A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

by

Isabella Bird

To My Sister, to whom these letters were originally written, they are now affectionately dedicated.

eBooks@Adelaide
2007

This web edition published by eBooks@Adelaide.

Rendered into HTML by Steve Thomas.

Last updated Saturday March 03 2007.

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Table of Contents

  1. 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.
  2. A lady’s “get-up”—Grizzly bears—The “Gems of the Sierras”—A tragic tale—A carnival of color.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.”
  16. 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.
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Last updated on Sat Mar 3 14:22:21 2007 for eBooks@Adelaide.