Margaret Fuller, One Who Gives Back

If you’ve ever hiked or backpacked in Idaho’s plentiful mountain ranges, chances are you were guided to your destination by one of Margaret Fuller’s trail-hiking books.

Margaret began exploring the Sawtooth Mountains in the late 1970s with her family. At the time, there were no guidebooks, so she begin mapping out the area. Her first forays into the wilderness depended on word-of-mouth directions from local rangers. After seven years—and while raising five children—she completed her first guidebook. Thirty-five years and five books later, Margaret remains one of Idaho’s first and finest trail-hiking book authors.

She has spent her lifetime exploring wild Idaho and methodically mapping her path. Her books have meticulously detailed hike descriptions. But beyond that, Margaret goes to great lengths to describe an area’s history, plants and animals. She also tells you how to impact our precious wilderness as little as possible.

Thanks to Margaret, my adventures into Idaho’s mountains have been eased and enhanced: Not having to worry about the little things has left me ample time for soul searching and enjoying the journey.

Margaret’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2010, ICL awarded Margaret the Keith and Pat Axline Award for Environmental Activism, the highest distinction we give for dedicated passion and efforts to preserve the environment. According to Margaret, “I guess I’ve always loved being out in the mountains and I kind of felt like I wanted to give back what the mountains had given me to give others in a broader way.”