Gudy Gaskill | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gudrun Timmerhaus 1927 |
| Died | July 14, 2016 (age 89) Denver, Colorado |
| Education | B.A. education,Western State College of Colorado M.A. recreation,University of New Mexico |
| Known for | Driving force behind creation of theColorado Trail |
Gudrun "Gudy" Gaskill (1927 – July 14, 2016)[1][2] was an Americanmountaineer who is regarded as the driving force behind the creation of theColorado Trail, a 567-mile (912 km) hiking, biking, and horseback riding path betweenDenver andDurango, 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 Foundation in 1987. She was inducted into theColorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.
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 Colorado inGunnison,[5] earning a degree in education.[6] She later earned her master's degree in recreation from theUniversity of New Mexico.[3]
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 betweenDenver andDurango, Colorado.[5][1] Gaskill and her husband had joined theColorado Mountain Club in 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]
Gaskill became the first woman president of theColorado Mountain Club in 1977.[3][5] She also served on the board of theAmerican Hiking Society.[11]
Gaskill was honored by PresidentRonald Reagan in hisTake Pride in America campaign, and by PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush in hisPoints of Light recognition program forvolunteerism.[5][12] She was inducted into theColorado Women's Hall of Fame in 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 Mountains outside 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 Assembly honored 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
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'sfourteeners as 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]
gudy gaskill.
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