In Woodcraft for Women, written by Kathrene Pinkerton in 1916, the author admitted that there were only a few outdoor stores that catered to the needs of women at that time. However, there were a couple of outdoor mail-order retailers that female hikers would’ve had access to at that time, such as Sears or Abercrombie & Fitch. In that same year, the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog promoted a “Hiking Suit” for women, which included a Norfolk coat, bloomers, leggings and a duck hat. The outfit, in which “a woman need not fear tangled brush, fallen trees, or even an occasional mountain or two,” fetched a relatively steep price tag of $9.00 (in total), plus shipping.
Rocky Mountain National Park posted this warning on their social media yesterday:
Avalanche danger in Rocky Mountain National Park remains considerable in areas near and above treeline. The danger is moderate in areas below treeline.
When avalanche conditions are considerable, this means that avalanche conditions are dangerous and changing. Avalanches can be triggered by snowshoers, winter hikers, backcountry skiers, and even wildlife.
Before heading out into the backcountry, make sure that everyone in your group is avalanche aware. All members of your party should have rescue equipment, education, and experience to make informed decisions about traveling in avalanche terrain.
Backcountry travelers are urged to check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's avalanche forecast frequently and be prepared to adjust plans.
One of the first females on record to walk for pleasure and the enjoyment of nature was Elizabeth Carter. Born in 1717, Carter began roaming the coastal lands near her home in Deal, England, as a youth. She would continue this pursuit throughout her entire life, in an age when women didn’t walk alone. During her lifetime, it's believed she walked thousands of miles, mostly alone, but occasionally with her sister or a friend. Many of those walks and extended rambles were documented in correspondences she exchanged with friends. Carter gained national fame as a writer and poet, and would eventually become associated with a literary, educational and social movement known as the Bluestocking Circle.
Though likely not for any form of earthly pleasure, one of the more significant mountain excursions during the classical age was taken by a pilgrim. What makes this particular trek noteworthy is that these are the first mountains to be ascended by a female on record. Between 381 and 384, a woman now known to history as Egeria took an extended pilgrimage to see the Holy Land. The details of her travels survive in the form of a letter she wrote to acquaintances back home, either in present-day France or, more likely, northern Spain. Some scholars believe she was a nun who was writing to the sisters in her convent. Others suggest that she may have been a woman of wealth, and was communicating with a circle of pious friends. In addition to observations made during her travels, Egeria described two pedestrian excursions she took, which included ascents of Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb and Mount Nebo.
On this date in 1872, Yellowstone was established as the world’s first national park. Prior to the mid-1800s, trappers and mountain men recounted “wild” stories of seeing spouting geysers, multicolored hot springs, boiling rivers, bubbling mud, noxious fumes and hissing earth while roaming through the future park. These reports were largely dismissed as delusions or tall tales before formal expeditions of the region began in 1869. In that year, the first of three expeditions to explore and document the region were launched, culminating with the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. After Thomas Moran’s artwork and William H. Jackson’s photographs provided proof that Yellowstone’s geothermal and geologic features were indeed real, Congress was convinced they needed to protect this unique landscape from development. Less than six months after the conclusion of the Hayden Geological Survey, Yellowstone became a national park.
There are many histories and videos about Yellowstone; however, I found a short clip about the park that I thought was quite interesting. This is a public service announcement created by Wilding Picture Productions for the Ford Motor Company - likely in the 1950s, but possibly from the late 1940s. In addition to its age, what makes this clip remarkable is the advertisement of the "bear feeding grounds" in the park. Obviously, bear management practices have improved a little since then!
The video clip also mentions that Yellowstone’s buffalo were “a symbol of our vanished frontier.” Ramble On: A History of Hiking discusses the remarkable story of how George Bird Grinnell saved the buffalo, as Yellowstone was its last refuge.
