Yurt Ski Tour
San Juan Mountains, CO
Winter 1998
A week-long yurt trip in the San Juan Mountains, much of it above 12,000 feet. I accompanied two of the great female mountaineering pioneers.
Gudy Gaskill–She was 71 years old at the time, and could still ski me under the table. She was the founder/driving force behind the Colorado Trail; the director of the Colorado Trail Foundation; is in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame; was the first female president of the Colorado Mountain Club; and summited all 54 Colorado 14ers.
Arlene Blum–She led the first successful American ascent of Annapurna in the Himalayas (10th highest mountain in the world, at 8091 meters, or 26,545 feet), which was also the first all-woman ascent (documented in her book, Annapurna, A Woman’s Place). Led the first all-woman ascent of Denali. First American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. Prominent conservationist and director of Green Science Policy Institute. Attempted the Great Himalayan Traverse, a 2000 mile trek from Bhutan to India.
I can’t say enough about how much of a pleasure and an honor it was to meet and ski with these women.
