The Early Days of Appalachian Trail Construction

Several years ago, the Appalachian Trail Museum published this historic instructional trail construction footage from the early 1930s. The video was taken by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, likely within the boundaries of the future Shenandoah National Park. It shows how the trail was marked, cleared, measured, signed and blazed. It also shows the construction of the Sexton Shelter. The AT Museum published the video in a three-part series.












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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon

The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park

Mills Lake is among the most popular hiking destinations in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's named for Enos Mills, the man commonly referred to as the "father of Rocky Mountain National Park." Mills became the area's first naturalist, and made great contributions to the field that would eventually lead to the profession of interpretive park rangers. He also established a guide service that led tourists to the summit of Longs Peak. At the age of 15 he made his first ascent of the park's highest peak, and over the course of his life, would make the trip 40 times by himself, and nearly 300 times as a guide. The photo below shows a very young Mills (on the right) making his first ascent in 1885.

Mills most significant contribution, however, was spending numerous years lecturing across the nation, lobbying Congress, and writing thousands of letters and articles that would eventually lead to the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. By the early 1900s, Mills was beginning to worry about the increasing number of visitors in the Rocky Mountains, many of whom were not respecting the natural environment. His advocacy for protection of nature and wilderness eventually caught the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, who appointed him to the position of Government Lecturer on Forestry. During his tenure in this position, between 1907 to 1909, he gave 2118 addresses!

Although he advocated for a national park that would extend from Wyoming to Pikes Peak, covering roughly 1000 square miles, the original park that was authorized on January 26, 1915, protected only 358 square miles. Today, the park protects roughly 415 square miles.

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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

Mountains 101

Okay, this might not be for everyone, but I took this online course almost a decade ago and thought it was outstanding. In my view, it definitely enhanced my visits to the mountains. The really great part about it is that it’s totally free!

The twelve 60-minute lessons in this course are provided by the University of Alberta, in partnership with Parks Canada, The Alpine Club of Canada and the Mountain Equipment Company (MEC).

The courses focus on the physical, biological, and human dimensions of mountain places in Alberta and other ranges around the world. More specifically, you’ll learn about the origins of mountains, climate and weather, flora and fauna, the effects of altitude on humans, and hazards, among many other topics. According to the University of Alberta, “We’ll be delivering your lessons from valley bottoms to mountaintops, from museums and labs, to alpine huts and other spectacular alpine sites, and we’ll do so with the help of a whole host of experts.”

“This class consists of twelve 60-minute lessons, each with a series interactive lecture videos, a set of course notes and course glossary, and recommended readings and additional resources. Each lesson also includes a short summative quiz to test your understanding.”

Moreover, you can take the lessons at your own leisure. Here’s a short overview video:



For more information, please click here.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon

Backcountry water filters

The following is an adaptation from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking.

During the early 20th Century, Abercrombie & Fitch was considered to be the preeminent outdoor goods retailer in America. Founded in New York City in 1892, the merchant retailer began selling high-end outdoor gear and apparel through extensive catalogs in 1903. By 1907, their catalog featured a portable water filter system that's fairly similar to what backpackers use today. This particular pump was invented in 1891 by the Berkefeld Filter Company out of Hanover, Germany. It weighed 3 pounds, was 14 inches long and 3 inches wide, and could produce a quart of drinking water in one minute. Abercrombie & Fitch also sold a pocket filter made by Dr. Stebbins. This option weighed only 4 ounces, was less than 5 inches in length, and was only 1.5 inches in diameter. While the larger filter used “infusorial earth” to filter contaminates out of backcountry water, the smaller filter used chemical filter paper.

Before the Common Era, however, ancient Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Mayans were already using filtration methods to produce better tasting water. By the mid-1700s, scientists began experimenting with various filtration methods to remove microorganisms in water.

A couple of historical references cite the invention of the Katadyn Pocket Filter in 1929 as being the first true backcountry water filter. However, it’s not known if this device was smaller, weighed less, or was more effective than the Dr. Stebbins filter.



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

Denver Mountain Parks to take helm on Mount Blue Sky this summer

The road to the top of Mount Blue Sky, one of Colorado’s most popular fourteeners, will reopen Memorial Day Weekend 2026, weather permitting. America’s highest paved road has been closed since Labor Day 2024 while crews rebuilt portions of the high-alpine road to address severe buckling and water drainage issues.

The surrounding Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area includes a nature center, parking lots, restrooms, scenic views and trails through native gardens and ancient forests and sees more than 100,000 visitors annually. When the snow is cleared and the gates swing open this year, it will be Denver Mountain Parks’ employees greeting guests at the welcome station for the first time. Denver Mountain Parks will lead operations at the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area through new agreements with the Arapaho National Forest and Denver Mountain Parks Foundation.

“Managing this complex, high-use recreation area has always been a shared stewardship effort between the National Forest, the City of Denver, and State of Colorado,” said Forest Supervisor Christopher Stubbs. “We have been working together on this mountain for more than a century. In the early years, Denver had the greater presence with their lodge and restaurants on the mountain. For the past four decades, the Forest Service has been at the helm. Now it’s Denver’s turn again. Recreation is something Denver Mountain Parks does really well, and we think visitors are going to be well-served by this strengthened partnership.”

Denver Mountain Parks, part of the City and County of Denver’s Department of Parks and Recreation, owns Echo Lake Lodge and Summit Lake Park on Mount Blue Sky. The Colorado Department of Transportation maintains State Highway 5 to the summit, including plowing and repairs. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages the nearby wildlife area and the herds of goats and sheep that are popular with visitors. The remainder of land within and surrounding the recreation area is National Forest and designated Wilderness.

“We’ve evaluated opportunities to streamline services and avoid duplicative efforts for several years,” said Shannon Dennison, director of Denver Mountain Parks. “This new management approach has the potential to increase efficiency, steward resources more responsibly, and enhance the visitor experience.”

Under the new agreement, Denver Mountain Parks, in partnership with the Denver Mountain Parks Foundation, will collect fees, manage the reservation system and set operating hours. Fees collected will help fund the maintenance and upkeep of facilities in the recreation area. The Forest Service will maintain a presence in the area as well, supporting visitor information, managing wilderness and trails, and supporting fire suppression and prevention.

Reservations are expected to go live on recreation.gov in early- to mid-May, with the first reservations available beginning Friday, May 22, 2026.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• New and improved edition on the history of hiking is available on Amazon