A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

Isabella L. Bird

• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9781513274300
• eBook ISBN:
  9781513274300
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879) is a work of travel literature by British explorer Isabella Bird. Adventurous from a young age, Bird gained a reputation as a writer and photographer interested in nature and the stories and cultures of people around the world. A bestselling author and the first woman inducted into the Royal Geographical Society, Bird is recognized today as a pioneering woman whose contributions to travel writing, exploration, and philanthropy are immeasurable. In 1872—after a year of sailing from Britain to Australia and Hawaii—Isabella Bird journeyed by boat to San Francisco before making her way over land through California and Wyoming to the Colorado Territory. There, she befriended an outdoorsman named Rocky Mountain Jim, who guided her throughout the vast wilderness of Colorado and accompanied her during a journey of over 800 miles. Traveling on foot and on horseback—Bird was an experienced and skillful rider—the two formed a curious but formidable pair, eventually reaching the 14, 259 foot (4346 m) summit of Longs Peak, making Bird one of the first women to accomplish the feat. A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains, Bird's most iconic work, was a bestseller upon publication, and has since inspired generations of readers. This edition of Isabella Bird's A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains is a classic of American literature and travel writing reimagined for modern readers.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Letter I. Lake Tahoe—Morning in San Francisco—Dust—A Pacific mail-train—Digger Indians—Cape Horn—A mountain hotel—A pioneer—A Truckee livery stable—A mountain stream—Finding a bear—Tahoe.
• Letter II. A lady’s “get-up”—Grizzly bears—The “Gems of the Sierras”—A tragic tale—A carnival of color.
• Letter III. A Temple of Morpheus—Utah—A “God-forgotten” town—A distressed couple—Dog villages—A temperance colony—A Colorado inn—The bug pest—Fort Collins.
• Letter IV. A plague of flies—A melancholy charioteer—The Foot Hills—A mountain boarding-house—A dull life—“Being agreeable”—Climate of Colorado—Soroche and snakes.
• Letter V. A dateless day—“Those hands of yours”—A Puritan—Persevering shiftlessness—The house-mother—Family worship—A grim Sunday—A “thick-skulled Englishman”—A morning call—Another atmosphere—The Great Lone Land—“Ill found”—A log camp—Bad footing for horses—Accidents—Disappointment.
• Letter VI. A bronco mare—An accident—Wonderland—A sad story—The children of the Territories—Hard greed—Halcyon hours—Smartness—Old-fashioned prejudices—The Chicago colony—Good luck—Three notes of admiration—A good horse—The St. Vrain—The Rocky Mountains at last—“Mountain Jim”—A death hug—Estes Park.
• Letter VII. Personality of Long’s Peak—“Mountain Jim”—Lake of the Lilies—A silent forest—The camping ground—“Ring”—A lady’s bower—Dawn and sunrise—A glorious view—Links of diamonds—The ascent of the Peak—The “Dog’s Lift”—Suffering from thirst—The descent—The bivouac.
• Letter VIII. Estes Park—Big game—“Parks” in Colorado—Magnificent scenery—Flowers and pines—An awful road—Our log cabin—Griffith Evans—A miniature world—Our topics—A night alarm—A skunk—Morning glories—Daily routine—The panic—“Wait for the wagon”—A musical evening.
• Letter IX. “Please Ma’ams”—A desperado—A cattle hunt—The muster—A mad cow—A snowstorm—Snowed up—Birdie—The Plains—A prairie schooner—Denver—A find—Plum Creek—“Being agreeable”—Snowbound—The grey mare.
• Letter X. A white world—Bad traveling—A millionaire’s home—Pleasant Park—Perry’s Park—Stock-raising—A cattle king—The Arkansas Divide—Birdie’s sagacity—Luxury—Monument Park—Deference to prejudice—A death scene—The Manitou—A loose shoe—The Ute Pass—Bergens Park—A settler’s home—Hayden’s Divide—Sharp criticism—Speaking the truth.
• Letter XI. Tarryall Creek—The Red Range—Excelsior—Importunate pedlars—Snow and heat—A bison calf—Deep drifts—South Park—The Great Divide—Comanche Bill—Difficulties—Hall’s Gulch—A Lord Dundreary—Ridiculous fears.
• Letter XII. Deer Valley—Lynch law—Vigilance committees—The silver spruce—Taste and abstinence—The whisky fiend—Smartness—Turkey Creek Canyon—The Indian problem—Public rascality—Friendly meetings—The way to the Golden City—A rising settlement—Clear Creek Canyon—Staging—Swearing—A mountain town.
• Letter XIII. The blight of mining—Green Lake—Golden City—Benighted—Vertigo—Boulder Canyon—Financial straits—A hard ride—The last cent—A bachelor’s home—“Mountain Jim”—A surprise—A night arrival—Making the best of it—Scanty fare.
• Letter XIV. A dismal ride—A desperado’s tale—“Lost! Lost! Lost!”—Winter glories—Solitude—Hard times—Intense cold—A pack of wolves—The beaver dams—Ghastly scenes—Venison steaks—Our evenings.
• Letter XV. A whisky slave—The pleasures of monotony—The mountain lion—“Another mouth to feed”—A tiresome boy—An outcast—Thanksgiving Day—The newcomer—A literary humbug—Milking a dry cow—Trout-fishing—A snow-storm—A desperado’s den.
• Letter XVI. A harmonious home—Intense cold—A purple sun—A grim jest—A perilous ride—Frozen eyelids—Longmount—The pathless prairie—Hardships of emigrant life—A trapper’s advice—The Little Thompson—Evans and “Jim.”
• Letter XVII. Woman’s mission—The last morning—Crossing the St. Vrain—Miller—The St. Vrain again—Crossing the prairie—“Jim’s” dream—“Keeping strangers”—The inn kitchen—A reputed child-eater—Notoriety—A quiet dance—“Jim’s” resolve—The frost-fall—An unfortunate introduction.
• A Note About the Author
• A Note from the Publisher