In 1872, Yellowstone National Park became the world’s first national park, an achievement requiring the vision (and sheer stubbornness) of many. President Ulysses S. Grant agreed to set aside this vast, remote, and nearly inaccessible area for the public, but it wasn’t a decision made lightly. It took three daring expeditions to convince anyone that Yellowstone was more than just a hostile wilderness that was prime territory for anyone who wanted to get gored by a bison or have his eyebrows burned off by a geyser.

Each expedition played a key role in the park’s creation, but one particular explorer’s tale stands out as a master class in how not to get lost in the wilderness. This is the story of Truman C. Everts, who turned a hike in the woods into the kind of survival epic that would make Bear Grylls rethink his career choices.

Truman Everts and the Art of Not Dying (Barely)

Truman C. Everts wasn’t your typical rugged outdoorsman. He was a widowed desk jockey with severe nearsightedness—basically, the guy you’d least expect to survive being lost in the wilderness for weeks. But survive he did, in what can only be described as the most bizarre series of events ever to grace the annals of American history.

Everts had been appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as the first Internal Revenue Assessor of the newly created Montana Territory. However, by the time 1870 rolled around, he found himself unemployed, replaced by President Grant’s guy. With time on his hands and apparently zero survival instincts, Everts joined the Washburn Expedition to explore the area that would soon become Yellowstone National Park. What could possibly go wrong?

The Day Everts Forgot to Stick With the Group

On August 16, 1870, the group left Helena, Montana, and eventually made their way to the jaw-dropping beauty of Yellowstone Falls, marveling at the landscape that would later drive people to queue in their cars for hours just to see a geyser. But on September 9, Everts, while picking his way through a dense forest, somehow managed to get separated from the group. What followed was a 37-day ordeal that can only be described as a survivalist’s worst nightmare—or perhaps a comedic tragedy, depending on your perspective.

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After the group realized Everts was missing, they searched for him for a week. When their supplies ran low, they left caches of food for him, fired guns into the air, and lit bonfires. Everts, being spectacularly bad at wilderness navigation, didn’t find any of it.

A Man, A Thistle, and A Mountain Lion Walk Into the Wilderness…

Everts’ misadventures kicked off with him confidently searching for his companions—only to lose his horse, along with all his food, supplies, and basically everything that would have made survival even slightly possible. Undeterred, Everts pressed on, cheered by the hope that he’d reunite with the group and turn his little side adventure into a hilarious anecdote around the campfire. Spoiler alert: that did not happen.

Instead, Everts spent his days alternating between hope and despair, hallucinating canoes that were actually giant pelicans and being stalked by mountain lions. Yes, mountain lions. While most of us would consider this a sign that it’s time to panic, Everts took refuge in a tree and hoped for the best. He survived the night, but the universe was clearly not done messing with him.

The real turning point came when Everts discovered his salvation: a thistle plant. Centuries earlier, Scotland’s King Alexander III attributed his salvation to a thistle, but that’s a different story. When Everts saw the thistle, he saw dinner. He began consuming it with the enthusiasm of a man who hadn’t eaten in four days (because, well, he hadn’t). This thistle became his primary food source for the next several weeks. It also earned him a permanent spot in botanical history, as the plant was later named “Everts’ Thistle.” If you’re wondering whether it was nutritious, the answer is yes. Tasty? Probably not.

Fire: A Friend and Foe

Everts managed to start a fire using the lens from his opera glasses. We’re trying to be charitable and avoid pointing out that this is not exactly the most rugged image one might want to portray, but frankly, it’s not exactly the most rugged image one might want to portray. Manly or not, it worked. He clung to this fire as if it were his last link to humanity, carrying burning sticks with him as he wandered, even though this led to his own hair catching fire more than once. As his hallucinations grew wilder, Everts found himself conversing with imaginary friends—mainly his limbs, which were increasingly uncooperative.

Eventually, after weeks of eating nothing but thistle and sustaining serious burns, frostbite, and blistered feet, Everts was discovered by two trappers. One of them initially mistook him for a bear. After closer inspection, they realized that the emaciated, delirious figure crawling toward them was indeed a human being. Everts, who once weighed a respectable amount, had dwindled down to a mere 50 pounds. His rescue was nothing short of miraculous, although his digestive system required some—let’s call it unique—assistance to get back in working order. A pint of hot bear grease did the trick.

The Legacy of a Lost Explorer

Everts’ survival story made national headlines, drawing attention to the wonders of Yellowstone and helping convince Congress to officially create the park in 1872. In recognition of his ordeal, Everts was offered the position of Yellowstone’s first superintendent, which he declined because the position, as prestigious as it was, came with zero salary. Also, presumably, he had reached the conclusion that he was simply not cut out for the Great Outdoors.

Instead, Everts returned to a quieter life, eventually passing away in 1901 at the ripe old age of 85—a far cry from the man who nearly starved to death on thistle roots in the wilderness.

And so, the next time you visit Yellowstone, tip your hat to the memory of Truman C. Everts, the man who got lost, ate thistles, and lived to tell the tale. Just remember to stay with the group.

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