With his rich purchase packed upon the backs of his horses, he returned to Taos.

As there was nothing in Captain Lee's journey home to require the services of so important a man as Mr.
Carson, the latter decided to remain and unite himself with the trappers.
The party was large, the beavers were scarce, and after the lapse of a month Mr.Carson decided that the prospect of a rich remuneration in the distribution of their furs, was not encouraging.

He therefore arranged an expedition on his own account.

His popularity as a man and his reputation as a trapper were such that every man in the party was ready to join him.
He selected three of the best men, and crossing the main ridge of the Rocky mountains, a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles, reached the Laramie river, a stream which flowed into the north fork of the Platte.
The warm airs of spring were now beginning to breathe through these valleys.

On the Laramie and its tributaries, Carson and his companions continued trapping through the whole summer.