Colorado Trail
- mtschmalz5
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 22
Journal Entry Summer, 1988: After helping build the Colorado Trail in previous summers, we were able to actually hike it, the COMPLETED Colorado Trail, this summer! What a celebration. Legendary Gudy Gaskill, the mother of the Colorado Trail, called this event The Trailabration. Seven folks hiked the entire 470 miles in five weeks. Terry and I had commitments and could only hike the final 200 miles. It was incredible to be on this first backpack of the Colorado Trail.
Journal Entry Summer 1989: Steve invited us to join him leading trail crews consisting of kids from the El Pueblo Boys Ranch. We spent two weeks building spur trails to the Colorado Trail. Gudy's goal is to connect the Colorado Trail to mountain towns, especially college towns. (We continued this project with Steve for many years.)
Journal Entry Summer 2011: Looking back at our outdoor life, the defining moment was the Summer of 1988. We had met Gudy while building the Colorado Trail in the summer of 1987, but in 1988, we really got to know her and admire her immensely. Without Gudy, the Colorado Trail would not exist. We also met Pablo Hagzeriga and Steve Gladbach, both lifelong friends. We have reconnected with Julie Wumer Mesdag. We also spent several weeks leading week long hikes on the Colorado Trail with the Colorado Trail Foundation.
The impact of the summer of '88 was profound. Gudy seemed to know every flower and mountain. She had climbed all over the world. Steve, Pablo, Terry and I would climb peaks that were nearby the Colorado Trail at Gudy's suggestion. "You are young and strong. Go do it!" We didn't even know the names of all the mountains we climbed. And Steve...Steve became our great mountaineering mate and friend. We would go on to climb peaks with Steve for the next 25 years.
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