25 Jeremiah Johnson Quotes About Adventure and Survival

Experience a new frontier with these Jeremiah Johnson quotes from the iconic Western film!

Jeremiah Johnson is a 1972 Western film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Redford.

The movie follows the journey of Jeremiah Johnson, a Mexican-American War veteran who seeks solace in the rugged wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.

While he desires a life of peace in the American West, Johnson faces the harsh realities of living in the unforgiving wilderness as he learns essential survival skills from seasoned mountain men, Bear Claw Chris Lapp and Del Gue.

These acquaintances become friends and become a more significant part of his life than he had imagined.

He also forms a deep bond with a member of the Crow tribe named Paints His Shirt Red.

Jeremiah Johnson is torn between the military life he’s known and the frontier life he’s building, leading to clashes with the Crow.

The struggle for peaceful coexistence with the Crow is central to Jeremiah Johnson.

Enjoy these quotes about adventure and making your own way in the wilderness from the iconic western Jeremiah Johnson.

Quotes by Jeremiah Johnson as he embarks on a new chapter in life

Although the West was vast and the path was unknown, Johnson showed bravery and a desire to overcome in these Jeremiah Johnson quotes.

1. “Y’ever get lonesome?” — Jeremiah Johnson

2. “Canada, maybe. I here there is land there a man has never seen.” — Jeremiah Johnson

3. “Wind’s right, but he’ll just run soon as we step out of these trees.” — Jeremiah Johnson

4. “I can skin most anything…I can skin ’em as fast as you can catch ’em.” — Jeremiah Johnson

5. “You will do well, Del. You will do well if you don’t get in too much trouble with all that hair.” — Jeremiah Johnson

6. “Just where is it I could find bear, beaver, and other critters worth cash money when skinned?” — Jeremiah Johnson

Quotes by experienced mountain man Bear Claw Chris Lapp

Lapp becomes a true friend to Johnson and is eager to help him and see him do well.

7. “Watch your top knot.” — Bear Claw

8. “You’ve come far, pilgrim.” — Bear Claw

9. “How come you ain’t been scalped?” — Bear Claw

10. “I never could find no tracks on a woman’s heart.” — Bear Claw

11. “I’ve been hearing you for 20 days and smelling you for three.” — Bear Claw

12. “Paints-His-Shirt speaks English, he just does this to aggravate me.” — Bear Claw

13. “This is their hunting ground, if they catch us, they’ll steal our horses.” — Bear Claw

14. “You’ve done well to keep so much hair when so manys after it. I hope you will fare well.” — Bear Claw

15. “Elk don’t know how many feet a horse has! No, you durn fool, slide it up over the saddle.” — Bear Claw

16. “I am Bear Claw Chris Lapp, blood kin to the grizzly that bit Jim Bridger’s ass. And you are molesting my hunt.” — Bear Claw

Quotes by fellow frontiersman Del Gue

Gruff Del Gue has a lot of wise sayings in these Jeremiah Johnson quotes.

17. “Same place you are, Jeremiah: hell, in the end.” — Del Gue

18. “Well, keep your nose in the wind, and your eyes along the skyline.” — Del Gue

19. “Jeremiah, maybe you best go down to a town, get outta these mountains.” — Del Gue

20. “He may be a Christian and read the bible, but he’s still an Indian and his rules is his rules. If you value your hair, you will get married!” — Del Gue

21. “Hatchet Jack was a wild one. He was livin’ two years up in a cave on the Musselshell with a female panther. She never did get used to him.” — Del Gue

22. “I figured that when I depart this life, I’d like to leave something behind even if just to be remembered on some man’s lodge pole.” — Del Gue

23. “The Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world. I ain’t ever seen ’em, but my heart tells me that the Andes is foothills and the Alps are for children to climb.” — Del Gue

24. “He wants to know if you are the great warrior who avenges the crazy women that lives in the Wolf Tail Valley. She’s big medicine. You are too, if you be that man.” — Del Gue

25. “I told my pap and mam I was going to be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. ‘Make your life go here, son. Here’s where the people is. Them mountains is for Indians and wild men.’” — Del Gue

Jeremiah Johnson is a Western Classic

Overall, Jeremiah Johnson is a classic Western film that offers a mix of adventure, drama, and introspection against the backdrop of the American wilderness.

Whether you’re a fan of Westerns, a nature lover, or simply looking for a thought-provoking and visually stunning movie, Jeremiah Johnson is well worth watching.

Tell us your favorite Jeremiah Johnson quote in the comment section!

And share these quotes with other lovers of Western films.