▲ Giles and his wife, Connie Hauver.
David Hite
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Courtesy of Giles Toll
ments in the Colorado Rockies occurred at the time my sons and I were preparing to climb the fourteeners. We decided to climb Mount Toll for the first time. We did it as a backpacking trip, beginning at Monarch Lake, following the Cascade Trail to Pawnee Lake where we camped. Then, we climbed to Pawnee Pass, traversed Pawnee Peak and then to the summit of Mount Toll. We enjoyed beautiful summer weather, and we were thinking of Roger Toll the entire trip. Happily, this was the first of several climbs up this beautiful peak. And, today, my sons have begun taking their children up Mount Toll. Contributing significantly to the safety and pleasure of our climbs was the guiding we received from young mountaineers who had grown up in the Colorado Mountain Club Juniors. Our most frequent guide was Craig Gaskill, who began leading us while still in high school. In spite of his youth, he showed consistently solid judgment and keen knowledge of the difficult routes, particularly on the more difficult peaks. In keeping with his Gaskill background, he was and is a wonderfully strong and a very skilled mountaineer. Throughout the last thirty years of my life, the club has made possible mountaineering as a principal source of sociability and a special form of recreation. During my retirement, CMC activities have provided a meaningful chance to meet other people who share my love for the mountains. Mountaineering seems to be a self-selecting process and brings together people who are marvelous company, as being together in the high country requires mutual trust, consideration for others, and the ability to get along in a group. It has made possible some of my finest friendships. △
◀ In 2008, the Carl Blaurock Silver Piton Award was awarded to Giles Toll for having "invested a substantial amount of personal time and effort in CMC activities, resulting in a significant improvement to the organization." He was joined by many family and friends, including (front, left to right) John Radloff, Rainie Toll, Harrison Toll, Ellie Toll, May Toll, Caroline Toll, and Sian Hauver; and (back, left to right) Susan Toll, Mattie Toll, Giles Toll, Connie Hauver, Darwin Toll, Chris Toll, and Jane Toll.
Trail & Timberline
