 Without food or equipment, he attempted to retrace the expedition's route along the southern shore of Yellowstone Lake in the hopes of finding his companions.He ate a songbird and minnows raw, and a local thistle plant to stay alive; the plant ("Cirsium foliosum", commonly known as elk thistle) was later renamed "Evert's Thistle" after him.As well as the lack of food, Everts faced the coming autumn weather, including early snowstorms, and at one point was stalked by a mountain lion.