The Ancestral Pen

  How Gary McAllister saved Pack Saddle by returning to his father’s “obsolete” pack trains There’s an irony at the heart of 1920s Idaho: the world kept telling people the pack train was dead while the mountains kept needing one. Trucks, rail, and roadbuilding pushed progress into valley towns, but steep passes, dense timber, and snow-choked trails didn’t read the newspapers. Where roads failed, pack strings still worked.  Idaho State Historical Society+1 The practical truth By the mid-1920s, the headlines hailed motor freight and paved highways. In practice, however, steep canyons, high ridges, and foot trails left whole pockets of North Idaho beyond the reach of wheels. Mines, logging camps, isolated lodges, and Forest Service lookouts still relied on packers to move everything from flour and nails to stoves and radios. The pack train wasn’t nostalgia — it was logistics.  NPS History+1 Why pack trains still mattered • Terrain: Some trails climbed where trucks couldn’t g...

  Step into the world of Pack Saddle Ranch, where clearing land could cost you everything The first thing you need to understand about northern Idaho in 1927 is this:  the land didn't want you there. Not in a mystical sense—though the old-timers might argue otherwise after too much whiskey. No, the land resisted in a far more practical way. After the great lumber companies swept through like locusts, harvesting centuries-old pines and leaving behind a moonscape of stumps, the real work began. Welcome to stump ranch country. What Was a Stump Ranch? Picture this: You've just bought "cleared" timberland at a bargain price. The lumber company took the trees—those magnificent western white pines and Douglas firs that once towered 150 feet high. What they left behind were stumps. Hundreds of them. Some ten feet across, roots running twenty feet deep, refusing to surrender even in death. Your new "farm" looks like a graveyard of wooden tombstones. This was the real...

  Hello, dear readers! I'm thrilled to share that  Book One of the Pack Saddle Ranch series is now available in paperback-link below!  If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, now's the perfect time. What's Next? I'm finalizing the outline for Book Two and will begin writing within the next couple of days. My goal is to have it ready by the end of November—ambitious, I know, especially with family celebrations and Thanksgiving on the calendar!  Book Three  is expected to be published by the end of December. After that, I'm diving back into the  Woolsey Saga series  with a story about Henry and Daniel Woolsey, the father and son who served as Revolutionary War soldiers. I'm doing additional research to bring their story to life, with a target release in time for April and the 250th celebration of America. Holiday Gift Idea Christmas is just around the corner! Do you have a mother, grandmother, or someone on your list who loves historical fiction?...

  Hi everyone! I'm writing to you from my favorite spot—my chaise lounge by the big window, looking out at beautiful fall colors. It's too foggy to see much today, but a few days ago I caught a glimpse of snow on Switzer Mountain peaks. Winter is just around the corner! The seasonal preserving is mostly done (all those apples are finally put up!), though I still need to grab some pumpkins for holiday cooking since I didn't grow any this year. And speaking of having more time, my husband and I finally finished restoring the Hummer H2 we've been working on! I got to drive it for the first time a few weeks ago when I picked up apples from my mom's. It's such a beast of a vehicle—I love it, though parking is... an adventure. Definitely not a tight-spaces kind of ride! On the writing front, I'm deep into outlining Book 2 of the Pack Saddle Ranch series,  The Outlaw's Redemption . For the first time, I'm using AutoCrit to help with the outlining process. I...

  Book Release 👉  Get your copy on Kindle today! And if you enjoy it, leaving a quick review on Amazon helps more readers discover the series than you can imagine. 💛 Thank you for being part of this journey — from my research notes to your Kindle screen. I'm still finalizing the paperback cover, but the paperback should be available soon for those of you who prefer a physical book in your hands. The next story (Alfred’s!) is already taking shape, and I can’t wait to share what’s next at Pack Saddle Ranch. Warmly, Amy Crooks Author of The Pack Saddle Ranch Series Button