We all come across challenges in our lives, certain rivers we have to cross and obstacles to be overcome, and history is filled with the tales of the brave rising to the occasion to overcome insurmountable odds. Some of these tales have gone on to become almost legendary in their locales, and one of these is surely the true story of the time a woman was out with her young son and came across something like a scene out of a horror movie, and yet she managed to emerge triumphant and launch herself into nearly mythical status. Kate McHale was born in July of 1893 in a rustic log cabin in the rugged wilds near Longmont, Colorado, and grew up very much a tomboy and a consummate outdoorsman. As a child she was known to wear boy’s clothing, and unlike the other girls she was more interested in hunting and other outdoor activities that during the era were thought of as within the realm of manly pursuits, which was all very unusual for a girl in that day and age, and for the time she is seen as having been very progressive. In her later years she would learn taxidermy and become a nurse, according to some accounts doing a little moonshine bootlegging on the side as well, but her personal life was full of trouble, seeing her marry and remarry six times during her life. One of these men was Jack Slaughterback, who had a son, Ernie, from a previous marriage. It was during this time that Kate would go on to earn her place among great Colorado legends, as well as her popular nickname, “Rattlesnake Kate.”