Enos Abijah Mills developed a lifelong connection with the Rocky Mountains after moving from Kansas to Colorado as a teenager. Although he had suffered from serious illness as a child, life in the mountains helped him become an enthusiastic nature guide, traveler, writer, and conservationist. At fifteen, he built his own cabin near Longs Peak, the mountain he eventually climbed 297 times. His friendship with conservationist John Muir encouraged him to use his writing to teach others about nature.