A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

What a wonderful experience!

I loved this book. I was taking a trip to Lake Tahoe and happened upon this. The first chapters tell how she came to Truckee and went to see Lake Tahoe. Then she moved on to the Rockies. What an experience to travel alone, as a women, in the 1870's in such a rural and un-explored place. It made me want to go there, though my experience will be vastly different. It took her days and days to get up to Long's Peak in Colorado, whereas now it's a short trip on an interstate. She wrote about spending the winter with some miner's at the base of Long's Peak. You must understand, the writing style of that time was somewhat archaic by today's standards, but it was still very enjoyable indeed....

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

The Unflappable Ms. Bird

Why did this truly remarkable woman ride 800 miles in 1873 through the Rocky Mountains in the dead of winter alone? She like many in England suffering from a damp climate came for the "camp cure" of the thin dry air of Colorado. But, beyond that she was mesmerized by the sublimity and ethereal beauty of the place. She stayed with families leading hard lives of subsistence, living in un-chinked log cabins where snow settled on her bed over the night. She lent a hand in all endeavors; herding cattle, baking bread, washing dishes and clothes. Observations made to her sister in a series of letters are telling. A hard working lack luster lifestyle spiced with tales of adventure from hunters, trappers around the fire in the evening become her routine. A desperado named Mountain Jim became her guide and companion on many of her rides through country she describes with the passion of the devout. In her lifetime Ms. Bird traveled extensively writing letters from the Sandwich Islands, China, India and other exotic realms before she passed at 73. I truly admire this plucky lady's zest for life and true Brit grit.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A rare view of early Colorado life from a most unlikely perspective

Ms Bird took could have stayed in England, burdened by some sort of sickness and most likely died a lonely, unhappy British subject. Instead she got out of the sickbed and travelled the world. After more than twenty years of roaming the world she happened onto North America. San Francisco, to be exact, and this is where this story starts. She makes her way to Truckee and takes a horseback tour you can actually see via her ability to paint pictures with words. From there she travels over the Rocky Mountains to the plains just east of the Front Range. The meat of this story takes place along the Front Range from Estes Park south to South Park and the frontier town of Colorado Springs. Her best companion is her well-loved Indian bronco, Birdie. A tough and smart little horse that got her through adventures most of us today would never consider. She engages we readers with her word painting that leave you breathless. The trip up Long's Peak in what is now a prominent feature of the Rocky Mountain National Park is a piece of descriptive literature readers will remember. I found myself not wanting the story to end. I did not want Ms Bird to leave the Rockies and most of all, I did not want her to leave that faithful little Birdie. I am glad I found this book. I am glad I found Ms Bird and if you enjoy well written literature this will be a page turner you won't want to end either.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

What a life, what a woman.

Excellent reading. Bird captures a vivid slice of life (circa 1873) among a diverse community of settlers throughout the Rocky Moutains. She's a refined young British woman who matter of factly documents her experiences via letters to her sister. The descriptions of her 'ordinary' days are incomprehesible to men and women alive today. Even better, her use of the English language is exquisite - it's worth reading the book just to savor this.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The tireless and graceful Isabella Bird, one of my British heroes

Unlike many epistolary novels, "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains" never once becomes dull, overly familiar, or self-indulgent. Isabella L. Bird recounts her travels across America, paricularly across the Colorado Rockies, with a deft, witty hand. She exposes phony cowboys and uppity housewives alike; never cruelly, just cleverly, with an educated observer's eye. For anyone who loves history, and the history of interesting Brits traveling alone in America, this book is a must read. I could go and on about her resilience and dedication to writing letters home (despite failing winter light, frozen ink and blizzards cutting off the mail), but I'll just say, if you want to learn about the mining and mountain towns of early Colorado territory, and enjoy one of the most interesting ladies of the 19th century, look no further.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Disappointing!

I bought this book because it was selected by my book club. It has so many typos in it that it is quite difficult to read. You constantly have to reread sentences to make sure you have figured out the meaning. Good luck - maybe it will be corrected by the time you wish to read it!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Bad Copy!

Don't download this to your Nook! It's a poorly transcribed copy of the 1886 original. Numerous word errors to the point of it not making sense. Now I know why it was free.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

GREAT perspective for history fans!

HI to all - ILBird's book is one of those marvellous looks at the places we live in, know, and love; during a long-past time and in a long-gone condition we'll never get to see. It ranks with Brewer's 'Up and Down California...' for vivid description of life in those times. If you've ever been to a place which preserves a slice of life in the pioneering times of our country, here is a fascinating sense of what that life was really like.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

So engrossing!

I learned so much about the 1800's American West while enjoying a great story. I was inspired by the author's determination and humility.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent book

I lovedthis book. It was welled thought out and well prosuced. Also i loved the details Birdie incorperated in this well published nonfiction book. So this is all i am going to say because i dont want to give out any detail out. And just saying no one likes a spoil alerter. Well i just hope you enjoyed this book better than i did.
Marta Bayan

Ok

It was a great and very detailed book. It was detailed when she wrote about Lake Thoa. The only problem is i bought the sample and then bought the whole book it had the same about of pages of the sample.

Isabella Bird's indomitable spirit and fortitude in realizing he

Isabella Bird's indomitable spirit and fortitude in realizing her dream of visiting Estes Park astonish me. Though life was hard and comforts few, it was also safer in many ways, as shown in her relationship with the desperado she meets on finally entering Estes Park . I can't imagine bearing the cold, ice, snow, etc. 
Bird's descriptions of sunrises and vistas tell me she studied art, knew pigments, and appreciated all she experienced.
Bird did not fit in with Victorian England's restrictions on women, so traveled to Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand, and acquired many useful skills. That she remained long after the weather turned, after all other women had moved to the plains, is remarkable. Her 800 miles of travel on unmarked trails, on a sturdy horse she named after herself, to Colorado Springs, makes a suspenseful story. 
I was just in Colorado, in January, and the climate is so different. There's only 50% of the normal snowpack, and none at all on the plains; temperatures have been abnormally high. And there's smog above Denver.

distracting formatting

tbis would have been much more interesting to me if the formatting had not been horrendous. multiple errors and spelling problems, not attributed to the author, I'm sure. BN could have done a better job with this.

Undecipherable

Bad copy, not "translated" to electronic copy well or sufficiently.

An undoubting woman explores her heart and our country!

Good read, informative and thrilling tour of Colorado. This woman knows no fear! Very interesting!

Okay.......

I found the beginning very distracting. I couldnt get past the first few pages. I dont recommend this book.

Quite an adventure, if you enjoy nature this is a book for you.

This is the story of an amazing woman, who wanted to experience the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in the 1870's. She traveled on her own relying on the kindnesses of the early settlers of Colorado Mountain country. She experiences the Rockies in all seasons and weather, the story is told through her letters to her sister.

I spend many vacations in the Colorado Rockies and wanted to learn a little more about the life that went on in the ghost towns I visit. This helped to build a richer picture of the life that was lived in these isolated towns high in the mountains.

A Strong and Curious Lady

Isabella L. Bird's account of her year of traveling in Colorado's Rocky Mountains was interesting and a delight to read. For anyone who knows these mountains... or any other mountains... will enjoy the letters she wrote to her sister about her trek through this wonderland back in the late 1800's. This book was a selection for my reading club and all nine ladies enjoyed it.

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