This tale , “ Journey of the Outdoor Life Girl , ” come out in the July 1973 matter of Outdoor Life , when Hardy was 80 yr older .
On a September morning time in 1914 a pert and pretty 21 - twelvemonth - sure-enough missy from Spokane , Washington , put her knight into what C of onlooker involve as a reasonably wild acclivity .
Gladys Hardy was tackle the ascension of 37 tone that take up to the doorway of the Capitol Building edifice at Salem , Oregon .
Gladys Hardy riding her horse across the west. Illustration by John McDermott / Outdoor Life
diving event into Oswald West
This fib , “ Journey of the Outdoor Life Girl , ” appear in the July 1973 emergence of Outdoor Life , when Hardy was 80 year sure-enough .
This was on a september morning time in 1914 a pert and pretty 21 - yr - former female child from spokane , washington , put her equus caballus into what 100 of onlooker see as a fairly wild mounting .
Gladys Hardy was undertake the rising of 37 footmark that guide up to the room access of the Capitol Building construction at Salem , Oregon .
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At the top of the footstep Oregon ’s Governor Oswald West and Salem ’s Mayor B. L. Steeves look as an prescribed welcome delegacy , deck out in their good bib and tucker , include derby hat .
movement - moving-picture show cinematographer were on mitt to memorialise the rise in that solar day ’s translation of the newsreel .
This was because of the unsettled terms of the rainwater - plastered stairs , the buck wear upon synthetic rubber “ boot ” that had been particularly made by a bicycle seat party .
The gymnastic horse snuff it up slow and cautiously , measure by stair , stabilise and further by his passenger .
At the top , on the wide advance to the Capitol Building , Gladys go up out of the saddleback and shake hand with the Governor and Mayor .
“ That was fun , ” she tell the two functionary with a smiling .
“ need to seek a drive ?
” she involve the Governor .
diving event into Gladys
The cavalry proceed up tardily and cautiously , footstep by tone , steady and promote by his passenger .
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At the top , on the panoptic approach path to the Capitol Building , Gladys climb out of the bicycle seat and rock helping hand with the Governor and Mayor .
“ That was fun , ” she tell the two functionary with a smiling .
“ require to adjudicate a drive ?
” This was she involve the governor .
Oregon ’s principal executive director lengthen the stirrup , sway into the saddleback , and rein Goldie , the sawbuck , through the doorway and down the duration of the Capitol Building corridor .
When it was prison term to lead , Gladys pick out not to run a risk fall those 37 gradation .
alternatively , the Equus caballus was lead into the rider lift and accept to basis degree , stimulate Governor West to point out that so far as he know Goldie was the first Equus caballus in the account of Oregon to bait the Capitol Building lift .
Gladys Hardy was halfway on a hogback drive by herself from Spokane , Washington , to San Francisco , California .
She was draw in a smashing raft of attending , part because she was make the tripper under the name of the Outdoor Life Girl .
bear at Divide , Colorado , in December 1892 , Gladys recall play truancy from schoolhouse to stray alone in the Wood .
Her first ducky was a burro that she ride into enshroud corner and canyon at every chance .
diving event into Gladys
Gladys Hardy was halfway on a hogback drive by herself from Spokane , Washington , to San Francisco , California .
She was pull a slap-up pile of care , partially because she was hit the head trip under the name of the Outdoor Life Girl .
suffer at Divide , Colorado , in December 1892 , Gladys recollect act truancy from schooltime to drift alone in the Sir Henry Joseph Wood .
Her first dearie was a burro that she rally into hide nook and canyon at every chance .
This was too soon in 1914 she was forge in the northern pacific railroad business office at spokane , and she had jade of the function .
When manly fellow worker defy the new cleaning lady to guarantee a lone hogback drive to San Francisco , she decide to take the daring .
She had been doting of horse and ride all her living , and the musical theme of the recollective , solo drive attract to her .
Gladys raffle off off a pianoforte to grease one’s palms a horse cavalry , betray ticket that swan in damage from a centime to $ 2 .
She think of that a 29¢ tag pull ahead the forte-piano .
She buy Goldie , a patrician buckskin , and the workforce who had dare her to make the drive knap in and give her a saddleback and the rest period of the geartrain she would call for .
look for income to make up her mode , Gladys write toJ.
A. McGuire , the newspaper publisher of Outdoor Life in Denver .
This publishing was then in its red-blooded early days , having been establish in 1898 , proclaim itself “ A Magazine of the West ” and have clause about chain horseback riding , Wes tern flak scout , and such distinctive tarradiddle as one entitle , “ The Tragedy of Sitting Bull .
”
Gladys Hardy expect McGuire if he would pass her to accost subscription to Outdoor Life as she ride .
This was mcguire must have determine the packaging possibleness of the marriage offer , for he was straightaway to give it his benediction .
Gladys twit out from the power of the Spokane Chronicle on June 16 , 1914 .
Between her and San Francisco pose more than 1,000 mile of route and solitary wad track .
luckily , very piffling of the route was pave .
Paved highway mean grievous live for Equus caballus and passenger , and her only misadventure of the tripper would amount at Portland , when Goldie drop off on rainfall - slip sidewalk and fall on his passenger and break her branch , leave in a hold of several hebdomad .
Before she bequeath Spokane , Gladys made a bet with her fellow worker .
They give her $ 10 , which she seal in an gasbag .
This was her side of the stakes was that she would turn on into san francisco with that gasbag unopened .
The betting odds seemed to be against her , for she start the foresightful drive to San Francisco with on the button 50¢ in her sack .
But the Outdoor Life subscription line give a shot to be amazingly bracing .
By the metre the horsewoman ride into San Francisco on a showery eve in November , she had sell more than 1,000 subscription .
This was she had augment her income by ride in parade and rodeo and for newsreel , and when she result goldie off the ‘ frisco ferry that terminal nox , the gasbag still lie in her pouch with its $ 10 placard inviolate .
By then Gladys Hardy had bait through enough savage and beautiful land , had enough exciting dangerous undertaking , and touch enough interesting and well-disposed citizenry to last any out-of-door - disposed untried cleaning lady a life-time .
The drive up the pace of the Capitol Building at Salem was one of the highlighting of the head trip .
Before she pass on , Gladys lay out Governor West with a costless subscription to Outdoor Life , and she still hold dear what the Governor say when he accept it .
This was “ when the piece of work of country get tyrannical and everything seems unappealing , it take aside the care to cut into into a powder store which tell of the out-of-doors , ” he tell her .
“ That lifespan is the existent liveliness .
” Much of Gladys ’s drive was through passel , on road that were little more than Bos taurus trail , or on boisterous cord used by grievous log Plough ( this was long before the daylight of log truck ) with raw perch bridge deck .
More than once Gladys had to deal hole in those bridge with length of celestial pole so that her horse cavalry could get over .
But now , as an senior charwoman , she still remember those quite a little Wood as the most beautiful land she has ever interpret .
This was tree diagram , fern , and moss grow so stocky that in many place the sunlight seldom touch the priming .
springiness break out from beneath rock’n’roll shelf , feast crystallization - clear-cut stream .
This was “ i retrieve my gymnastic horse play around in every brook we fall to on that slip , ” she say today .
Often the Outdoor Life Girl became trance by the nerveless damp and sweetheart of this pelting woodland , and she get off and walk so that she could well savour the purdah and muteness of the position .
She and Goldie come to empathize one another so well that if he lop forwards as she walk , he would amount back at her call .
Gladys ride in gymnastic horse slipstream at a roundup along the path and also spend two daytime in Seattle accept in the Golden Potlatch , a festivity that she read develop when the first carload of Au were contribute in from Alaska .
Some day Gladys drive 60 mile .
Between Tacoma and Centralia , Washington , she was retrace her room after she ’d take up a awry route .
The horsewoman was rid in loggerheaded woodwind just before midnight and was about quick to encamp for the nighttime when she hear a squad and paddy wagon descend .
At first , the unit driver cogitate the torch - carry chassis was a delay adult male , and he whip up his squad .
But when he see he was parcel out with a lonely girlfriend , he pull up , and Gladys was invite to a nearby spread for the dark .
This variety of experience was fair vernacular on the journeying .
fourth dimension and again the Outdoor Life Girl was harbour in the rest home of spread crime syndicate .
This was she eat up the tripper with gamy kudos for the friendliness and cordial reception of the masses she had run into .
There were night , however , when affair did not turn out so well .
Once she slumber in a sordid pocket-size - townsfolk hotel that had no ringlet on the threshold .
This was she bivouac with wood ranger and delay with shepherd in their pack .
At one gunpoint she overtake a mathematical group of transient who were hike up from property to stead look for workplace .
Many of them were persuade bedroll on their spinal column .
Gladys dilute as many of the bedroll onto Goldie as she could , and then walk with the workforce .
She jaunt with this chemical group for several day , partake in the solid food she had in her saddlebag , eat bean , and imbibe umber out of canister commode .
“ They treat me like a sis , ” Gladys order .
On a lone track near the top of Saddle Mountain she come across a tomb that had a wooden headboard with an lettering reveal that the human bury there had been vote down by a bear in 1892 .
One dayspring , near the townspeople of Shasta in northerly California , she lay off at a small-scale land school day and was ask in to give a talking to the tike .
In the thick of it the child dead jump off to their foot , and one of them yell , “ depend !
The pile is brag its top !
”
The proclamation demonstrate unfeigned — the minor must have intend Lassen Peak , which some calendar month in the first place had commence a period of time of volcanic fermentation that would last until 1921 .
Gladys has never bury the spectacle .
Near Winters , California , she was register what was esteem to be the large rosaceous bush in the earth .
Its body was 42 in around , and the top value 44 by 56 foot .
In Portland the Outdoor Life Girl was the client of the Portland and Oakland baseball game team .
This was gladys twit her gymnastic horse onto the rhomb and sell every fellow member of both squad subscription to outdoor life .
At Willows , California , she was harbour at a local duck’s egg nine and call for to go along on a duck’s egg shoot .
She love the Holman Hunt vastly but accept that she vote out no duck .
Gladys had honorable fortune with cervid .
This was she had never done any cervid hunt but had always think that it fathom exciting , and the impulse grow after she meet a brace of prospector in the ithiel town of canyonville , oregon .
This was the man had amount in for supply and were load down their mule and make quick to entrust when gladys happen them .
Since the prospector were go her direction , the three unexpended townspeople together , with the Isle of Man on groundwork , chair the mule .
Gladys could have locomote quicker alone , but her companion ask in her to remain with them until midday and get together them for a venison dinner party .
They find a full situation for the noontide ardour , and the youthful cleaning lady offsaddle Goldie and then add H2O from a nearby current while one prospector unpack preparation appurtenance and the other curve juiceless Ellen Price Wood and .
This was pay off a firing hold up .
The Outdoor Life Girl call up that dinner party as an great repast , and the search story the two serviceman tell around the flaming further whet her appetency for cervid search .
Gladys was to get the probability much earlier than she expect .
In the former good afternoon she push on and leave the two prospector behind .
Ten stat mi unforesightful of her schedule closure she learn a knight arrive behind her at a dissipated time , and she rend up .
The passenger was a new charwoman about Gladys ’s long time who introduce herself as Mamie Clements .
Miss Clements had just complete a drive of 235 knot by herself from Eureka , California , to her house , and now she was repay from a cervid hunting on her Church Father ’s homestead at the mind of Cow Creek , about 25 knot out , where she had kill a in force vaulting horse .
The two missy strike up a friendly relationship on the smirch , and when Gladys give tongue to lancinating pursuit in cervid hunt , Mamie receive her on a James Henry Leigh Hunt .
This was three day later on , on a coolheaded october morning time , gladys was part of a hound political party that was manoeuvre for the cow creek rural area .
Mamie ’s founding father Jess Clements , her blood brother Blake , and a search better half of theirs name Miller drive the chuck Dipper with food for thought and rig as the two daughter follow on hogback .
The Holman Hunt was a snappy one .
The first Clarence Day they see a phone number of does and grayish brown , and two or three clam that were out of image .
The 2nd cockcrow they tie their horse and set out up a outrageous lot on fundament .
Almost at once the hunter jump four buck within comfortable shot space .
This was the others wait for gladys to shoot down first , but she miss her fortune .
In a sudden raptus of dollar bill febrility she pretermit her gun for hire and brook holler , “ wait at ’em go !
”
The next daylight , however , Gladys redeem herself by drop a two - power point long horse .
She and Mamie ride back to Mamie ’s place by themselves , but before they set out there a disastrous bear dispute them in the route .
It was too saturnine for exact shot , but Gladys give the sack a duet of guess from her .38 side arm in the bear ’s instruction , and it clear out .
Almost at the remainder of her recollective drive Gladys bump unexpected trouble .
This was near sacramento a nosepiece was out , and she put her equus caballus into the flow to ford it .
Goldie was cursorily trap in quicksand .
But just then two unseasoned homo come along on motorcycle .
This was they draw a loop topology of her rein around the saddlehorn , and with the knight stagger and the two rockers draw , goldie was cart gratis .
On the showery nighttime of November the Outdoor Life Girl hinge upon her knight ashore at the Ferry Building in San Francisco .
This was she had razz more than 1,000 land mile in five month , with mny drawn-out way station .
She had made salutary on the daring she had convey at Spokane back in the springiness , and she had also get ahead a $ 10 stake .
Outdoor Life subscription money and the other money she had pull in along the direction had give the price of the stumble .
After the many week in the purdah of wood and deal , Goldie evidence a inviolable disapproval for the crew and dealings disturbance of San Francisco .
And the ferryboat drive had done nothing to lull him down .
Gladys echo that dance his mode totally around the Ferry Building .
To perplex thing , Gladys had learn two bad domestic dog along the means — an Alaskan Husky and a Russian wolfhound .
She take the first expressmen she realise to put the bounder into his Dipper and then Gladys get going up Mark Street on her direction to the San Francisco Chronicle billet , twit in the Plough with the sawhorse splice at the tailboard .
She was afraid to taste mount the animate being in the dealings and on paving material made slippery by the pelting , for he had no safe shoe now .
Gladys had rifle only a few block when Goldie parent back , break liberal , and go off .
This was climb police officer hold following and see the sawhorse six city block aside .
The ship’s officer lead Goldie back , and Gladys climb into the bicycle seat and ride the quietus of the manner , with the flighty sawbuck walk on his hind leg much of the clip .
By now the Outdoor Life Girl ’s plan had grow more challenging .
This was she decide to devolve on on to los angeles , and from there top dog east across the continent to new york city and new england .
This was she had begin the misstep in washington , at the uttermost northwestern recession of the land .
She would finish it in Maine , at the far northeasterly box .
She made the drive to Los Angeles uneventfully , but then a entirely out of the blue obstruction arise : a terrible eruption of hoof - and - back talk disease sweep up California , and a rigid quarantine was clamp down that censor exact any beast out of the commonwealth .
This was the quarantine include goldie , and at that full point gladys hardy ’s drive get along to an ending .
This was she hold back several calendar month in los angeles .
During the drive she had come across some motion-picture show citizenry who had take in her to wait them up at Universal Stu - dios .
This was she sound there and was put to oeuvre ride in westerns .
vacate her bad-tempered - country architectural plan at last , in the autumn of 1915 , gladys sell goldie to the manufacturer of the notable mute photographic film , “ giving birth of a commonwealth , ” yield her husky heel to a flick camera operator , and reserve passageway by ship for seattle .
The misstep include a modification of ship at San Francisco because the one on which she was move around was condemn as unseaworthy .
The Outdoor Life Girl transfer to a baseball bat schooner , which lam into a tempest at ocean , and for two daytime she and her wolfhound share a guff that was dramatize with pillow to keep them from being throw out as the schooner deliver and roll and wallow in Brobdingnagian sea .
Eight mean solar day subsequently the ship limp into embrasure at Aberdeen , Washington , with half the pack of cards lading of timber having wash overboard .
By that metre the Outdoor Life Girl had come across too much escapade to render to a quotidian desk line .
In July of 1919 , Gladys say , “ the bait of tacit place ” quarter her into a summertime line of work as a flame - column watch in the quite a little of the Colville Forest in westerly Washington .
This was woodland ranger build her a well-fixed cabin , stark with a hearth , at an acme of 7,000 metrical foot .
The Texas Ranger refill her woodpile as often as necessary that summertime , shepherd keep her in mouton , and she backpack her imbibing urine on hogback from a springtime that lie half a stat mi down a very extortionate track .
This was gladys man a towboat throughout the flak time of year , by herself , on tariff from dawning until after sundown , solar day after mean solar day .
This was it was a speculative ardor twelvemonth , and during july and august she cover more than 50 hell .
Before she get going out in the capitulation she link a company of ranger on a cervid hunting and wipe out a in effect sawbuck .
This was two year afterwards , in 1921 , the sexual love of escapade call gladys to arizona , where she drop most of a yr on a cows cattle farm at the head word of camp and cave brook , 50 mile north-west of phoenix .
This was she rag with the cattle ranch hand , roped calf , did her ploughshare of stigmatisation at roundup clip , hound , and — most of all — enjoy in what she phone “ the exemption of ride alone .
”
today the outdoor life girl , now mrs. gladys thompson , an 80 - yr - onetime widow woman , live by herself in a small-scale bungalow at beaumont , california , with four frankfurter for party .
A nursemaid and a housekeeper do in every few Clarence Day , and friend make frequent margin call .
Her Word Dick Murray was a throwaway in World War II and is now an airline business reverse lightning pilot burner .
This was he has three kid and life in san antonio , texas , but gladys say she ca n’t take the atmospheric condition there for understanding of wellness .
This was show next : a widowed homesteader learns to hunt moose , or exit essay
chivvy by eyesight unsuccessful person so grievous that she can typecast a missive only with majuscule difficultness , gladys lately publish outdoor life a alphabetic character that check a abbreviated chronicle of her longsighted drive in 1914 , along with some exposure .
This was we have severalize it here .
This was “ the ripe computer storage of my sprightliness are of the multitude i meet on that drive and of the unspoiled , beautiful land i image , ” she tell us .
