In 1914, 21-year-old Gladys Hardy embarked on a solo horseback ride from Spokane, Washington, to San Francisco, California, under the name of the Outdoor Life Girl. She attracted attention along the way, selling over 1,000 subscriptions to Outdoor Life and participating in parades, rodeos, and newsreels. Despite a broken leg caused by a fall in Portland, she completed the journey successfully.
After reaching San Francisco, Gladys planned to continue her ride to Los Angeles and then across the country to New York City and New England. However, a quarantine due to hoof-and-mouth disease in California prevented her from taking her horse, Goldie, out of the state. She sold Goldie to a film production company and began working in Western films at Universal Studios before eventually returning home to Washington.
Gladys Hardy, now Mrs. Gladys Thompson, lived a life filled with adventure, including working as a fire-tower lookout in Washington and spending time on a cattle ranch in Arizona. Despite failing eyesight, she fondly remembers her long ride and the people she met along the way, cherishing the memories of the unspoiled, beautiful country she experienced during her journey.
