Mother of the Colorado Trail Gudy Gaskill left a lasting legacy of stewardship along the Colorado Trail BY MORGAN SJOGREN
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fter handing each of them horseback riders pay homage to Gudy, whose legacy ice-cold IPA’s, I stuck around continues along the high altitude route (13,271 feet at and in exchange asked the its high point) through the Rocky Mountains. seemingly requisite questions one raises The dream of the Colorado Trail was born in the to backpackers out on the trail: Where ‘70s, with a plan to originally complete the pathway in are you from? How long have you been 1978. Still incomplete in 1984, the route was deemed hiking? Is this your first thru-hike? “the trail to nowhere.” For over a decade, with grit and However, one man’s motives for determination, it was Gudy (eventual President of the hiking along the Colorado Trail caught Colorado Mountain Club) who rallied a crew of pure me off-guard. Steven Gaskill was hiking volunteers to complete the route from Denver to a portion of the trail Durango in 1987. to honor his late For the next three decades of her mother, Gudy Gaskill. life, Gudy remained utterly devoted As he sipped his beer, to the Colorado Trail. Her efforts he explained that she were recognized with awards from helped dream up the former President Ronald Reagan and idea to create the former President George H.W. Bush. Colorado Trail in 1974. Though Gudy’s commitment to the Gudy was not just his mountains peaked with the Colorado mother, but the “Mother of the Trail, her devotion to the outdoors Colorado Trail.” spanned her lifetime — heading up a The name Gudy sounded familiar youth ski program, working as a because of Gudy’s Rest — a bench ranger at Rocky Mountain National sitting atop the Colorado Trail’s final Park and serving as President of the vista before descending four miles Colorado Mountain Club (the first to its terminus at Junction Creek in woman to do so). Durango. Gudy's portrait can also be Steven recalled his mother’s spotted along the trail between boundless energy during her peak Molas and Bolam Pass, where years blazing the trail from 1980 she is commemorated with a to 2000. bronze plaque. “My mom ran somewhere around Gudy passed away in 2016 at the 15 to 20 one-week trail crews each “This may be poor age of 88, and while many day and summer,” Steven said. “She would form, but do you plan all the food for them with my thru-hikers may recognize Gudy’s Rest on the home stretch of trail, have an extra beer?” dad and coordinate all of the many may not be familiar with the volunteers that were signing up visionary “force of nature” that to do it.” blazed the trail for their experience. The location of Steven said during the trail crews, she would wake Gudy’s Rest was said to be one of her favorite spots, up early to make breakfast and coffee for the crew which speaks volumes considering the amount of before they awoke. He said his mom would clean up lifelong effort and human-power she poured into before going to oversee the trail crews and labor into every stretch of the Colorado Trail. the late afternoon, then she would start dinner for the Today, thousands of hikers, mountain bikers and camp, and lead songs and talks around the campfire.
The sun sparkled across Celebration Lake, as thruhikers and mountain bikers convened to refill water and camp to cap off an idyllic summer day on the Colorado Trail. The lake, sitting atop 11,200-foot Bolam Pass, signals the home stretch (50 more miles) for thru-hikers on the 567-mile trail linking Denver to Durango. After completing a sweaty trail run myself, I looked at the hiking trio and smiled — of course, I had beer to share.
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