As winter strangled the wilderness, John C. Fremont needed to get his expedition party to California. Facing sub-zero temperatures, meager food supplies, and American Indian warriors on their trail, the explorer counted on one man to lead the way: Kit Carson. The mountain man and scout knew the uncharted West better than anyone. Carson led the party through the deep snow over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to their destination. Fremont reported Carson''s courageous deeds and exceptional skills, and the mountain man became a national hero. Authors William R. Sanford and Carl R. Green explore the life of this American frontier legend.