The History Channel's Mountain Men Series is in its 13th season as of November 2024. In 2018, a couple of the people who put the show together ordered Anoraks. They didn't tell me anything about themselves, and I had no idea until early 2020, when we were contacted by people who appear on the show -- the "Mountain Men".

It turns out that the off-screen people, who are out in the weather as much as the on-screen Mountain Men, are very happy with our wool, and others took notice.

Check out Mountain Men on Thursday Nights ... a bunch of them wear WeatherWool.  And some of them have become friends!

7  November 2024, Bret Bohn wrote me that he and Ivy (his Missus) will be in a new episode tonight at 9PM Eastern.  We just sent Bret and Ivy some more wool they'll be wearing for Season 14, which begins filming in a couple of days.  Last week we sent some wool to Paul Antczak, of Northwestern Montana, who will also be featured on tonight's show, I think.  But Paul won't be wearing our wool until next season.  Mike Horstman has had our wool for a few years, and it looks like he'll be featured on tonight's episode.

April of 2024:  I sat down with Brad Veis, who did a great deal of the filming of Mountain Men.  It was actually Brad who bought some WeatherWool and thereby, quite naturally, introduced it to the Mountain Men.  As Brad explains in our video interview, the Mountain Men wear our wool solely because it's what they want to wear.  Brad no longer works on Mountain Men, and we'll have something to say about that soon!!

9 November 2023:  Mountain Men Alaska, a new series, debuted on History Channel.  Ivy O'Guinn and Bret Bohn live the life portrayed on the show, and we have gotten to know them a little. Ivy and Brett are lifelong Alaskans (and sweet folks) who spend a great deal of time "out there"!  We are delighted they've chosen to wear WeatherWool!!  Enough so that Ivy's grandparents have purchased some.

On Instagram, Brett and Ivy each have their own pages where you can follow their activities.

7 September 2023:  Kidd Youren will be featured on this week's episode, premiering tonight. Brother Harry also has an All-Around Jacket, but I think this episode was filmed before I was able to fulfill Harry's request for a jacket like the one his brother has. The History Channel is fine with both brothers wearing WeatherWool, but they asked me not to send Lynx Pattern to Harry ...

Season 11, Episode 8, showed Kidd Youren of Idaho in our All-Around Jacket in Lynx Pattern.

Kidd Youren of Idaho in an All-Around Jacket in Lynx Pattern

Below, Joshua Kirk of Lander, Wyoming, wears our All-Around Jacket in Duff Color while protecting a herd of bison from predators, including wolves.

In 2020, Debby, Denali and I spent several hours with Joshua at his ranch. It was a fascinating afternoon and we learned a lot. Josh has lived his whole life in a self-sufficient way that was common in centuries past, but quite rare today.

 

 

Josh is also a musician, songwriter, singer, craftsman and artist! He made the hat he is wearing in this self-portrait:

Cody and I did a video with Josh in April of 2024.  Josh provided a great deal of information about bison ranching, among other things.  That was a fun day!  THANKS JOSH!!

 

 

Debby snapped the photo below. In August of 2020, Debby and I visited with Dr Anika Ward and Mountain Man Jake Herak at the sheep ranch of Anika's parents, Cal and Julie. On the show, Jake and his hounds can be seen chasing mountain lions and bears up into the hills and away from the ranches in the valley, where they may prey on livestock. Anika is a veterinarian who cares for all manner of livestock and pets ... and for Jake's very hard-working Walker-Bluetick hounds. Anika and Jake have since married, and Anika is frequently seen on the show. Jake and Anika are now building their own home on this same ranch we visited. Anika's parents, Julie and Cal, gave them a great piece of land for a wedding gift. I got a boost watching the show on TV and recognized the ranch before the narrator provided the info. Jake and Anika wore the wool in Season 10, but I don't know about Season 11. At least, not so far. Jake's been working with some big companies and we're happy he's getting noticed.

 

We had a wonderful dinner with Anika, Jake, Cal and Julie, and the time sort of got away from us ... we should have taken the picture sooner ... the day was fading away but we did get a few pics in.

MANY THANKS to Julie, Cal, Anika and Jake for such a fine evening and great hospitality, and for putting up with all my yakking ...

In the photo below, Jake is wearing a MidWeight CPO Shirt in Lynx Pattern while making some Black Bear Sausages with Anika. This sequence made it into the show, but the Shirt was bigger than Jake liked, and we replaced it with an Anorak. This Shirt was given to Advisor Bill McConnell the next day, when we visited with him in Bozeman, Montana. 

 

In early 2020, I heard from Mountain Man Mike Horstman, who lives a solitary, subsistence lifestyle on Alaska's crazy Kodiak Island. Mike is a very friendly guy, and someday I hope to visit him on Kodiak and rustle up some super seafood and venison. I actually had to contact customers and buy back an Anorak for Mike!

The photo above was taken in January of 2020, shortly after I sent Mike the Anorak and shortly before filming of Mountain Men was suspended due to the virus.

 

I think this photo was taken before Mike received the Anorak from us. The other gent in the photo is a friend of Mike's who also lived (he's moved since the photo) on Kodiak and is wearing a WarriorWool Program Anorak. It's a sweet coincidence that Mike's friend and Mike's camera crew wear WeatherWool!

 

For Season 10 of Mountain Men, Mike began using an outrageous amphibious boat that is a life-changer for him, where getting around on the water is so important. Hunting is not only a lifestyle but a living for Mike, who has been sending me a lot of photos of himself hunting in the Anorak.

Mike gifted this splendid fox to WeatherWool! THANKS for this fox and THANKS for wearing WeatherWool

Mike travels around a lot, and he's sent me photos of himself in his Rak in Idaho and Pennsylvania.

7 November 2024 --- Ralph