The Colorado Trail Foundation Fall Newsletter 1999 An Event to Be Remembered! President’s by Gudy Gaskill Corner The 25th Anniversary Celebration at Mount Vernon Country Club was a gala event, packed with old acquaintances in their by George Miller best bib and tucker, with happy faces and great anticipation for seeing items on display that have never before been viewed by Summer Trail Crews the public, for learning unknown facts about the CT, and for revisiting the historic years that saw The Colorado Trail to its With signs of fall in the air and fruition. There were new videos, a host of panel displays, walls the changing of the aspens, we covered with honors and awards, and photo displays of times, can look back with appreciation crews, and famous faces. The whole Colorado Trail was shown on the accomplishments of the on a colorful series of maps, with a paneled and descriptive summer trail season. We had a legend. The CT was even traced on a relief map, winding its total of 13 crews in the field way over mountain passes and along valley floors. It was truly a doing maintenance and rerout- historic display. Neither these displays nor the anniversary ing. One of our important celebration could have been possible without the help of a great accomplishments was to elimi- many enthusiastic and talented volunteers. Kudos to the follow- nate walking on about six miles Continued on page 3 of four-wheel-drive road in the area between Spring Creek Pass and Carson Saddle. The other projects along the trail continue to improve and keep our trail the premier long-distance hike in Colorado. We owe a large vote of thanks to the leaders and volunteers who continue to devote their time and efforts to this undertaking each summer. Continued on page 2 Cutting of the cake at the 25th Anniversary Celebration in Golden Tread Lines Fall 1999 1 Tread Lines Continued from page 1 Host Program is the internal newsletter of The Colorado Trail Foundation. It is published quarterly 25th Anniversary This summer we again had Trail and distributed to the Friends of The Hosts in residence at Spring Creek Colorado Trail.® The other major undertaking of Pass. This location was covered The Colorado Trail is a 500-mile- the year was the celebration of all summer and into September. long, high-mountain educational and This has been a very successful recreational hiking trail that meanders 25 years of The Colorado Trail. through some of the most beautiful terrain This year marked that milestone program and has gathered much in the state. It stretches from Denver to in the history of the CT, its information on the use of the trail Durango with many intermediate access inception being in 1974. The and problems that hikers have points. encountered. See Jim Miller’s The Colorado Trail Foundation, a celebrations in Golden, nonprofit corporation, is governed by Gunnison, and Durango honored report on page 33. public agencies and private-sector Gudy Gaskill for her labor of representatives. The Foundation recruits love and her devotion to the CT and trains volunteers for trail construction crews, supplies and supports the crews, and the volunteers who have conducts fully supported week-long treks made it all possible. Without on the trail, teaches accredited classes, Gudy, it is very likely The maintains the trail through its Adopt-A- Colorado Trail would not exist. Contents Page Trail program, and distributes information Thanks are also due the many on The Colorado Trail activities, trail Gunnison Celebration 4 crews, and publications. Donations to the volunteers who helped make the Thank You from Gudy 4 CTF are tax deductible. celebrations a reality. A list of Sponsors list 5 Serving on the Board of Directors those who worked on the various “The Dreamers and the Doers” 5 are Melanie Barvitski, Tracy Esslinger, Jill parties appears on page 3 and a Durango Celebration 6 Gilpin, Jon Greeneisen, Randy Jacobs, Ted “Anticipation” 8 La May, Chuck Leary, Stuart Macdonald, list of sponsors on page 5. Thank You to Forest Service 8 Ken Marshall, Merle McDonald, George Crew #1 Report 9 Miller, Pat Nagorka, Tom L. Thompson, Resignations Crew #2 Report 10 Stan Ward, Ernie G. Werren, and Paul Crew Leaders Honored 10 Wilbert. Crew #12 Report 11 Denise Wright has resigned Crew #4 Report 12 from the position of Administra- Crew #6 Report 14 The business address is tor/Volunteer Coordinator. “Escape the Heat” 16 Denise was the first person to Reflections on Crew #6 16 The Colorado Trail Foundation Crew #9 Report 17 710 10th St., Suite 210 hold this position and did an Crew #8 Report 18 Golden, CO 80401-1022 excellent job of establishing the Food Packing 20 (303) 384-3729 ext. 113 office and setting the direction Food Donators 21 (24-hour voice mail) for its operation. We are sorry to Reunion 22 Fax: (303) 384-3743 lose her expertise but wish her Menu Talk 22 E-mail: [email protected] Education Center 22 well in her own business, which Treks Report 23 Website: www.coloradotrail.org is growing and needs her full- “Listen to the Rain” 23 Office hours: Varied hours M–F, time attention. Sarah Knight, Classes Report 24 9–5, Mountain Standard Time the CTF Treasurer, and Darla Mutual Admiration Story 25 DeRuiter have resigned from MMM Benefit Concert 25 Pres.: George Miller, (719) 685-1278 Tributes 26 their positions on the board of Sec.: Stan Ward, (303) 770-4382 Office Report 27 Vice Pres.: Jon Greeneisen, directors. Their volunteer Webmaster Notes 27 GIS Project 28 (303) 221-5620 assistance has also fallen victim to the demands of work in the Data Book 30 Treas.: [to be announced] “Hiker on Horseback—Ow!” 31 Staff: Suzanne Reed, Administrator, real world. We wish to thank Sawyer Certification 32 Volunteer Coordinator Denise, Sarah, and Darla for Spring Creek Pass Hosts 33 their contributions to the CT and Kelly Heaney’s Through-Hike 34 This edition of Tread Lines was extend our heartfelt best wishes Completion Awards 35 compiled and edited by Susan Junkin, for their future success. CT Run and Thank You 36 and Merle and Uta McDonald. Cookbook 38 Store Page 39 2 Tread Lines Fall 1999 G.P.S. Survey Continued from page 1 ground cut into a mountainous panorama. Stan Ward created the Another important achievement ing volunteers for a job SO WELL excellent South Platte Bridge this summer was the G.P.S. survey DONE! You made it a success. display, which included construc- of the trail. This information will Thanks to Ken Marshall, tion photos, while Denise Wright be included in our new guidebook, who was the overall mastermind and Suzanne Reed were in charge which will be published sometime and recruiter. He was responsible of publicity and registrations. in the near future. A complete for personally making the cherry Tracy Esslinger put the awards report of the survey begins on wood bases for the ceramic logos; display together, both on tables, page 28. he chose and designed the com- walls, and panels, with Jon memorative poster, designed and Greeneisen helping set up the Data Book printed the programs, helped Ted program. Gudy Gaskill and Ken La May with the Durango celebra- were in charge of setting up the For those of you who like to know tion, and wielded a heavy stick arrangements, menu, etc., at the the detailed information about from his home town of Durango. country club, as well as hand mileages, elevations, etc., and have Melanie Barvitski took over for making all of the ceramic logos, it in a very concise and compact Ken when he was out of town at a ordering and designing pins, form, we now have a data book, critical time, coordinated building making all the VIP and speaker which was written by Michael displays, and coordinated the connections, obtaining door prizes, Hibbard and is available through display locations with the available hand making the special 25th year the office or by mail order. See space. Paul Berteau was in awards, and other stuff. Thanks article on page 30. charge of designing and ordering also to Dominic Graber for the Forest Service plaques, Peggy designing and building the beauti- Web Page Bracket arranged inventory of ful porch chairs, and to Pat items for sale, Lois Cochran Nagorka for being in charge of Finally, I want to bring your composed lyrics for a new song check-in, sale items, and name attention to our web page, which is for the 25th Anniversary celebra- tags. Thanks to Phil Smith for so well crafted and always has the tion (“The Dreamers and the printing the name tags on his latest information on many aspects Doers”—see page 5), and Rick computer, and to Sharon Free- of the Trail and the activities of the Tronvig and Dave Good were the man for contacting our major Foundation. A big thank you to official photographers for the benefactors. Thanks to Andy our webmaster, Richard Nolde, event, with two outstanding photo DeNaray for the use of his slide for his hard work to bring this albums for the archives. Dave also for the poster and to both Lois and valuable resource to all of us. put together a new video about the Tracy Cochran (and their help- CT. Liz Truitt and Shirley ers) for mailing the invitations out. Thank you Martin mounted two historic Thanks to Darla DeRuiter for photo displays on wooden panels. doing such a great job at the In closing, I would like to again The displays were professionally Gunnison celebration.