Mosaic Monday #16 - A Woman's Way West

Lupines and Blanket Flower

Apikuni Mountain

Glacier National Park, July 2018

How did I get my romantic notions of the West and pioneers?  Maybe it was "Little House on the Prairie".  Could have been the Zane Grey books I read during high school.  Perhaps the heart-stirring words to America, the Beautiful have woven themselves into the very fabric of my being.

Recently, my pioneer fever has been renewed by a piece of non-fiction - A Woman's Way West - written by John Fraley about Doris (Ashley) Huffine and her adventures in and around Glacier National Park from 1925 to 1990.

All of it makes me wish I lived in those times.  To have been here when it all started.  To be part of history.  To be a pioneer.  To be called a "true Montana character".

Spacious skies in the Many Glacier area, Glacier National Park
July 2018

Trail for "pilgrim feet"
Swiftcurrent Lake
July 2018

As Fraley writes in his introduction: "She had defied grizzlies when she cooked for the Going-to-the-Sun road crew, hiked the park's trails in clothes reserved for men, owned wilderness lodges, kept bears, coyotes, beaver and mountain goats as pets, managed a museum, written an outdoor news column, and taught in one-room schools.  She was an uncommon, common woman who reflected the rugged spirit and grit of the men and women who paved Montana's transition to the modern West."

Don't you just want to be that woman?

"Patriot dream …
Undimmed by human tears"

My "pilgrim feet" have already trod in the footsteps left behind by Doris as outlined in the book - in places such as Trick Falls (now known as Running Eagle Falls), Rose Creek, Sun Point, Lake McDermott (now known as Swiftcurrent Lake), Stanton Lake and Cracker Lake.  In some small measure, I feel I am working my way toward the honor that comes with a title such as "Montana character".

Upper right: View across Lake Sherburne toward Wynn Mountain
"Purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain"

Glacier National Park, July 2018

In the first chapter of the book, Fraley details Doris' hike to Triple Divide Pass, and my mouth was open with fascination, not to mention shock at the coincidence - Spousal Unit and I hope to hike that trail as a 2-night back-country camping trip this summer.  It struck a chord deep within me, and the melody continued on as I learned of Red Eagle Lake and other wonders we hope to see for ourselves.  I am ever more profoundly inspired to hike the mountains of Glacier, and see them anew through Doris' eyes.  So I dedicate this post to Doris Huffine, and to John Fraley, for painting vivid pictures of her adventures.  A toast to Montana characters everywhere!

Mountains of Many Glacier area with Swiftcurrent Lake in the foreground

Glacier National Park, July 2018 

This is the final chapter in my summer series (link to other chapters here:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4,Chapter 5).

A note to all those who may have visited Diane at Lavender Dreams: her blog was erased by Blogger and she can now be found at https://lavenderdreamsnew.blogspot.com/  Raise your voice about this Blogger practice, and in the meantime, preserve your blog!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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