Gudrun (Gudy) Timmerhaus GaskillBorn 1927 It took 25 years, but Gudy Gaskill turned a dream into reality. Her dream, the 500-mile Colorado Trail, has become one of the top recreational attractions in Colorado. To support her avocation she sold real estate and sought private donations and individual contributions. She rallied thousands of volunteers from every state and many countries to help build the trail, one segment at a time. Today the Colorado Trail, a three-foot-wide path for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and back-country skiers, winds through Colorado's mountains, avoiding towns and cities, from Denver to Durango. This high-altitude wilderness trail is a model studied by other states and agencies. Gaskill has extensive knowledge and experience as a hiker and climber. She has climbed all of Colorado's fourteeners, the European Alps, and many other major peaks around the world, some as many as 12 times. With gas rationing, few guests, and a great deal of free time, she climbed Longs Peak in Colorado 31 times during World War II when she worked at a lodge. She began hiking when her father, a summer ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park, dropped his children at a different spot each morning and picked them up at 5:00 pm. With little else to do, Gaskill and her siblings hiked their summer days away. She is also a downhill and cross country skier who won many races in her youth. Numerous articles have been written about her achievements, and she has been interviewed on many television programs, including the Today Show. Judy Collins and Michael Martin Murphey have dedicated songs to her, and she has received more than 41 awards, two from U.S. presidents. Click here to view a video interview with Gudy Gaskill as part of our Oral History Project. |
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Updated May 1, 2011
