bighorn wilderness

Heroic Blankets for Independence Day

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A young woman stands in front of a mountain, wrapped in a Pendleton Brave Star blanket. Her long blond hair and the blanket are blowing in the wind.

Happy Fourth of July!

Today is the day to celebrate America and her heroes, especially those who proudly served to defend our country. Here are some of our patriotic made-in-the-USA blankets. Click the names to see more information.

Brave Star

Pendleton Brave Star wool blanket in red white and blue

This contemporary interpretation of the American flag is a celebration of the patriotism of Native Americans. In 1875 Indian scouts carried messages from fort to fort in the West. Native American soldiers saw action with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in Cuba. And soldiers from many tribes battled in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Five Native Americans have been awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery “above and beyond the call of duty.” The design marries modern asymmetry and vintage Americana. The unique striations, using pulled out yarns, reflect an era when dyes were made from plants.

 

Wildland Heroes

The Pendleton Wildland Heroes blanket.

The scent of smoke fills the air. An orange glow lights the horizon. Mother Nature is on alert, and Wildland Firefighters stand ready to defend her. These brave men and women hold the line against fire’s destruction with team effort; digging lines, running hoses, saving structures when they can. In Pendleton’s tribute to Wildland Firefighting, bands of deep forest alternate with lines of flame, lighting trees endangered by flame. A portion of this blanket’s sales help the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which supports families and injured firefighters in times of need.

 

Grateful Nation

The Pendleton Grateful Nation blanket.

The Grateful Nation blanket  honors the sacrifice of brave men and women who have defended freedom throughout the history of the United States of America. Each authentically colored stripe represents a service ribbon awarded to veterans of historical conflicts in which our country has engaged:

  • World War II Asiatic Pacific Campaign
  • World War II Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
  • Korean Service
  • US Vietnam Service
  • Southwest Asia Service (Gulf War)
  • War on Terrorism

A portion of every blanket’s sale goes to support the Fisher House Foundation and its mission to support the families of veterans. As their website states:

Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers nationwide and in Europe.   Fisher Houses are beautiful homes, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs.  These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time – during the hospitalization for a combat injury, illness or disease… Since 1990, the foundation has saved military, veterans and their families an estimated $200 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

 

The Few, The Proud

Pendleton Marines blanket featuring the logo of the USMC, red white and blue

The official emblem of the United States Marine Corps, woven in a wool blanket to honor the valor and loyalty of the Marines. The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem of the United States Marine Corps. Each element signifies the Marine Corps mission and legacy. The anchor reflects the naval tradition of the Marines as part of the Department of the Navy. The globe represents readiness to serve in any part of the world. The bald eagle, symbol of America, holds a ribbon in its beak that reads “Semper Fidelis,” or “Always Faithful,” a reference to the unending valor and loyalty of the Corps. Dyed, woven and hand-finished in America for quality that’s second to none.

 

Bighorn

The Pendleton Bighorn blanket.

Straddling the borders between Wyoming and Montana, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is home to spectacular canyons, clear blue waterways and countless wildlife. This woven-in-USA pattern was inspired by the colors, history and vast landscape of this special region. In 1825, the Bighorn River called famed mountain man Jim Bridger to build a raft of driftwood and ride it through the foaming rapids. Part of the river was dammed to create Bighorn Lake, but the spectacular canyon it carved remains, named for the Bighorn sheep that travel its rocky, treacherous paths. Located in Montana and Wyoming, about one third of the park unit is located on the Crow Indian Reservation. One quarter of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range lies within the Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area.

 

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Chasing Ghosts in the Bighorns with Greg Hatten

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A Bighorn Adventure

Editor’s note: What did you do over the long weekend? Enjoy the adventures of our friend and Pendleton ambassador Greg Hatten, who took the Bighorn blanket home to the Bighorn Wilderness. 

Greg’s Journey

The Bighorn Mountains of Montana are larger than life – just like the mountain men and trappers who explored them in the early 1800s.  Many of my favorite characters from that wilderness era explored the rivers, forests, mountains and meadows as they crisscrossed their way through territory that is now called Wyoming and Montana. On a recent trip west, I set out to chase the ghosts of Jim Bridger, John Colter, Hugh Glass and retrace just a few of their paths.

A camp cot set up on the banks of a river, with a wooden boat on the river, and a Pendleton Bighorn blanket on the bed.

Much of what I saw looked the same as it did over 200 years ago – especially the skyline with the snowcapped mountains that stretched high in the blue Montana sky.  I found a clearing and camped with a view of the mountains – it snowed that night.

Photo taken inside a handmade wooden drift boat, showing the Pendleton Bighorn blanket on the boat's seat, against a backdrop of Montana mountains.

I rowed my boat down the Bighorn River where the water was icy cold and clear. It reflected the blueness of the sky in a hue that I had only seen one other place…Crater Lake Oregon.

Photo taken from within a hand-built wooden drift boat, showing a folded Pendleton Bighorn blanket on the seat, and gear packed below the boat's prow, which is poised above the waters of Montana's Bighorn river.

One night, I camped beside a small stream running fast with snow melt in the Bighorn National Forest and the trees were so thick it blocked out the night sky but felt warm and safe next to the cold water.

A camp cot and folding camp chair on the banks of a rushing river, under evergreen trees. I Pendleton Bighorn blanket is on the cot.

It was a trip back in time and my boat was the time machine that took me there. Quite a trip – quite a place.

Greg Hatten

 

The Blanket

The Bighorn blanket, by Pendleton Woolen Mills. This design is a geometric pattern of navy blue, red, and tan.

Bighorn

In 1825, the Bighorn River called famed mountain man Jim Bridger to build a raft of driftwood and ride it through the foaming rapids. Part of the river was dammed to create Bighorn Lake, but the spectacular canyon it carved remains, named for the Bighorn sheep that travel its rocky, treacherous paths. Located in Montana and Wyoming, about one third of the park unit is located on the Crow Indian Reservation. One quarter of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range lies within the Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area.

See it here: Bighorn Blanket

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