There were many individuals that did not live in Rocky Mountain National Park, but had a great deal of influence on its history.
Shep Husted acted as a guide for many years, especially on Longs Peak. After his first ascent, he was hired by Enos Mills in 1888.
It has been debated over the years as to how many times Husted reached the summit with some estimates well over 900. Over the years, this number has been adjusted to about 350, still making Husted one of the all-time leaders in this ascent.
At age 20, Husted left his family home in Ohio and headed to the Rocky Mountains. His destination was the Estes Park Valley where his uncle, John Cleave and his wife lived. Cleave, a respected carpenter, ended up with title to the land where the present-day town of Estes Park is located.
After his marriage, Husted homesteaded a previously unoccupied area on the rim of the Devil’s Gulch about five miles northeast of the town of Estes Park. He built a cabin in 1893 and “proved up” on his claim five years later receiving title to the land.
Like so many other ranchers in the Estes Park Valley, he eventually turned toward tourism. He hired a local architect to design the Rustic Hotel. Work started in 1900 with its opening June of the following year. He built up the land around the hotel to 800 acres.
Husted was not suited to desk work and was always pulled away from the hotel business by his love for the mountains. Although Husted had many satisfied guests, the business failed to make much of a profit. He sold the Rustic Hotel in 1907 to concentrate on his career as a guide and lecturer.
The “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park” Enos Mills commented that Husted was the most capable guide he had ever known.
In 1914, Husted guided Arapaho Indians in a trip sponsored by the Colorado Mountain Club. It was in hopes that the Indians would remember some of the names given to various geographic features.
Husted was involved in several rescues. In 1905, Husted was on the team to recover the body of Louis Levings on Mount Ypsilon. In 1915, he searched for the Rev. Thornton Sampson.
In 1905, Husted was promoted to the position of forest ranger. This was a decade before the park was established at a time when the land was administered by the U.S. Forest Service. He was sent on a temporary assignment in 1906 to Glenwood Springs.
During the Great Depression, Husted was foreman for Civil Conservation Corps camps within the park.
Husted died in 1942 at his son’s home in St. Louis, Mo.
Kenneth Jessen has lived in Loveland since 1965 and has contributed to area newspapers for more than four decades. He has written more than 2,000 illustrated articles published along with 20 books. Jessen is in his third year teaching adult education at Colorado State University (OSHER program) and has lectured in Northern Colorado.