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A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

Isabella Lucy Bird,

Daniel J. Boorstin (Introduction)

Start date: September 1, 2018

Finish date: September 30, 2018

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Oct 15, 2018 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventurers-explorers, classics-shelf, non-fiction, book-i-own, biography-autobiography-memoir

"I cannot describe my feelings on this ride, produced by the utter loneliness, the silence and dumbness of all things, the snow falling quietly without wind, the obliterated mountains, the darkness, the intense cold, and the unusual and appalling aspect of nature. All life was in a shroud, all work and travel suspended. There was not a foot-mark or wheel-mark. There was nothing to be afraid of; and though I can’t exactly say that I enjoyed the ride, yet there was the pleasant feeling of gaining "I cannot describe my feelings on this ride, produced by the utter loneliness, the silence and dumbness of all things, the snow falling quietly without wind, the obliterated mountains, the darkness, the intense cold, and the unusual and appalling aspect of nature. All life was in a shroud, all work and travel suspended. There was not a foot-mark or wheel-mark. There was nothing to be afraid of; and though I can’t exactly say that I enjoyed the ride, yet there was the pleasant feeling of gaining health every hour."

My idea of ‘roughing it’ is sleeping in a tent in a state park with a shared bathroom a bothersome five minute walk away by flashlight in the dark. It’s waking up to the disagreeable chirping of a songbird in the early hours of the morning after a night of tossing and turning in a sleeping bag set atop an inflatable mattress. It’s cooking Kraft macaroni and cheese over a propane stove and hot dogs over a campfire. It’s showering in a public bathroom with an alarming number of spiders lurking in the corners. All this of course happens to be in the middle of summer with no threat of snow or freezing temperatures.

Isabella Bird put me to shame. Her 1873 adventure into the Rocky Mountains of Colorado is nothing short of admirable. Her story is shared here in a series of letters written to her sister at home in England. What is even more remarkable is that she was in her early forties at the time, and had been traveling as a means to improve her health. Jumping on the back of a horse and riding through snow and wind with the mountains hemming one in on all sides is not my idea of restorative healing, but apparently it did a world of good for this gutsy lady. I couldn’t help but think about the cursed Donner party while reading of Ms. Bird’s exploits. How the heck did she come out of this alive? The descriptions of the landscape are stunning; and if ever you wish to imagine the beauty of a place before it was settled, before tourist attractions became permanent fixtures, then this book will take you right there. I’ve not been to the Rocky Mountains but I felt a part of this experience for a short time. I loved her depiction of Long’s Peak – she endowed it with a character all its own: "It is one of the noblest of mountains, but in one’s imagination it grows to be much more than a mountain. It becomes invested with a personality. In its caverns and abysses one comes to fancy that it generates and chains the strong winds, to let them loose in its fury. The thunder becomes its voice, and the lightnings do it homage."

An adventure into the western Territories would not be complete without some colorful individuals, and we sure do meet a few along the journey with Ms. Bird. My favorite was “Rocky Mountain Jim” (or “Mountain Jim”), probably known only to his mother as plain old Jim Nugent. A trapper and hunter living a solitary life in Estes Park, Mountain Jim was a desperado with a handsome face scarred by a bear encounter. His story is both fascinating and a bit mysterious – he deserves a book all his own! A man with perhaps two sides, much like his ravaged face, Mountain Jim was a legend of his time. "He has pathos, poetry, and humor, an intense love of nature, strong vanity in certain directions, an obvious desire to act and speak in character, and sustain his reputation as a desperado, a considerable acquaintance with literature, a wonderful verbal memory, opinions on every person and subject, a chivalrous respect for women in his manner, which makes it all the more amusing when he suddenly turns round upon one with some graceful raillery, a great power of fascination, and a singular love of children." Is it possible that Ms. Bird may have had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on this guy?! It’s certainly hard to tell, given the very matter-of-fact nature of her writing. Maybe she didn’t want to reveal all to sister Henrietta in these letters. After all, Mountain Jim did have quite a reputation and mothers were said to threaten their naughty children with a visit from this most infamous of men.

I really enjoyed my little jaunt to the Rockies. Ms. Bird was not much of one to show emotion in her writing, but she sure did share much of the excitement of the adventure itself! A bit wordy here and there, but overall a very satisfying and informative read. ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Tasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel-adventure, favorites-2018

Isabella Bird was an adventuring marvel, especially for the time (1800s) of her travels. At times I had to remind myself that I was reading non-fic as her bravery and escapades were truly remarkable! I love books depicting nature as well and she was thoroughly descriptive. Very descriptive.

6 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2018 Celia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, ten-year-challenge, group-bom, 2018-caz, kindle-list, bios-memoirs, 2018-read, non-fiction

Written as a series of letters of the author to her sister, the book describes the journey of Isabella Lucy Bird through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in 1873. Colorado was still a "territory" in North America. Here was a 40-something British woman riding for 800 miles through the Rockies on her way home from New Zealand, consorting with pioneers, consumptives and desperados as she went.

Isabella rode Birdie – "a bay Indian pony … with legs of iron". It was winter or at least late fall and the ...more

2 likes · Like · see review