Mary Schaffer
An Adventurous Woman's Exploits in the Canadian Rockies
AUTHOR: Jill Foran
FORMAT: 5.5 x 8.5 pb / 128 pages
ISBN-10: 1-55153-999-3
ISBN-13: 9781551539997
From her early childhood in Philadelphia’s high society to her later life exploring the unknown wilds of the Canadian Rockies, Mary Schäffer extended the boundaries for adventurous women in the early 20th century.
Prologue
July 4, 1908. It was probably the coldest fourth of July Mary had ever known. It came with biting winds and freezing rain, and it was assaulting the whole outfit with no mercy. Mary's high spirits were wavering. It was Independence Day, after all, and here she was, somewhere in the Canadian Rockies, hunched on a horse and shielding her face from the elements.
Back home, people were having picnics and setting off fireworks. Back home, her family and friends were sweating in the stifling summer heat of Philadelphia. If they could see her now, they would assail her with I told you so's. Few of them had wanted her to go on this quest. They thought it foolish and unladylike. But they had no idea of the beauty and the peace and the freedom she had found in the wilderness. And they did not have a map to a secret lake, a lake that lay hidden deep in the mountains, just waiting to be discovered. Mary had a map.
Perched on her horse, high atop a mountain pass, Mary watched her guide work to clear burnt timber from their slippery trail. Then she glanced at Mollie and the others. They all looked cold and miserable in their slickers and ponchos. Were they silently cursing her? Perhaps they had a right. After all, she had pushed the hardest for this expedition. She had sought out the map and paid for the guides, the horses, and the gear.
Now they were almost one month into the search, freezing and disheartened, and apparently nowhere near their destination. No one, not even the team's leader, was sure that the route they had chosen was the right one. Mary was not sure where they were at all. But despite the weather and the questionable trail, despite the doubts and increasing bickering, Mary was sure of one thing: come hell or high water, they would find this lake.
About the Author
Jill Foran lives and writes in Calgary, Alberta. Specializing in personal and company histories, she has written profiles, biographies, and memoirs for magazine and book publishers and corporations. She has also written more than 30 non-fiction books for children. This is Jill's second book in the Amazing Stories series.
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