A Texas Artist and A Historical Hiking Grandma Inspire Others to ‘Take A Hike!’
Press Release: November 17- National Take a Hike Day
A Historical Hiking Grandma
Grandma Gatewood brought attention to hiking and saved the Appalachian Trail
Many in the outdoor world know the name Grandma Gatewood. After raising eleven children, Emma Rowena Gatewood left an abusive husband, and at 67, she “went for a walk.” In 1955, she was the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail-solo, and she did this with a sewn satchel over her shoulder and in sneakers.
She is honored in the Emmy-nominated documentary “Trail Magic” and her story is written in books. Now, a Texas artist is working with others nationwide to memorialize Grandma Gatewood in bronze. The Grandma Gatewood Fundraising committee will create two statues of Grandma Gatewood. One will reside at her cemetery in Ohio, and the other they have destined for somewhere near the Appalachian trail-details to come.
The story of Grandma Gatewood and her inspiration to women and hikers all over the world is “evergreen,” as Peter Huston, producer/director of the movie “Trail Magic,” describes. Her story continues to influence.
Women from Houston Women’s Hiking group are involved in the Grandma Gatewood project. Posing, and some soon will help with the sculpting.
A Present Day Hiker and Artist- Bridgette Mongeon
Add to the story of Grandma Gatewood, the Texas artist Bridgette Mongeon, chosen to do the tribute statue, also seeks to inspire others, not just in her art. In December 2016, she started the Houston Women’s Hiking group. It started as a jest with her daughter Christina Sizemore, whom she would call each time she went in the woods alone. “Great, Mom, I have your GPS. I know where to tell them to find your body. Please start a group.”
Helping Women Be Safe Outdoors
Going outdoors alone in the woods as a woman is a fascinating conversation with strong opinions. “All women know they must take extra precautions doing the simplest things. We modify our behavior to keep safe, like being aware of our surroundings, not getting gas at night, and not walking in unsafe places,” states Bridgette. Bridgette realized that after a divorce and with her daughter grown, she would have to challenge herself to go into the woods or resolve that her forest independence was limited and based upon friends and family she could coerce into going. She chose to go in alone-until she no longer had to. Bridgette started Houston Women’s Hiking to give women that option- it offers women in the fourth most populous city of the country an opportunity to go into the woods, safely.
Wait? What? Is there hiking in Texas and the city of Houston and surrounding areas? Yes!
Besides the many parks, Houston is called the Bayou City, and each bayou has a watershed area intended for moving water and overflow. Many of those areas also have trails that hikers, runners, and mountain bikers frequent, but you must know where to find them, and the hike leaders at Houston Women’s Hiking enjoy blowing the minds of women who join their adventures.
The area covered by Houston Women’s Hiking is large, sometimes extending an hour and a half drive from downtown Houston. Also, remember that Texas is enormous, with ten different ecosystems that offer a variety of hiking experiences. Texas even has its own Grand Canyon at Palo Duro.
Being Outdoors is Contagious
The word is spreading about this group. As of fall 2023, it is an active group of nearly 16,000 members; something Bridgette would never have guessed could happen. That number will quickly change, as 50-100 women who long for nature and the outdoors join each week.
On any week, you can find hikes all over the city. By default, hikes and events are only for women, but they do have family activities. They try to meet women where they are in their lives. Are you a mom and want to get out in the woods with your littles? They create an event for that. How about a senior who has just lost her husband and is trying to readjust her footing in more ways than one? There is an event for that. Hikes can be anything from training for a hike to Kilimanjaro to recover hikes or mindfulness hikes in the arboretum with meditation. And though they named the group Houston Women’s Hiking, there are also many camping and water activities.
Bridgette and her family at Lost Maples State Park.
What Few Know About This Artist and Hiker
Bridgette is known worldwide for her sculpture of entertainers such as B. B. King, Bill Monroe, and Willie Nelson, her artwork of mascots, like the Grambling Tiger or the Prairie View Panther, and her artwork promoting literacy and curiosity like the Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Bellaire Texas called “Move One Place On.” She is incredibly excited about creating Grandma Gatewood.
Bridgette, though a high-profile artist and writer, does have a secret that not many know, which she first revealed on her hikes. Just after starting Houston Women’s Hiking, she became very sick and was diagnosed with the progressive and sometimes life-threatening Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). The cause of the disease, unknown. She jokes, “There are over 200 causes of ILD, including raising alpacas and sleeping on feather pillows. It may have been the materials I used in my artwork, but there is no telling. Artists can get a form of lung disease called “potter’s rot” from working with wet clay, but mine does not present itself that way. Unfortunately, if they don’t know what causes it, they say it is idiopathic, which comes with a timeline.”
However, she would not let anyone put an expiration date on her, and though it felt like she was crawling through life for a while. She finally got back to the trails and the studio with an oxygen concentrator. For years, she would lead hikes through Houston Women’s Hiking, hoist her oxygen concentrator onto her back, stick the nose canals up her nose, and ask the group, “Before we begin our hike, does anyone have any limitations?” The infectious grit of a new “survive and thrive mentality” permeated the entire group.
Bridgette’s Alice in Wonderland sculpture, “Move One Place On”, can be found in Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire, Texas.
Science Studies Show -The Woods Can Heal
Bridgette was healing through the woods, but she was not alone. Many women joined the woodland adventures and found physical health and emotional healing. This was not a coincidence. There is much scientific research about the healing powers of nature.
The many testimonies on how hiking has changed women’s lives are astounding. Bridgette shares some of those in a memoir she is writing, documenting her journey with art, Houston Women’s Hiking, and overcoming health issues. She has tentatively titled the book “One Foot in Front of the Other: Art, Hiking, and Healing.” Her journey as an artist inspires the book, as well as the lessons she learned about embracing life through lung disease, and the most healing part, being in the woods, which she does with Houston Women’s Hiking and her family.
Generations of Women Encouraging Others
Bridgette’s family has a goal, visit all 89 state parks in Texas. They have currently visited 28. The women in her family are also inspired to share their adventures and encourage others.
Bridgette has helped her ten-year-old granddaughter Issa finish her first travel camping book, which Bridgette’s daughter, Christina Sizemore is illustrating. Sharing is a family endeavor. Issa shares stories, such as being eight-years-old and facing a bison alone on the trail while walking between campsites at Caprock Canyon State Park in Texas. She and Bridgette also filled the book with outdoor and camping activities they had created and silly poems inspired by their travels. Like her mom and grandmother, Issa hopes to encourage children to overcome their fears and embrace the outdoors.
Christina now co-admin of Houston Women’s Hiking has compiled a Texas State Parks Travel Journal, now available on Amazon. Bridgette says she visualizes family book signings across the country while they camp, visit other places, and gain more fodder for future books.
Bridgette is happy to report that the camaraderie of the women of Houston Women’s Hiking, combined with her lifestyle changes, has made a significant difference in her life and health. She only uses oxygen now at higher altitudes. Houston’s altitude is only 75 feet, but she plans a trip to The Sequoias and Colorado. “People with illness, disabilities, and challenges-like being a woman and wanting to experience the outdoors, need the encouragement and to know it is okay to live and enjoy the incredible wonders of life. Sometimes, you need to get out of your head and find your options.” She appreciates encouraging women of all ages and stages of their lives.
Bridgette has helped her granddaughter write a book. In Issa’s book she writes about encountering a bison alone on the trail between campsites. Here is a picture of the animal she encountered.
Take A Hike!
Developing community, influencing others by example, and spreading the word of the healing and wonder of the woods is something both Bridgette Mongeon and Grandma Gatewood share. “I sculpt many deceased loved ones. Some have said by doing so, I develop a relationship with the deceased. I can tell you that developing a relationship with Grandma Gatewood is a wonderful journey.” She expects installation of the statues in 2024/2025, depending on the fundraising.
Grandma Gatewood, Bridgette, Christina, Issa, and the women of Houston Women’s Hiking encourage men, women, and children to “Take a Hike,” All year through, but especially on November 17, National Take a Hike Day.
For More Information About This Press Release
- The Grandma Gatewood Statue project appreciates you spreading the word, as they raise the funds to honor this great woman. Sharing posts and information goes a long way to raise the funds. To find out ways to donate visit www.grandmagatewood.com
- Houston Women’s Hiking can be found at www.houstonwomenshiking.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/houstonwomenshiking
- The artists website and contact form are at www.creativesculpture.com
- Additional images are available upon request
- The you tube video can be used.
For more information about this press release you can contact Bridgette Mongeon or Jessica Brown