The Magnificent Mountain Women: Adventures in the Colorado Rockies

by Janet Robertson

Paperback, 1991

Status

Checked out

Publication

University of Nebraska Press (1991), Edition: Reprint, 220 pages

Description

Since the Pikes Peak gold rush in the mid-nineteenth century, women have gone into the mountains of Colorado to hike, climb, ski, homestead, botanize, act as guides, practice medicine, and meet a variety of other challenges, whether for sport or for livelihood. Janet Robertson recounts their exploits in a lively, well-illustrated book that measures up to its title, The Magnificent Mountain Women. Arlene Blum provides a new introduction to this edition.

User reviews

LibraryThing member ulmannc
I first learned about the "mountain women" of Colorado back in 1983 while talking with my wife's surgeon. He had a great picture of Long's Peak behind his desk and got me interested in Isabella Bird. I'm sure if all these women are characters but but I guess it has to do with the air (or lack of
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same)!

The year before we went up into Rocky Mountain National Park and received our first lesson about alpine plants in the tundra. We were taught by Bea (called Bettie in the book). My wife and I both got a mild case of altitude sickness on that jaunt - the only case we have ever had and we have gone to altitude many times since then in the US, Canada, Switzerland, Austria and Itaiy.

If you know Colorado at all, you will recognize many of the places. She even mentions Enos Mills several times. The last chapter talks a lot about technical climbing. We have been up parts of the 14ers but never on the end of a rope. . .

This is an enjoyable read if you know the area and know about the impact these women had on Colorado in particular and on botany, mountain ecology, etc in general.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1990

Physical description

220 p.; 8.93 inches

ISBN

0803289332 / 9780803289338
Page: 0.3032 seconds