But Kin had been a renowned explorer.

He had traversed the prairies, climbed the mountains, followed the courses of the rivers, and paddled over the lakes.

With his stick he could draw upon the smoothly trodden floor of his hut, everything that was needful of a chart.

There were probably many idle students in Harvard and Yale, who during those winter months did not make as much intellectual progress as Kit Carson made.
In the spring of 1827, Kit again went forth from his winter's retreat into the wilderness world, which has its active life and engrossing excitements, often even far greater than are to be found on the city's crowded pavements.

Not finding in these remote regions any congenial employment, Kit decided to retrace his steps to Missouri.