The Oregon Hen Party

June 15, 2022 9:38 AM

"For over 30 years during the mid-20th century, a group of women who lived in eastern Oregon went on an annual 10-day horseback ride through the Wallowa Mountains. The women called themselves the Hen Party [archive.ph], and they were led by Jean Birnie, a local woman known for her horse-riding skills, reverence for nature and rejection of modern conveniences."

A transcript of an interview with Gerda Brownton [pdf], who went on five of the Hen Party rides. Her description of the trips begins on numbered page 8, PDF page 16.

posted by jedicus (5 comments total)

Gerda was one of my grandmother's best friends, and a true force of nature. Can't wait to read this after work.
posted by calamari kid at 9:57 AM on June 15, 2022 [5 favorites]

'Hen Party' being what we call a bachelorette party on this side of the pond.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 10:02 AM on June 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

Thank you for sharing. I used to live in La Grande and have done some hiking in the Eagle Caps. Reading the stories of the hen parties reminds me of an epic camping trip I took in Wallowa County to Hells Canyon where it meets the Snake River. Four(?) six(?) women camping out in a field next to the road with a flat tire, fixed it in the morning, and kept on going - lots of rain and poison oak, but worth it for the views and the stories.
posted by jilloftrades at 2:20 PM on June 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

This is amazing! I love this. I recently read a memoir by a woman who, decades ago, traveled on her own across the North American continent by horseback, and I have a fantasy about doing things like this. But these women brought it to another level. And how much more fun to go into the wilderness with a bunch of like-minded ladies.
posted by OolooKitty at 3:30 PM on June 15, 2022

This is quite the nostalgia bomb for me, particularly the interview with Gerda, thank you so much for sharing it. All of the women in my grandmother's circle were of particularly independent and resilient character in my view. I am ever grateful for their influence in my life.
posted by calamari kid at 6:56 PM on June 15, 2022 [4 favorites]