- Mary Schaeffer
yah-hee way-ha
You may have noticed my Twitter handle, @yaheweha. Here’s where it came from.
Mary Schaffer was an artist, writer, photographer, and adventurer that explored The Canadian Rockies at the beginning of the 20th Century. She is most famous for her adventures that led her to ‘discover’ the Maligne Lake area of Jasper National Park. The Stoney Nakoda gave her the name ‘Yahe-Weha,’ which means Mountain Woman.
Sometimes I feel like I was born 100 years too late. I would have loved to have pioneered explorations in The Canadian Rockies the way Mary, and other mountain women, had the opportunity to do. Still, I explore the mountains in my own way, both through my own travels and writing. I love the thrill of getting far into the backcountry, ascending a seldomly-climbed peak, and being a modern-day frontier-woman.
For more information, check out this article.
Photo of Mary Schaeffer found here.
