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Gudy Gaskill

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Gudy Gaskill
Born
Gudrun Timmerhaus

1927
Palatine, Illinois,US
DiedJuly 14, 2016 (age 89)
Denver,Colorado
EducationB.A. education,Western State College of Colorado
M.A. recreation,University of New Mexico
Known forDriving force behind creation of theColorado Trail

Gudrun "Gudy" Gaskill(1927 – July 14, 2016)[1][2]was an Americanmountaineerwho is regarded as the driving force behind the creation of theColorado Trail,a 567-mile (912 km) hiking, biking, and horseback riding path betweenDenverandDurango, Colorado.Beginning in the 1970s, she helped plan out the route, solicited donations, and recruited teams of volunteers to work in one-week shifts developing the Trail each summer. She was named executive director of the newly formedColorado Trail Foundationin 1987. She was inducted into theColorado Women's Hall of Famein 2002.

Early life and education

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Gudrun Timmerhaus was born inPalatine, Illinois,to Paul and Elsa Timmerhaus.[3]She became fond of hiking at age 14[4]when her father got a job as a summer ranger atRocky Mountain National Park.[1]As a youth, she also competed in downhill and cross country skiing.[1]She studied at theWestern State College of ColoradoinGunnison,[5]earning a degree in education.[6]She later earned her master's degree in recreation from theUniversity of New Mexico.[3]

Colorado Trail

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Main article:Colorado Trail
Route of theColorado Trail
View from the Colorado Trail, overlookingSouth Park,nearKenosha Pass

Gaskill is credited as the visionary and driving force behind theColorado Trail,a 567-mile (912 km) long, 3 feet (0.91 m) wide hiking, biking, and horseback riding path betweenDenverandDurango, Colorado.[5][1]Gaskill and her husband had joined theColorado Mountain Clubin 1952.[5]In her capacity as chairwoman of the club's Huts and Trails Committee in the 1970s, Gaskill helped plot the early portions of the Trail[7]and recruited teams of volunteers to build several miles of trail each summer in one-week shifts.[8]In 1984, when the Governor of Colorado threw his support behind the project, the project moved more quickly toward completion. Gaskill, who was named executive director of theColorado Trail Foundation,helped plan new sections, solicited private and corporate donations, and recruited volunteers nationwide.[1][5][9]These volunteers numbered more than 10,000.[5]In 1988 the first 470 miles (760 km) of the route were dedicated.[10]

Memberships

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Gaskill became the first woman president of theColorado Mountain Clubin 1977.[3][5]She also served on the board of theAmerican Hiking Society.[11]

Honors

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Gaskill was honored by PresidentRonald Reaganin hisTake Pride in Americacampaign, and by PresidentGeorge H. W. Bushin hisPoints of Lightrecognition program forvolunteerism.[5][12]She was inducted into theColorado Women's Hall of Famein 2002.[1]

Several Trail features were named in her honor. The Gudy Gaskill Bridge, a 141-foot (43 m) span over theSouth Platte River,was built at the start of Segment 2 of the Colorado Trail.[13]Gudy's Rest is a 1,400-foot (430 m) high scenic overlook of theSan Juan Mountainsoutside Durango.[14]The Gudy Gaskill Loop is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) scenic trail connecting with the Beaver Brook Trail outsideGolden, Colorado.[15][16]

Posthumously, the Colorado Mountain Club established an annual Gudy Gaskill Award which recognizes female club members who are "a positive and inspirational example of volunteerism".[17]In March 2017 theColorado General Assemblyhonored her legacy, with legislators recalling their experiences on the Colorado Trail and a slideshow presentation.[18]

A new elementary school in Littleton public schools has been named in her honor

Personal life

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She and her husband David Gaskill, a geologist, had four children.[5]They resided in Golden.[19]An activemountaineer,she climbed all 54 of Colorado'sfourteenersas well as other major mountains of the world.[5][1]

Gaskill suffered a stroke in early July 2016. She died on July 14, 2016, in Denver, aged 89.[5]

Bibliography

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  • Gaskill, David L.; Gaskill, Gudy (2002).Peaceful Canyon, Golden River: A Photographic Journey Through Fabled Glen Canyon.Colorado Mountain Club Press.ISBN0967146658.

References

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  1. ^abcdefg"Gudrun" Gudy "Gaskill".Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.2017.
  2. ^Pace, Jessica (15 July 2016)."Gudy Gaskill, 'Mother of the Colorado Trail,' dies at 89".The Durango Herald.Retrieved1 January2018.
  3. ^abc"Gudy Gaskill, 'Mother of the Colorado Trail'".Colorado Trail Foundation.Retrieved3 January2018.
  4. ^Massaro, Gary (17 April 2002)."As Gudy As It Gets".Rocky Mountain News.Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2018.Retrieved1 January2018– viaHighBeam.
  5. ^abcdefghijBlevins, Jason (18 July 2016)."Gudy Gaskill, mother of the Colorado Trail, dies at 89".The Denver Post.Retrieved1 January2018.
  6. ^Robertson 1991,p. 5.
  7. ^"Gudy Gaskill, Mother of The Colorado Trail, Dies".Colorado Trail Foundation.Retrieved3 January2018.
  8. ^Robertson 1991,pp. 5–6.
  9. ^Robertson 1991,p. 6.
  10. ^Robertson 2003,p. 84.
  11. ^Kemsley, Jr., William (28 August 1978)."The American Hiking Society".Backpacker.6(4): 33.ISBN0803289952.
  12. ^Office of the Federal Register (1990)."Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents".p. 1167.
  13. ^Official Guidebook,p. 104.
  14. ^"Hike the Colorado Trail to Gudy's Rest".The Outbound Collective. 2018.Retrieved1 January2018.
  15. ^Heise & Gaug 2017,p. 173.
  16. ^Roberts, Michael (25 April 2016)."Best Hike for a Quickie and More Best of Denver Tips for Fun Outdoors".Westword.Retrieved1 January2018.
  17. ^"Gudrun" Gudy "Gaskill Award".Colorado Mountain Club.2017.Retrieved3 January2018.
  18. ^Perkins, Luke (21 March 2017)."Legislative Round-up: Colorado Trail founder remembered".The Durango Herald.Retrieved1 January2018.
  19. ^Official Guidebook,p. 15.

Sources

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Further reading

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