Students at Gudy Gaskill Elementary School will celebrate the school’s namesake with the inaugural Gudy Gaskill Day on September 5. This special event will honor Gudrun “Gudy” Gaskill, the legendary mountaineer and driving force behind the creation of the Colorado Trail.
Gudy Gaskill Elementary serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade and proudly calls itself the Trailblazers—a nod to the pioneering spirit of Gudy Gaskill herself.
Gaskill, who passed away in 2016, is remembered as the “Mother of the Colorado Trail.” Beginning in the 1970s, she spearheaded the planning, fundraising, and volunteer recruitment that ultimately led to the completion of the 567-mile hiking, biking, and horseback riding trail connecting Denver and Durango. The trail was officially completed on September 5, 1987, celebrated with “golden spike” ceremonies at Molas Pass, Camp Hale, and Mount Princeton. That same year, the Colorado Trail Foundation was established with Gudy as its first president, ensuring the trail’s continued stewardship.
“Gudy embodied the true meaning of a trailblazer—pioneering, innovative, and resilient,” said Leslie Dominick, principal at Gudy Gaskill Elementary. “We are thrilled to give our students the opportunity to learn about her legacy and be inspired to blaze their own trails in life.”
As part of the celebration, students will participate in a live-streamed Q&A with Stacy Gaskill, Gudy’s daughter and an Olympic snowboarder who represented the United States in snowboard cross at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Students will also meet with a representative from the Colorado Trail Foundation to learn more about the Trail’s ongoing impact.
The school hopes Gudy Gaskill Day will become an annual tradition that not only honors the remarkable life of its namesake but also encourages students to embrace the qualities of a Trailblazer: creativity, resilience, empathy, and a passion for learning.