A LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY LADIES
Spanning the generations, women have planted themselves here among the cactus and pine. They’ve forged unconventional paths west — hunting and harvesting stories worth remembering. Today, they are still heeding the call of their heritage, bravely shedding all that is frivolous as they head deeper into the backcountry. They pursue that which will outlive them, in faithful stewardship of the tender shoots of conservation.
This league of extraordinary women have been tested and tried in the high lonesome; blooming amidst the rugged terrain with tenacity and grace that has changed the landscape on which they reside. They are too many to name — those women who have led the way — but each month we aim to share their stories. These are Women of the West.
KIM BRANNOCK
OREGON
Kim Brannock pointed her truck northeast with her 13-year-old daughter riding shotgun. While their destination was unclear, they had a full tank of gas, backcountry maps, and a list of GPS coordinates for hidden hot springs and fishing holes. Thirty days of uninterrupted exploring through the windshield lay ahead, and there were just enough miles on the odometer to savor what matters most — being together. “We’ve been doing month-long road trips together since she was four,” Kim explained. “Last year, we did a 6,000-mile trip all the way to Alaska. She’s just such a good traveler, which is really fun. I can’t wait to see who she morphs into over time.”
Kim’s own roots were planted alongside the wheat in the farming community of Daton, Washington, where “everyone knew everybody,” and summers were spent working the harvest. “We grew most of the food that we ate, and then my dad hunted and fished for the rest of
