The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 opened the Rocky Mountains and the Selkirk Mountains up to travelers. Like the men, the women first came to enjoy the grandeur of the peaks and to study the natural wonders; later they developed an interest in exploration and climbing for their own sakes.

Off the Beaten Track is the story of fourteen women explorers, writers, artists, mountaineers and trail guides who were active during the period between the completion of the railway, and the Second World War - it was a half-century of feverish exploration.