park offers another immersive, boots-on-ground American wilderness experience, while Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island delivers the humorous, self-deprecating travel voice that fans of Taylor's persona tend to enjoy. For adventure-driven non-fiction with a spirit of late-in-life exploration, Albert Podell's Around the World in 50 Years is a natural companion, and Pamdiana Jones' When in ROAM shares the freewheeling, experience-first spirit of the series.
Who should read this?
River Hippies & Mountain Men is squarely aimed at readers who love American wilderness non-fiction, Western backcountry culture, and true-life adventure told from an unorthodox vantage point — specifically, an older Texan rather than a twenty-something thru-hiker. Fans of the first two books in the 'Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti' series have the clearest reason to pick this up. Readers new to Taylor but intrigued by a two-year working apprenticeship in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness will find an entry point, though they'd benefit from starting with Book 1. Those drawn to urban memoirs, literary introspection, or narrative non-fiction with broad cultural stakes are likely to find the specialized subject matter — mule packing, wilderness outfitting — a poor fit.
About Patrick Taylor
Patrick Taylor is a retired medical researcher, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, and best-selling novelist. River Hippies & Mountain Men is the third entry in his five-book 'Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti' non-fiction adventure series.
Where should I start with this series?
LuvemBooks recommends starting from Book 1 of the 'Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti' series, which chronicles Taylor's solo winter traverse of Lewis and Clark's Rocky Mountain route — the journey that established his persona, writing voice, and the series' signature formula. That debut became an Amazon #1 bestseller and provides the backstory that River Hippies & Mountain Men assumes rather than re-establishes. Readers who arrive at Book 3 first may find themselves catching up on context that the narrative takes for granted.
How does this compare to earlier books in the series?
The most notable shift in River Hippies & Mountain Men is its move from solo endurance to community. The series began with Taylor's solo winter traverse of Lewis and Clark's Rocky Mountain route, establishing the formula of a lone older Texan taking on extreme wilderness challenges. This third installment trades that solitary dynamic for the social world of backcountry outfitting — the river hippies and mountain men of the title are fully realized figures, not backdrop. That progression gives long-time readers a broader view of the Western wilderness lifestyle and adds dimension to Taylor's arc without abandoning the core 'antipode of Walter Mitty' authenticity.
Summarize this book

Summarize this book

River Hippies & Mountain Men is Patrick Taylor's account of a two-year immersion in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness, where he worked as a stockman and backcountry packer alongside land and river outfitters. Published in January 2017 via CreateSpace, it is the third book in the five-book 'Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti' series. Unlike the solo endurance focus of earlier entries, this installment turns its lens on the community of guides and outdoorspeople Taylor apprenticed under — the river hippies and mountain men of the title are central figures, not background color. The memoir documents the culture, skills, and personalities of one of America's most remote wilderness landscapes through genuinely hands-on experience.

Follow up

How does it fit into the series?
What is the Frank Church Wilderness?
Is this fiction or non-fiction?

Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review

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Our Review

We review the evidence: published critics, reader verdicts and BookTube reviews, gathered and weighed with AI assistance and edited by LuvemBooks, rather than one reader's first-hand take.

The third book in the series delivers exactly what the "Texas Yeti" brand promises: a man in his later years trading comfort for wilderness.

What the Book Is and What It Covers

River Hippies & Mountain Men is a non-fiction adventure memoir published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in January 2017. It is the third entry in Patrick Taylor's ongoing "Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti" series, which now spans five books.
The central subject is Taylor's two-year immersion in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness — one of the largest roadless areas in the contiguous United States — where he worked as a stockman and backcountry packer alongside both land and river outfitters. The book draws on that hands-on apprenticeship to document the culture, skills, and personalities Taylor encountered, tapping into a community of guides and outdoorspeople who make their lives in one of America's most remote landscapes.

Taylor's Place in the "Texas Yeti" Series

This volume sits squarely within an established arc. The series opened with Taylor's solo winter traverse of Lewis and Clark's Rocky Mountain route — a journey whose published journal became an Amazon #1 bestseller, according to the author's own profile on AllAuthor.
That debut established the series' signature formula: an older Texan voluntarily subjecting himself to physically demanding, historically resonant wilderness challenges that most adventurers decades younger would avoid. River Hippies & Mountain Men extends that premise from a solo expedition into a more communal setting, shifting focus from solitary endurance to the social world of backcountry outfitting.
The progression gives long-time readers a broader view of the Western wilderness lifestyle rather than simply another solo odyssey.

Strengths: Voice, Authenticity, and the Anti-Walter Mitty Appeal

The book's most noted quality, reflected in verified purchase reviews cited in the publisher's own promotional copy, is the combination of entertaining storytelling and what readers describe as beautiful writing — "the next best thing to being there" in the words of one verified Amazon reviewer quoted in bookseller listings. The author's profile on AllAuthor characterizes Taylor as "the antipode of Walter Mitty" — a pointed way of saying that he does not merely fantasize about adventure but physically inhabits it.
That authenticity is the engine of the series, and this installment benefits from the added texture of real working relationships: the river hippies and mountain men of the title are not background color but the people Taylor apprenticed under and alongside. The memoir format allows those personalities and the rhythms of backcountry outfitting life to take center stage alongside landscape.

Limitations: Niche Appeal and Series Dependency

The book's greatest strength is also the clearest boundary of its audience. Readers drawn to urban memoirs, literary introspection, or narrative non-fiction with broad cultural stakes will find little purchase here.
The subject matter — mule packing, wilderness outfitting, and the subculture of Frank Church Wilderness guides — is genuinely specialized, and the tone follows suit. Additionally, as the third book in the series, River Hippies & Mountain Men carries built-in series dependency.
New readers arriving without the context of Taylor's earlier adventures, particularly the foundational Lewis and Clark journey that established his persona and writing voice, may find themselves catching up on a character whose credibility and backstory are assumed rather than re-established. The self-published origins via CreateSpace mean the book also lacks the editorial infrastructure of a traditional press, which some readers may notice.

Who This Book Is For

River Hippies & Mountain Men is designed for readers who love American wilderness non-fiction, Western backcountry culture, and true-life adventure told from an unorthodox vantage point — an older Texan, not a twenty-something thru-hiker. Fans of the first two books in the series have a continuation waiting for them.
Readers new to Taylor but captivated by the premise of a two-year working apprenticeship in one of America's wildest remaining landscapes will find an entry point, though starting from Book 1 would provide fuller context. For armchair adventurers who want the Frank Church Wilderness brought to the page through lived experience rather than a guidebook, this memoir delivers on its core promise.

Sources & Further Reading

The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.

  1. Cited in this review
  2. 1
    Patrick Taylor, Author | Website | Books | Interview | Quotes - AllAuthor

    texasyeti.allauthor.com

  3. 2
    River Hippies & Mountain Men (Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti) - Taylor, Patrick: 9781541390379 - AbeBooks

    abebooks.com

  4. 3
    River Hippies & Mountain Men: 2 (Real-Life Adventures of the Texas Yeti) - Taylor, Patrick: 9781541390379 - AbeBooks

    abebooks.co.uk

  5. Further reading
  6. 4
    Patrick Taylor — author profile

    Patrick Taylor, LuvemBooks

Age & Reading Level

Recommended age

Adult

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Skip if you prefer urban memoirs, literary introspection, or narrative non-fiction with broad cultural stakes rather than specialized backcountry wilderness subculture.

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Fedarko spent years embedded with a legendary river guide to walk the entire length of the Grand Canyon on foot, a journey defined by extreme terrain, insider wilderness culture, and the bonds formed under genuine physical hardship — all hallmarks of Taylor's Idaho experience. Both books treat the land itself as a character, not a backdrop. Readers who responded to Taylor's mule-packing chapters will find the same earned-not-performed toughness here.

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Long-trail immersion memoir with the same two-year time commitment and intimate relationship with American wilderness — rewards readers who want sustained, not episodic, backcountry experience.

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Shares Taylor's refusal to treat wilderness as scenery — Harris cycles the Silk Road as a committed act of inhabiting rather than visiting, with the same meditative authenticity.

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