Dearest Reader,
Last week I read from Smoke Elser and my book “Hush of the Land” at a very special spot: sitting on a horse, right next to the best fishing in the United States, deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana. Ever since I first heard Smoke’s story from the ‘Hole in the Wall’, I wanted to visit the mysterious cave, high up on the limestone cliff deep below Jumbo Mountain. Over the years, all of Smoke’s guests talked about what was hiding in the large black hole; many tried to reach it, but nobody had ever succeeded. Until one hot summer day, three of Smoke’s wranglers set out with a few long ropes, climbing harnesses and shoes to change that.
For the past four years, I have taken a group of University of Montana students on horseback and for college credit for five days into the Danaher Valley, another special spot in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. When Jack Rich, our outfitter from Double Arrow Outfitters at the Rich Ranch in Seeley Lake, suggested we take a different route this time, cross over Pyramid Pass and clear the trail along Youngs Creek, I was excited. For the first time, my daughter Edda came along, as did Jack’s wife Belinda, granddaughter Kyra, and Tim Devine, retired head of the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, Jack’s crew, and four very curious University of Montana students. But it wasn’t until we reached our camp on Otter Creek that I realized the ‘Hole in the Wall’ was just a short day ride away. The perfect place for a special book reading in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
When Smoke and I planned “Hush of the Land” we immediately agreed on the format: a soft, light cover and just large enough to perfectly fit in any saddlebag. I never rode a horse alongside Smoke. But sitting in his barn, recording his stories by the wood stove, researching in archives, and writing this book, I traveled every mile of the 1.6 million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness with him, so other people can do the same. In my dreams, I often camped on the meadow below the cave, fished the deep fishing holes nearby, searched for the horses and mules on the bench above the river in the morning.
Last week, Jack Rich showed me Smoke’s old camp by the river, now partially burned by wildfire and a favorite of the many pack rafters on their way to the South Fork of the Flathead River, and we stopped on a gravel bank nearby. The sun was warm, the sky blue, and the water clear, as I took my trail copy of “Hush of the Land” out of my saddle bag, let my feet dangle beside my stirrups, and took everybody on a trip back in time and up to the ‘Hole in the Wall’. Jack followed with a story abuot how he once tried an ascent with a guest that almost ended in disaster and closed out with a poem from his father, C.B. Rich. Few eyes stayed dry that morning.
I hope to see you out on the trail this summer with a copy of “Hush of the Land” in your saddlebag or backpack! If our trails don’t cross, please send me a picture of your favorite place to read.
Auf bald & keep it wild,
Eva
NEWS and upcoming EVENTS
Get in touch to pick up a “Hush of the Land” sticker at Smoke’s barn and help us spread the word about “Hush of the Land” by writing a review (Amazon) here or (Goodreads) here.
EVENTS
Lincoln, MT, July 27, Sculpture in the Wild, 4-6pm
Kalispell, MT, September 3, Flathead Valley Community College, 6-7:30pm (60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act!)
Bozeman, October 12, more details coming soon
Seeley Lake, MT, December 6, Community Foundation Bldg, 2pm, hosted by Alpine Artisans
Virtual HUSH OF THE LAND Storytelling & Reading with book signing!
We are currently working on offering a virtual HUSH OF THE LAND Storytelling & Reading with book signing event. Please get in touch (info@evamaggi.com) if you would be interested in having us talk to your community or join your book club via zoom!
You can also find HUSH OF THE LAND on Facebook and Instagram.