The first female on record to walk for pleasure?

The following an excerpt from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

One of the first females on record to walk for pleasure and the enjoyment of nature was Elizabeth Carter. Born in 1717, Carter began roaming the coastal lands near her home in Deal, England, as a youth. She would continue this pursuit throughout her entire life, in an age when women didn’t walk alone. During her lifetime, it's believed she walked thousands of miles, mostly alone, but occasionally with her sister or a friend. Many of those walks and extended rambles were documented in correspondences she exchanged with friends. Carter gained national fame as a writer and poet, and would eventually become associated with a literary, educational and social movement known as the Bluestocking Circle.

The first mountains ascended by a female on record

The following an excerpt from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Though likely not for any form of earthly pleasure, one of the more significant mountain excursions during the classical age was taken by a pilgrim. What makes this particular trek noteworthy is that these are the first mountains to be ascended by a female on record. Between 381 and 384, a woman now known to history as Egeria took an extended pilgrimage to see the Holy Land. The details of her travels survive in the form of a letter she wrote to acquaintances back home, either in present-day France or, more likely, northern Spain. Some scholars believe she was a nun who was writing to the sisters in her convent. Others suggest that she may have been a woman of wealth, and was communicating with a circle of pious friends. In addition to observations made during her travels, Egeria described two pedestrian excursions she took, which included ascents of Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb and Mount Nebo.

On This Date: Yellowstone National Park is established

On this date in 1872, Yellowstone was established as the world’s first national park. Prior to the mid-1800s, trappers and mountain men recounted “wild” stories of seeing spouting geysers, multicolored hot springs, boiling rivers, bubbling mud, noxious fumes and hissing earth while roaming through the future park. These reports were largely dismissed as delusions or tall tales before formal expeditions of the region began in 1869. In that year, the first of three expeditions to explore and document the region were launched, culminating with the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. After Thomas Moran’s artwork and William H. Jackson’s photographs provided proof that Yellowstone’s geothermal and geologic features were indeed real, Congress was convinced they needed to protect this unique landscape from development. Less than six months after the conclusion of the Hayden Geological Survey, Yellowstone became a national park.

There are many histories and videos about Yellowstone; however, I found a short clip about the park that I thought was quite interesting. This is a public service announcement created by Wilding Picture Productions for the Ford Motor Company - likely in the 1950s, but possibly from the late 1940s. In addition to its age, what makes this clip remarkable is the advertisement of the "bear feeding grounds" in the park. Obviously, bear management practices have improved a little since then!



The video clip also mentions that Yellowstone’s buffalo were “a symbol of our vanished frontier.” Ramble On: A History of Hiking discusses the remarkable story of how George Bird Grinnell saved the buffalo, as Yellowstone was its last refuge.

2026 Construction Updates in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park reminds visitors of current and upcoming construction projects happening in the park.

Two Medicine
Last fall, Two Medicine Road was closed to facilitate replacement of a deep culvert. The road remained closed to vehicles throughout the fall and reopened to non-motorized use in November 2025. In April 2026, construction will continue on Two Medicine Road and the water distribution system.

The Two Medicine utility project will begin this April. This project includes replacement of the full water distribution system in the Two Medicine developed area and campground. A spring and fall closure will occur for the Two Medicine developed area. To facilitate construction, the Two Medicine Road will be closed at Running Eagle Falls Trailhead, or the park boundary. Closures in the Two Medicine developed area will occur outside of concession operating dates (May 29-September 7). Concessioner operated boat tours will run and the Two Medicine Campstore will remain open. The park will maintain access to hiking trails as feasible, but access to some trails may be limited.

The Two Medicine Campground will be closed in 2026.

The culvert work last fall was part of a large, multi-year Two Medicine Road Rehabilitation project which also includes full rehabilitation of the Two Medicine Road from MT-49 intersection to the terminus parking lot at Two Medicine Lake. The road rehabilitation includes ditch re-establishment, road repair, parking lot construction, replacement of entrance station buildings, and paving. This work is scheduled to resume this fall 2026 and be completed late 2027 but may continue into 2028. Closures outside of the park associated with this project have not been determined.

St. Mary
Utility replacement work is scheduled to begin in St. Mary in the spring. This project includes water distribution system replacement in the St. Mary Campground, administrative area, and around the St. Mary Visitor Center. A replacement of the winter septic system in the St. Mary administrative area will also occur. Partial closures in the St. Mary Campground for construction of the new water system are anticipated in the fall 2026 through the spring 2027. The St. Mary Visitor Center will maintain its normal seasonal schedule.

Lake McDonald Lodge, Many Glacier, and Granite Park Chalet
Design is currently underway on additional proposed utility system replacement projects at Lake McDonald Lodge Developed Area, Many Glacier Hotel Developed Area, and Granite Park Chalet. If approved, construction at Lake McDonald Lodge Developed Area and Many Glacier Developed Area is anticipated to begin in 2027.

North Lake McDonald Road
Anticipated culvert work is planned this fall 2026 on North Lake McDonald Road.

North Fork
Construction to replace the Polebridge Ranger Station area’s water supply system, water distribution system, and water tank is expected to begin August 2026. Work is expected to have minimal impact to visitors until October 4, 2026, which marks the anticipated start of the water main and water tank installation work along the Inside North Fork Road. This will require a full closure to all traffic traveling towards Logging Creek from the Polebridge Ranger Station. Trenching in front of the Polebridge Ranger Station is also expected in October 2026. Public access to Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake will remain unaffected by construction. It is expected that all significant construction activities will be completed in November 2026. Heavy construction is not expected in the winter. Any remaining road restoration or area restoration work will be completed by summer 2027.

Many Glacier
In 2025, the Swiftcurrent area was closed due to the replacement of the water system in the Swiftcurrent developed area. The project also rehabilitated the road between the Many Glacier Hotel intersection and the Swiftcurrent developed area, while addressing parking concerns and pedestrian safety. The Swiftcurrent area now has 339 parking spaces, an increase of 171 parking spaces. Construction is completed and not anticipated in the Many Glacier area in 2026.

Please check the Road Construction and Infrastructure Project Work page on the park website for more information on construction in the park.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on the history of hiking is now available on Amazon

Breaking in new boots before modern hiking boots

The following an excerpt from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Until the advent of modern hiking boots, breaking in a pair of new boots and maintaining their shape and flexibility was a bit of a challenge for the first generations of hikers. To help remedy this problem, Edward Cave explained in the Boy Scout’s Hike Book, published in 1913, that hikers should break in a pair of new boots by standing in a pan of lukewarm water until their boots and wool socks were completely soaked. He then instructed them to go outside and walk until the boots were completely dry, at which point they would’ve conformed to their feet. This wasn’t a homegrown solution that he invented on his own. The U.S. Army employed this method as well. Cave also provided advice on how to waterproof a pair of new boots, informing readers that they should either use neatsfoot oil, melted cocoa butter, or melted tallow to treat the leather. He recommended that hikers should first warm their boots in an oven in order to open up the pores of the leather, which would then allow it to fully absorb the treatment. Hikers and mountaineers also used castor oil, collan oil and melted Vaseline to treat boots.

You can read more about early hiking footwear in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.