Mt. Cotter Fin Dome Painted Lady Mt. Rixford Sun, Sep 14, 2008		Etymology Mt. Cotter Fin Dome Painted Lady Mt. Rixford	Story	Photos / Slideshow	Maps: 1 2	Profile
		Mt. Cotter previously climbed Sat, Jul 15, 2000 Fin Dome previously climbed Sat, Aug 2, 2003 Mt. Rixford previously climbed Sat, Aug 7, 2004

Dick Cotter joined Brewer's field party of the Whitney Survey in the spring of 1864 at the same time as Gardiner:

"The party consists of Hoffmann, King, Gardiner, and Dick. The first two have been with me much before. Gardiner is a very nice young man, an engineer. He and King give their time, the Survey paying only their traveling expenses in return for their time and labor. Dick is a young man from Pike, who goes as packer, etc. -- a very good fellow, but most unfortunately knows nothing about packing, so we have to teach him and I think that he will do well. Packing is an intricate art. To put a load of baggage on a mule and make it stay there, and at the same time not hurt the mule, is a great art. We have but two pack-mules, scarcely enough, to tell the truth."
- William Brewer, Up and Down California

"[Cotter was born in] Pike County, Missouri. [He] went to Alaska after his season with the Whitney Survey, suffered a severe illness, and later settled in Montana. He wrote Professor Brewer from time to time between 1878 and 1898. In a letter from York, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, September 18, 1898, he says: "I have been a J.P., Post Master, & the last office I was honored with was Sabbath School Supt. I imagine I can see you laughing as I have often seen in Camp. Of course I had other work to do or I should have starved to death long ago." The correspondence indicates that he was miner, rancher, carpenter, and Jack-of-all-trades."
- Francis P. Farquhar, Editor's footnote in Up and Down California